Showing posts with label Lacuna Coil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lacuna Coil. Show all posts

6/07/2018

CD Review: Animae Silentes - Suffocated (Gothic Rock, 2017)

Fine gothic rock tracks that are playing with the heavyness of the music on the one side and laying it down softer on the vocal side.

The cover of Animae Silentes debut record "Suffocated", (c) by Animae Silentes, used with kind permission
Summary
The start is dark and strange with a classic intro. The first full song "Burning in silence" kicks in straight and I love the way it does. It lifts the mood and gives room to for the ears to find into the band's sound. The next track "Purgatorium" pushed me straight in. It's such a riff hacker it gave me no chance to stop listening to this silver disc anymore.

It's a album full of straight rocking gothic numbers. It's this mixture of the silk voice dancing on the rough riffs and the more melodic parts giving it a slightly mysterious touch. The band gives the listener a explosive experience with the dry heavvness of the album's sound. Happily it never feels cold or mechanical because of the warmth of the voice and it's melodic variations in them.

"Eville" track number four manages to show a uptempo number that fit's to the band's sound but you won't expect on such a album. "Nothing else to remind" stands out of the pack having a creeping slowness in it. It stays in my mind. A sign that the band has the power to make a lasting impression to the listener.

The only negative point to me was the end of the album. The last two track feel a bit lengthy to me at times but maybe it's only my attention being limited at this point.

CD-Packing and Booklet
The packing is great. It's kept all in black with the bird being the point of attention. He's boldly sitting there at the front cover, missing in the insert of the jewel case and flying majestically a the backside of the record. A cool optical gimmick in my eyes. The booklet features the lyrics and fine band member pictures at various locations. You'll get a feeling of the people behind the music this way.

Purchase-Link, Conatct and Preview-Stream
Pick up the record of the webshop of Sliptrick Records. The band has a webpresence
at Instagram and Facebook so you can contact them easily for show offers etc.

1/29/2015

CD Review: iLLacrimo - iLLacrimo EP


Note:  If you have a own band or project that you think might fit in well here for a review or as a presentation / introduction please drop me a line or two in a E-Mail. Please see my profile for my E-Mail adress. I appreciate new suggestions very much so don't hesitate to contact me. I'm also interested in band news / updates / tourdates so please keep the stuff coming. Thanks!

If you're having troubles writing in English please send me a E-Mail in your preferred language or use the free Google Translator to transfer your message to English. I also use that tool, it's of course not perfect but I think it will mostly likely work out for our purposes.

Short Introduction

(c)  by iLLacrimo, used with kind permission
After a long way full of different experiences, two young brains meet again in a moor between fog and melancholy near Milano. Davide-Kristof (son of Janos Acs, an important Hungarian Conductor) and Federica Sara raise a project of European sounds, shuffle with the traditional Italian melody. The result is the perfect combination of iLLacrimo. It's the begin of a collaboration with Matteo Cifelli for the recording of their first self-titled EP, mixed at the Fastermaster studio in London under his supervision. On 23rd October 2014 they have released their first single "Chains In The Cold", signed by Resisto label.

Recorded in Italy and mixed at the Fastermaster studio in London by Matteo Cifelli (Betty Poison, Il Divo, Helene Fischer, Mike & the Mechanics, etc...), “iLLacrimo” out via Resisto label, is available in all digital stores from January 26th 2015.

Summary / Player

This EP has grabbed my heart from the very start! It feels as if it represents the inner twists, changes and difficulties a lot of people go through were packed in one record of five songs. It is a great mixture of mostly slow or midtempo and very cool beats, hard riffs and a voice expressing so much of what can be on your mind all the time. It feels as if someone has opened up a ventile for the feelings inside and has put the all an everything in his voice. 
The EP comes with three hard and faster tracks, one half-ballad and one full ballad. It's a very outworked piece of music and I can only highly recommend listening to this one's to all the fans of Lacuna Coil or Evanscene, also this band for sure goes it's own way. I really hope a lot of people will check out and buy it. Would love to see and hear more from this band.

Band Contact
https://www.facebook.com/illacrimo
twitter.com/iLLacrimoBand



Track-byTrack Review

Burning Fields
A cool drum fill opens up for a heavy piece of music. Then silence - the first lines of vocals come in softly. The refrain ripps it up again and for the first time you can hear this "let it all out and go" feeling the vocals give you, feels great! The second verse keeps it going heavier. The track keeps being a up-tempo pushing you forward. The solo section introduces a more hacked version of the song theme. At the end comes back for one more. Loving it!

1000 Reasons to?
A slow beginning - the vocals come in hautingly spoken, giving me chills. The track is a mixture of the vocals and the keyboards while focussing on the fragile, warm voice. The refrain is sung by two people together giving it a even deeper touch. A short guitar solo section brings in some movement. A very emotional number.

Chains In The Cold
Some may know this song of the video already. This one is lead by the sharp, hacked guitar riffs. In the beginning some compressed guitars like you hear it often in Progmetal bands, the refrain brings back the cool rhythm dominated movement of the song and the vocals once more blow out a lot of emotion. A song between silence and full shredding guitars that is softly filled with fine keyboards while the drums move with the riff. A great song, it expresses so much. The end comes pushing hard and some keyboard notes fill the air in the end...

No Longer
Lots of drum variations and riffing in the beginning. The vocals once more give a look into deep emotions. A rough and dark riff crushes all along the song. A stomping mid-tempo groover but all in all the song comes in a bit compressed form, it's not held that in a so expressive form than the previous one's. The band shows a bit more of their rocking side. 

Non Credi
Non-Credi opens up with a touching combination of vocals and keyboards Some soft drums move giving it a bit of movement. The refrain comes with more higher notes in the vocals giving it a bit more emotional style. The track no doubt is a classic half ballad  The soft guitar solo fits good to the vibe, expressing a bit without words. A last emotional refrain rounds out the song - a fine and perfect way to close this EP.

8/09/2014

Bloodstock 2014 broadcasts shows through internet livestream

This weekend another fine festival takes place - it't time for the Bloodstock Open Air.

Best of all for those who can't be there: in cooperation with dailymotion a stream has been set up to broadcast some of the shows of the festival. Jump over to the site of dailymotion or check it out right here:



Live Stream - Bloodstock Festival 2014 by BloodstockFestival
The schedule for the stream is as follows (all times CET):

Saturday, August 9th:

Evil Scarecrow - 11.00am
Shining - 12.00
Decapitated - 13:05
Orphaned Land - 14.10
Lacuna Coil - 16.35
Children of Bodom - 17.55
Carcass - 19.40
Emperor - 21:30

Sunday, August 10th:

Arthemis - 11.00am
Aborted - 12.00
ReVamp - 13.05
Biohazard - 14.10
Obituary - 16.35
Amon Amarth - 19.30
Megadeth - 21.15