The Days of Grays

It's quite rare for me to find an album that not only defies description, but just laughs at all attempts to categorize it. The Days of Grays, by Finnish metal band Sonata Arctica, is such an album.

Sonata Arctica has evolved considerably over their career. They started off playing classic-style power metal similar to genre pioneer Stratovarius, albeit with lyrics that dealt with personal emotions and stories as much as  fantasy. Around their 2004 album Reckoning Night they began adopting a more progressive metal style with more complicated, moodier songs and complex lyrical themes. The Days of Grays combines their progressive and power metal styles, along with more orchestral elements than previous albums. The result is pretty much everything I love about European metal on one CD.

This album is one of a few in my library I have listed as "Symphonic/Progressive/Power Metal". A quick listen will reveal that it deserves all of those genres; the songs are diverse, sprawling compositions that combine crunching guitars and a (simulated) orchestra.. If you listen to this album expecting a straight-up metal record, you will be disappointed. In fact, if you're expecting just about anything beforehand, you probably won't enjoy it as much. It's hard to make general statements about such a diverse album, so let's get to the tracks.

After a completely orchestral intro that slowly builds layers upon layers of piano and strings (Everything Fades to Gray), the full band bursts onto the scene with the epic Deathaura, which is basically the whole album in miniature. In eight minutes we get a multi-sectioned odyssey containing some of the band's hardest rocking backed by the orchestra with multiple quiet interludes. The Last Amazing Grays is somewhat more straightforward. The guitar takes more of a textural backseat to the piano and organ, but comes into its own during a low-register solo which is made all the more epic by the symphonic backing.

Did I mention vocalist Tony Kakko is fantastic in all of these songs? He effortlessly switches between the usual operatic vocals and a more emotional style that befits the more symphonic parts of the album. Basically, he's awesome.

Flag In the Ground is one of the more straight-up power metal songs on the album (with the guitar and keyboard roles approximately reversed from the last song) going back to the band's earlier days, and it is quite awesome. It's also one of the very few SA songs with a happy ending. Zeroes has a more plodding pace (slow enough to headbang to)  and rocks even harder.

The Dead Skin is another short epic, this time compressed to just over six minutes. The lyrics are a little on the emo side, but musically it's beautiful, beginning with a beautiful, swirling piano melody that continues through much of the song. Did I mention the solo and post-solo section is some of the best, most metallic metal I have ever heard? Well, it is. Definitely one of the more interesting (and awesome) parts of the album.

And then...then we have Juliet. Possibly one of my five favorite songs ever. SA takes the climax of Shakespeare's most famous work and gives it the epic treatment. The ending is one of the most intense and beautiful things I have ever heard. I can't possibly do it justice with anything I say, so just listen to it.

These songs are just the highlights that I seem to enjoy more every time I listen to them, but the rest of the album isn't bad by any means (just forgettable by comparison, to me). I cannot recommend this album highly enough to anyone curious about what this "European metal" I enjoy is about.

The stuff kids listen to these days...

Last night Middlebrook Hall Council put on a pretty awesome Halloween dance for which I was the DJ. This was probably a good choice, given that the only music I dance to is folky Contra music so I was able to completely concentrate on my job. From my night in UDS I made some observations about the grim state of most peoples' music listening tastes:

• Music from this year or last year is cool. Anything older than this, except for a few "classic" songs that have been vetted by going multi-platinum, is terrible. Also anything that isn't a single. (Except maybe the aforementioned "classics")
• All popular music has the exact same beat. This beat has been decided upon by the Crazy Dance Party Cabal, which determined the optimal speed people like to dance at and the maximal amount of bass they can tolerate and set it as the gold standard of beats.
• Popular songs consist of this beat with singing and some melodic elements thrown on top so they don't all sound the same.
• Rap songs consist of this beat, maybe with a few other beats, along with rhythmically spoken vocals and slight melodic elements/sound effects.
• If the music for a song can't be generated in half an hour by a guy working in Garage Band on a MacBook, forget it. It's too complicated. Heaven forbid that your song incorporates real instruments!
• Most dance pop songs are about dancing to dance pop. If this is too self-referential to you, you have no taste.
• If a pop song isn't about dancing, most likely it's about emotional love/relationships/a past, present, or future significant other. We're not trying to break peoples' brains or anything.
• Teach Me How to Dougie is the most popular song in the world right now, despite not actually teaching the listener how to dougie.

If you desire to break free from the American musical mainstream, this blog is the place for you! (Or a place; i don't claim to know about or enjoy every alternative)

Dream Theater Is Dead.

(Link)

My Top 5 in Music

Over the years, I've been seeing a shift in focus in my musical interests from bands to individual performers. (Not just solo artists. I've been taking an interest in the people behind the bands and have been richly rewarded by following their work, which can often be quite diverse. So, I've decided to compile a list of my top 5 people in music. Here we go!

5. Mikael Åkerfeldt

Vocalist/guitarist of the progressive death metal band Opeth. Somewhat surprisingly, he's also into softer, acoustic music, and hopes to release a singer-songwriter album. Opeth is a combination of these two sounds, with songs averaging eight minutes that shift seamlessly from gentle strumming and quiet singing to blast beats and death grunts. Åkerfeldt joined Opeth in 1990, when he was 16; soon all the other members left and he's led the band and done most of the songwriting ever since. More than any other band except maybe Explosions in the Sky, Opeth has mastered the loud-soft dynamic and each song is an odyssey through the diverse elements that make up the band's sound. The lyrics, far from the gore most people associate with death metal, are beautiful, melancholy poetry. He's also appeared in an Ayreon album, played with Dream Theater, and appeared in several Porcupine Tree albums (see #1).

4. Jørn Lande

Jørn is a Norwegian hard rock/metal singer best known for singing for the German power metal band Masterplan, as well as his numerous guest appearances. He's released quite a few solo albums and appeared in Avantasia and Ayreon. I first heard him on The Scarecrow by Avantasia (previously reviewed), and he has played increasing roles in the other two albums of the Wicked Trilogy. Rather than attempting to describe how awesome his voice is, I'll just point you to this video.

3. Fredrik Nordström

If there is any man who deserves to have his picture in the dictionary definition of "metal", it is Fredrik Nordström. He's been at the forefront of the booming Swedish metal scene since the early 90s; many of the country's most crucial metal alums were recorded and produced in his own Studio Fredman. Just look at his track record. He was the producer of the "Gothenburg sound" that defined the melodic death metal genre; I never get tired of hearing the distinctive sound of his albums. Basically any metal he touches turns to gold. Apparently producing dozens of albums still isn't metal enough for him, so he also formed his own power metal band, Dream Evil, which is simultaneously an affectionate parody and shining example of the genre.

2. Tobias Sammet

Vocalist for German power metal band Edguy, as well as creator of the "metal opera" side project Avantasia. Edguy is one of the more creative power metal bands out there, especially in recent years as their subject matter has been getting wackier and they've been shifting to more of a hard rock style. But he really shines in Avantasia, a side project combining some of the best metal talent into awesomeness. Unlike Arjen Anthony Lucassen in Ayreon he sings lead vocals for most of the songs, but has also incorporated vocalists like Jørn Lande, Alice Cooper, Roy Khan (Kamelot), Klaus Meine (Scorpions), Michael Kiske (Helloween), John Oliva (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Tim "Ripper" Owens (Yngwie Malmsteen, Judas Priest, Iced Earth), and Bob Catley (Magnum). The songs vary from fast-paced power metal to his newer hard rock style to ballads, but pretty much everything is amazing. The first two albums are more concept albums, telling a fantasy story of the land of Avantasia, and the latest three, the Wicked Trilogy, are more psychological; they're absolutely brilliant and all the different artists come together into a glorious whole. Plus, as looking at any pictures of him will indicate, he has a truly bizarre sense of humor.

1. Steven Wilson

Vocalist/guitarist for British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as playing in a number of side projects. Porcupine Tree is one of the most brilliant prog rock bands I've ever heard of. It started as a fictitious legendary prog band from the 70s, essentially a solo project for Steven Wilson to release delightfully weird music, but has become a serious and innovative band since. They started off as more of an ambient, space rock band, went through an acoustic pop phase, and have recently begun becoming more progressive metal. Some of the brainiest and best music you'll ever hear. However, even a band as interesting as Porcupine Tree isn't enough of an outlet for Steven Wilson's genius, so he has quite a few side projects: No-Man (ambient music combined with pop), I.E.M. (Incredible Expanding Mindf***, playing krautrock/ambient music), Bass Communion (electronic/drone), and Blackfield (alternative rock). He's also released a solo album because all of this apparently still isn't creative enough for him. Besides all of this work, he collaborated with Opeth on three of their albums, playing keyboard and guitar as well as singing and producing. Also, he performs barefoot.

Seven Seals

Primal Fear is a band that almost wasn't. They were formed by German vocalist Ralf Scheepers after he narrowly missed being the replacement for Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford. He looks just like Halford and sounds like his actual replacement Tim 'Ripper' Owens, so I'm not sure what was wrong with him. Anyway, it's a good thing he didn't make it in, because then he never would have formed Primal Fear and made awesome albums like Seven Seals!

Seven Seals is pretty much the quintessential power metal album. It has booming dual-guitar melodies, keyboard backing for an 'epic' touch (see my last post), double bass drumming, high-pitched clean vocals about legendary heroes and fantastical battles between demons and angels. Laugh if you want, but I enjoy this album more every time I listen to it.

The album has a mix of high-octane powerhouse songs like the bombastic "Demons and Angels", "Rollercoaster" (which is almost impossible not to head-bang to), and "Evil Spell", which becomes one of the most furious songs on the album after a quieter intro. "Carniwar" is slower, but no less heavy. The album is interesting in that it has three epic, 7+-minute songs "Diabolus" has a relatively plodding tempo, but has a strong symphonic backing and still manages a fast guitar solo. "All For One" and "Question of Honour" are more typical power metal songs, but both have extended solos in the middle which are quite awesome. "In Memory" is the obligatory power ballad, and "Seven Seals" combines the slower pace of a ballad with the intensity of their faster songs.

Overall, this album really has no weak songs and has become one of my favorite power metal albums of all time after many listens. It certainly avoids the criticism leveled at bands like DragonForce that all their songs sound the same; Seven Seals has an excellent mix of songs. Power metal has always been a genre less focused on innovation than on pursuit of an ideal, and I think Seven Seals comes quite close indeed. Definitely worth a listen for any metal/hard rock fan.

Dark Passion Play

When people ask me what kind of music I listen to, my standard response is "Christian contemporary and European metal". Most American know the Christian contemporary music scene well enough, even if they don't partake in it. Artists like Skillet and Switchfoot have achieved mainstream success, and big names like Casting Crowns or Steven Curtis Chapman headline Christian music festivals so often it's hard not to know of them, at least. However, it's likely that not many in the states have heard of even relatively mainstream "European metal" bands like Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, or In Flames. The reality is that "European metal" is about as broad a descriptor as "American rock music" and considerably less well-known around here. So, after being inspired by my friend's blog on all things J-pop, this blog has a mission: to raise awareness of the awesomeness of European metal. (Not that I won't talk about other stuff, of course) So, up first is one of my favorite albums of all time, the latest offering from Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish: Dark Passion Play.

As the "symphonic" part suggests, Nightwish's instrumentation extends beyond the usual guitar-bass-drums. Their songwriter, Tuomas Holopainen, often performs with several keyboards at once, and on their latest few albums they've gotten to record with a full choir and orchestra. The symphonic and metal parts of the band take turns sharing the melodic spotlight, or work together to produce pure awesomeness. There's something about the densely layered sound created by a metal band, orchestra, and choir working together that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. More than any other, this album basically serves as my definition for what "epic" music sounds like.

The 14-minute opening track, "The Poet and the Pendulum", clearly shows Holopainen's influence by movie soundtracks. It starts off quietly before exploding into a whirlwind of strings and horns, which is soon joined by the whole band. This part actually bears little resemblance to a movie soundtrack because no movie ever made can possibly justify being accompanied by music so epically awesome. The lyrics are obscure, but are supposedly Holopainen's life story. The rest of the song is a multi-segmented odyssey traversing the breadth of Nightwish's bombastic style.

The rest of the album doesn't quite maintain the epic scale of "The Poet and the Pendulum", but this isn't saying much. The next two songs are clear-cut singles; "Bye Bye Beautiful" toys with industrial sounds and deals with the dismissal of the band's old vocalist, while "Amaranth" is more pop-friendly and focuses on the band's new vocalist, Anette Olzon. On the other hand, "Master Passion Greed" is one of the band's heaviest songs, sung entirely by bassist Marco Hietala. "Cadence of her Last Breath" and "Whoever Brings the Night" are pretty standard Nightwish fare; both are epic, thrilling tunes.

Other songs like "Sahara" and "Seven Days to the Wolves" have fantasy-themed lyrics; the outro of "Seven Days to the Wolves" ranks as one of the most epic parts of any song I have ever heard. Other standout tracks are the relatively quiet interlude "The Islander" and instrumental "Last of the Wilds", wherein Nightwish displays their earlier folk influences. "Eva" and "Meadows of Heaven" are slower, more orchestral ballads; the latter slowly builds to a huge choir-driven climax that is a great album closer.

So Nightwish is one of the best examples of the "European metal" I enjoy. The only other band that can rival their epic-ness is Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. Oh, and just because you haven't heard of them doesn't mean they're underground; Nightwish is the most successful band in Finland. If you're looking to broaden your musical horizons across the Atlantic, definitely give Nightwish a look.

Addendum 5/12/2012: I was exaggerating just a bit; Nightwish is in fact the second most successful band from Finland, after HIM.

This... Is... OCTAVARIUM!!!

Well, I've been back from summer project for over a week now (see my other blog if you somehow missed it despite following this one), so I guess I should get back to the writing about music. I've kind of been focusing on my other blog and I'm a bit short on ideas, so I'll simply write about one of my favorite Dream Theater albums (it's a toss-up between this one and Awake)

Octavarium is filled with numerical symbolism and other cool stuff. The musical octave has eight natural notes and five accidentals; this was Dream Theater's eighth studio album and they had released five live albums at the time. Each of the eight songs is in a different key (only a band with musicians as crazy as Dream Theater's would come up with this); to emphasize their conceptual link, they all transition into each other with ambient sound effects. The album also concludes Dream Theater's tradition of each album ending the same way the next one begins; this one ends with the same note that their last one, Train of Thought, ended with, but the band found this to be confining and escaped from the tradition by having the ending of the last song match the beginning of the first song. The concept of Octavarium was obviously well planned-out and it's really cool to see it come together.

Musically, the album was intended as a "classic Dream Theater album", a return to their roots after experimenting with other subjects on their last few albums. It shows their old prog rock influences while showing a more modern style that they would develop more in their next album. Basically, it's the quintessential Dream Theater album.

"The Root of All Evil" is the third part in Mike Portnoy's twelve-step suite. The quiet intro recalls the distinctive rhythm used by the last part before building up to metallic awesomeness. Like the rest of the suite, it's introspective, expressing a sincere readiness to change and be rid of your demons (in this case, alcoholism). As is typical of Dream Theater's longer songs, it has an extended solo with the guitar and keyboard trading off the melody and trying to outdo each other's musicianship.

"The Answer Lies Within" is a quieter, piano-based song that has the rest of the band slowly build up into the song, along with a string quartet. It's more of a power ballad; I don't find it too exciting and it's my least favorite one on the album.

"These Walls" begins with guitar so distorted as to be a sound effect, chugging its way into a keyboard explosion, a dense sound that gives the song an epic feel (especially in the outro). The guitar remains in the background most of the time, providing a heavy atmosphere to the drums and keyboard. Lyrically, the song is about overcoming barriers to communication.

"I Walk Beside You" is without doubt the single most poppy thing Dream Theater has ever done...and it is glorious! Boasting no solos of any kind, it's a break from the excess of the rest of the album, but absolutely beautiful to listen to; proof that Dream Theater can do more with less. Lyrically, it's one of the few songs above love that I enjoy listening to; not the sad "I-need-you-I-can't-live-without-you" love that shows up in so much popular music but real love that walks beside the beloved through every difficulty, never gives up, always puts its own desires second. But if I wrote any more it would have to be on my other blog.

"Panic Attack" is basically exactly what the name suggests: a musical version of a panic attack. It's largely based around a multirhythmic guitar riff which is tons of fun to play on Rock Band. Drummer Mike Portnoy is basically showing off on this song, cranking his usual skill and precision up to 11; there's not a simple rock beat to be found anywhere in the song. The whole thing has more time changes than I can count (perhaps someone who knows the basics of music theory could, however), especially in the bridge and solos. Awesome song.

"Never Enough" is Mike Portnoy's response to ungrateful fans who refuse to be satisfied by his awesomeness.    It alternates a rapid rhythm and the slower, more "majestic" chorus. As usual, there are awesome guitar-and-keyboard solos.

"Sacrificed Sons" is about the tragedy of September 11th. It starts with a chorus of voices speaking foreign languages, which gives way to samples from the news and then a tender piano intro to the actual song. AT over 10 minutes, it starts off at a slow, solemn, pace before an extended solo. Like "In The Name of God" on their last album, it's critical of religious fanaticism.

The title track is...glorious. At 24 minutes, it's Dream Theater's longest song that isn't split into multiple parts. As is typical of their epics, its has an extended instrumental intro featuring spacey keyboards, acoustic guitars, and a flute before the vocals finally come in at about 5:30. It's absolutely brilliant and a better description of all the hidden stuff in it that I can provide is found here. In the end the song is about the cyclical nature of things; coming back full circle to where you started; fittingly, it ends the same way the first song began, turning the whole album into a big cycle. Glorious. If you're interested in Dream Theater (which you should be if you know me), I highly recommend checking out this album first.