Stuck In My Skull 562 -- "Path to Decay"

Song: "Path to Decay" || Artist: Sirenia || http://youtu.be/ouZQ7rgAq-I ||

Comments: Hello everyone! Today I quite honestly have "Rainbow Road" stuck in head, as it was the last song I heard from my workout playlist this morning. When I jumped on YouTube to see what else I'd been listening to lately, this song was sitting under that 'Watch it Again' section, and I was surprised to realize I'd never blogged about it. This track has been kicking around my head for at least a few years now, and I had looked at it several times previously without realizing I hadn't written about it. Thankfully, I can finally rectify that unfortunate situation. Sirenia is a gothic/symphonic metal bound with a sound that strikes me as being somewhere between Sonata Arctica and Evanescence, and that's a pretty good endorsement in my book. This track in particular fits almost perfectly into my conceptions of the prototypical female-vocals pseudo-gothic metal track. It's got some solid vocals backed by chugging riffs and the easy pace of a band who knows they rock. Apparently the band has had some lineup changes since this song came out, and I confess that I'm not terribly familiar with their more recent work. As best I can tell from Wikipedia however, the band's vocalist and at least one of the guitarists hasn't changed since this song came out, so I have no doubt that Sirenia's sound will still remain excellent in more recent tracks. Give this song a listen, and don't forget to like us on Facebook!

Download

Stuck In My Skull 508 -- "Equilibrium" [Symphonic Metal Week IV]

Symphonic Metal Week IV || Song: "Equilibrium" || Artist: Tristania || http://youtu.be/tBuineSYqoY ||

Comments: Hello everyone! Today's song is probably the most symphonic that the rest of the bands I have lined up for this week will get. Coming in somewhere between symphonic power and straight-up gothic metal (the wikipedia page for the band lists them as 'symphonic gothic metal), Tristania is an interesting sound. Like many bands in the genre, Tristania employs a male and a female vocalist both, but (at least in this song) has no grunting vocals. Instead, vocalists Mariangela Demurtas and Kjetil Nordhus play off each other to interweave sections of the song into one harmonious track. I have to say, I wasn't expecting the drone-inspired feel to this song, but I'm really enjoying it. The dark, keening undertones in the instrumentation really accent the mixed vocals and make this song sound both dark and amazing. Seriously, this is acoustic excellence at work. Give it a listen and make sure to come back tomorrow for more great music!

Download