Stuck In My Skull 464 -- "Tempest" [Symphonic Metal Week III]

Symphonic Metal Week III || Song: "Tempest" || Artist: Adasteria || http://youtu.be/yfiJEmiyI5Q ||

Comments: Well, I'm pretty sure I'm just a really derpy blogger this week. I meant to write this entry yesterday and didn't get it written in time, so I decided I'd put both this entry and another one of Newt's up today. But when I got on blogger I realized that the entry I wrote Wednesday was still stuck in draft. So now that's been published, this is about to be published, and I'll be publishing one of Newt's later. What a day!

So let's talk about the music. I've heard of Adasteria from some of my more metal friends, but I've never really heard Adasteria prior to this. What I've heard, though, I am definitely liking. This song is eight minutes of awesome. Granted, I'm known to be a sucker for power ballads, but this song is so totally worth it. Chugging guitars and a double bass drum behind soaring female vocals and intricate instrumentation? Sign me up! Check it out, and check back later today for an entry from Newt!

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Stuck In My Skull 462 -- "Valentine" [Symphonic Metal Week III]

Symphonic Metal Week III || Song: "Valentine" || Artist: Xandria || http://youtu.be/Rx9OoLwiAho ||

Comments: Good morning everyone! Sorry about the lack of posting last week. I was really, really sick (for the second time this cold season, no less!) and just couldn't manage to get anything done. To make up for it, I'm going to finish off Symphonic Metal Week III this week -- hopefully with a bonus post or two -- and post some entries from the one and only DJ Abso-Newt-ly. So hold on, folks, this week is gonna be a wild ride!
Speaking of wild rides, let's talk about Xandria. I'm going to head off the inevitable comparisons between vocalist Manuela Kraller and former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen by paraphrasing a youtube comment. (Wait, what! Yes, really!) They're both female soprano singers with an operatic style providing vocals for a symphonic metal band. But they are not the same, and while every once in awhile an eerily-similar note creeps through, they generally don't even sound close. Moving on. Vocals aside, I really enjoy the sort of 'hard rock' guitar riffs I hear in the song, which is ever so slightly unusual for a symphonic metal band. And to head off the obligatory Nightwish comparisons I suspect are coming -- Xandria is much more guitar and drum focused, whereas Nightwish loves to play up the keyboards and symphonic instrumentation. Xandria isn't old Nightwish, but Xandria is amazing. Whether or not you liked old Nightwish, I think you'll like Xandria. Give it a listen!

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Stuck In My Skull 461 -- "Stand Up and Fight" [Symphonic Metal Week III]

Symphonic Metal Week III || Artist: Turisas || Song: "Stand Up and Fight" || http://youtu.be/7woW7DmnR0E ||

Comments: What happens when you mix vikings and violins? Turisas. Dear lord, where has this band been all my life? They are absolutely glorious, prancing about in facepaint and leathers like they just got back from pillaging a village somewhere. Their music is excellent, full of adrenaline-pumping double bassdrums and chugging riffs, contrasted with violin and accordion lines that really make the song work. I know next to nothing about this band, just what a quick glance at Wikipedia told me, but that will quickly change. I cannot get enough of this sound. Be careful where you watch this video -- you might need to go sack some cities afterwards.

Warning: Heads up all you arachnophobes out there -- this vid has a tarantula at a titch before 4:00.

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Stuck In My Skull 460 -- "Dragon's Grail" [Symphonic Metal Week III]

Symphonic Metal Week III || Artist: Nota Profana || Song: "Dragon's Grail" || http://youtu.be/ap1-k-hv0C8 ||

Comments: Good morning everyone! I am back, and pleased to announce that this week is a theme week! That's right, folks, this week I'm writing about awesome tracks you've never heard from the wonderful world of symphonic metal! Just to mix things up, I might also post some of DJ Abso-Newt-ly's posts he gave me this week, so I don't bore anyone.
To open this week, I've got a band out of Venezuela called Nota Profana. I'm not used to hearing symphonic (or really any) metal out of South America, but if Nota Profana is any indication, this continent is more than able to hold its own. Nota Profana definitely has all the elements of a traditional symphonic metal band -- excellent guitars, an epic double bass drum, and even a pretty awesome female vocalist -- paired with what appears to be some serious choral and symphonic elements. Basically, Nota Profana put metal into a symphony, and it sounds great. Check it out!

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