Avatar - Avatar Country

It's been two years since I discovered this band, and I must say that I've followed their steps ever since. I was indeed eager to know what would come after Feathers & Flesh, which was a break with their previous sound back in the day and which I now consider to be a transition to a new approach, consolidated in this new album. 

Whatever your opinion about the band is, it is clear that they leave no one indifferent with their so characteristic and unique sound, so hard to define in a single genre. But what can you expect from this new piece? To be honest, I bought the album and decided to review it after attending the show in Bilbao, which provides further understanding of how every piece fits in this puzzle. Anyway, there we go...

As always, I first give the booklet a look and, oh surprise! This time all the lyrics are in there, unlike with Feathers & Flesh, where I missed them so much. These are little things I am fuzzy with about the format. Nothing important, but they add kind of satisfaction and quality of experience.

We are introduced to this new land with the anthem to the King, Glory to our King, which serves an ode to a living legend that has just come true and that is spoken about in the next song, A Legend of the King. Its lyrics, mighty and epic, could well remind us of a power metal song, unlike the sound. A Legend of the King gives the listener a great mix between melodic parts, such as the intro and fast, strong, rhythmical verses sung gutturally, along with catchy choruses and some bluesy elements presented in a brief breakdown.

After we listen to his legend, the King welcomes us into his utopic world: The third cut of this album sounds more like a classical hard-rock piece in terms of harmony blocks, vocal and guitar melodies (the guitar lines here are probably my favourite of all the album) and atmosphere, but still keeps the characteristic touch added by some disonances at the beginning and the end, Johannes's vocals and perfectly ensembling backing vocals by Tim and Henrik (while everyone sang along with Johannes, I was singing  along with Tim, ha!), and a well contrasting bridge towards the end. 

Next cut, King's Harvest, could perfectly belong to Hail the Apocalypse. One more reason to state that whatever the approach, Avatar's music always sounds like them. The atmosphere set by this song is darker and the lyrics are indeed powerful. This effect is partly accomplished by the almost total guttural singing. In fact, King's Harvest is, hands down the less melodic song in the album.

We're almost halfway through the album, when the king calls us to join him the American style. The King Wants You reminds me of that advertisement we all know in which Uncle Sam wants us to join the army. With its groovy riffs, hard-rocker style and fresh percussion lines (cowbells and tambourine included), it is possibly the catchiest song and also the most surprising as far as Johannes's vocal ranged is concerned.

Then, The King Speaks, acts as an interlude to let the previous material sink in, as well as giving a funny insight into the King's thoughts through a speech in both Swedish and English. It brings together the whole concept of a country led by a monarch and gives coherence to it. Besides, it fits perfectly with what follows, if we take into account that the video released for A Statue of the King is thought of as a big meeting with a speech, so The King Speaks is also a perfect prelude to the song that comes next. The so-called song flows frantically due to drum, bass lines, melodic speech (when the song is not sung gutturally) and how the lyrics are conceived and rhymed, transmitting the urge to have a statue of the leader.

The end comes nearer with King after King. During the album each and every instrument is given the chance to outstand and here, bass is arguably the real protagonist, giving a melodic dimension to the rhythm base laid by the drums. This the most remarkable feature of the cut, of which nothing else can be said that hasn't been mentioned before.

Finally, Avatar Country comes to an end with two instrumental pieces whose only aim is to keep setting the right atmosphere until the last minute, the first of it being more relaxed and far more descriptive (regarding the name of the song) than the second.

All in all, it's been a pleasant journey through this land presented in the album. The impovement of Johannes keeps surprising me. No matter if guttural or clean: he always sounds better, higher, louder, growlier, and more powerful. Drums keep on being one of my favourite parts, though the great talent of the King, Tim and Henrik is just undeniable. 

Avatar Country is an album that needs more than one listen, a bit puzzling during the first one. This is why I consider it not to be so good as Feathers & Flesh which caught my attention from the very first second. But the more I listen to it, the more I like it and the more little details I find that complete the map of this universe put together by the album. Welcome to Avatar Country and glory to our King!

Watain - Trident Wolf Eclipse

I stare at the cover, and only its art already suggests a return to the Casus Luciferi era. And a few seconds into the first song, Nuclear Alchemist, my intuitions are confirmed.

From there on, Watain offers in roughly half an hour (which has felt too short to me, to be honest) a wide variety of musical elements, all of them though not far away from the black metal core of their music. For example, songs like Sacred Damnation sound more like the Sworn to the Dark album, with its more bluesy flow and rhythm at times, but still preserves the pitch black darkness of a starless night that is every Watain song. Other musical dimensions such as very soft background choirs in this song or more “melodic” (melodic as opposite of purely harmonic, yet inside of the typical atonality) guitar lines in Furor Diabolicus are appreciated.

Others, like A Throne Below, remind me more of Waters of Ain, as their attempts at melody in the guitars and stepping out of fundamentals in the bass make these lines sound like a tad of colour in the immense grey sea of Watain compositions. No doubt a majestic piece. And they’re not forgetful of the origins of the msic they play. As Alvaro Lillo once said, they are a rock and roll soul in a black metal outfit, which can be perfectly noticed in the rhythm of the lyrics in Furor Diabolicus or the general atmosphere of Ultra (Pandemoniac). The later starts as a standard, blast-beating black metal song and turns at the beginning of the verse a black and roll piece (with more black than roll though).

What has been permanent in all Watain albums (what’s more, in my opinion, it has evolved in a mesmerizing way), is the grandiloquent lyrical content, full of big, epic, dark words all linked in a smooth yet powerful way, giving as result beautiful poems for black metal songs. This is especially the case of Teufelreich, which has left me shivering, or Towards the Sanctuary. All in all, the songs in this album make a perfect ode to Satan, fire and Freedom/Free Will.

After a more or less detailed analysis, if I had to mention what I liked most, I’d surely go for the lyrics and some of the instrumental lines (I haven’t mentioned the drum lines yet and they are absolutely delightful and full of little details); and if I had to mention a bad aspect, it would be the uniformity of the songs in both structure and length. I am more keen on a huge variety of structures, lengths, elements... but the great quality material they deliver is a more than perfect compensation for that.

So definitely, Trident Wolf Eclipse is a clear return to their roots, yet with a thicker and richer sound, and the experience that three more albums, and some years in the music scene give. In any case, pretty far from The Wild Hunt. It is generally an enjoyable piece which will probably be of the taste of those who followed Watain from the very beginning and detractors of their previous album, as well as new generations of fans.

Dream Theater 04.29.17 at Sala CUBEC!, Barakaldo

Today I don't want to write a regular review, in a technical tone. These are more the thoughts of a fan that had a great time with one of her favourite bands...

Performing The Bigger Picture

As you know, Dream Theater is now touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album that made them international (as stated by LaBrie during the show): Images and Words.

It's more or less 20:00 pm, the venue is full. The stage looks impressively big, even if I'm not in the first rows and, seeing the gigantic drumset, I feel something similar to when I saw two timpani sets on the stage for the orchestra to play Mahler. It's just a grandiloquent declaration.

And finally the show starts, they come onstage and the very first chord launches me back to a lost memory of the first time I experienced what Dream Theater is (it was all thanks to a copy of the Metal Hammer magazine, now I remember). The Dark Eternal Night immediately gets us all headbanging. Soon I realize that, even though I've listened to the song a thousand times, I don't know the lyrics, but that's not a problem. Meanwhile, there are a zillion things, details, to focus on, maybe too many. Here there is John Myung, playing impossible bass lines (although at some moments not all notes played were clearly understandable, and that's a pity); there, John Petrucci runs his fingers on his guitar as nonchalantly as though he were just... don't know, writing his name. James LaBrie engages us to our full with his characteristic tenor voice (I could recognize it amongst a million), and Jordan Rudess is a technological musical display of grandeur himself, playing in unnatural positions for a keyboardist, and showing off his gadgets. Nevertheless, what got my attention during all (and seriously I mean, all) the show, was Mike Mangini playing drums. The phrasing, the clarity with which every part is heard and understood, the control he has over the whole drumset (a thousand cymbals, toms, and octobans included)... everything. That's probably why my favourite moment was the drum solo!

There are two sets to be played. The first includes a mix of different songs from different albums. The second consists of the whole Images and Words. During the first part, We enjoy songs such as the mentioned The Dark Eternal Night, The Bigger Picture, Breaking All Illusions or As I Am, the latter including a mashup with Metallica's Enter Sandman, which is introduced as seamlessly and smoothly (or even more) as a make-before-break handover (sorry for the reference, blame my profession for it). That ability always surprises me. 

From left to right: John Myung, Jordan Rudess, Mike Mangini,
James LaBrie and John Pretrucci

The second set was maybe a bit too dense for me. Many things going on everywhere, in every instrument at every moment, rhythm changes that are virtually impossible to follow. Well, it's Dream Theater, what did you expect. However, I was really expecting to hear Another Day, and my expectations were fulfilled (except that I absolutely love the sax part and it sounded a bit too synthetic). Something I'd like to highlight from this part, even though it has little to do with the music itself, is that I realized James LaBrie is a great communicator. From time to time, between songs, he talks to us, and accompanies his speech with gestures that make the whole message understandable, even though some words are hard to catch. In other words, he knows how to reach the audience, not only musically, which is something to be thankful for.

So, all in all, it was a great show. A dream come true, one could say (and it couldn't be said better). I missed some songs being played, and at times I would've liked to hear the keyboard louder, but else, it was pretty much the perfect show. Over three hours of pure progressive majesty.

PD: Sorry for the bad quality pics. There was no way to get better ones...

Sabaton- The Last Stand

The first notes of the album start playing and one can feel the rage of war. It's pretty much like plunging into battle from the safety of home. The strength and determination of the Spartans fill my ears...

The Last Stand is the eighth studio album by Sabaton. As always, a Sabaton album is more or less like opening a history book and reading a summary  of some kind of war probably lost in time. But, if with Carolus Rex we had a taste of the military history of Sweden (under the rule of Charles XII), or with The Art of War we dived into Sun Tzu's work, what we have this time is a collection of almost impossible battles, some of them successful, some that ended in defeat. No matter what the result was, the epicness is ensured.
The songs keep coming to me and yeah, I can hear thick, heavy, military riffs and rhythms, like tanks and panzers, and hymnic choruses, but it's no different compared to their other albums (we can even say that their previous album, Heroes, had a wider range of elements). We all agree that Sabaton bring war in each of their musical lines, but the line between a characteristic sound and sounding just the same time after time is pretty thin and these guys cross the threshold at several points.
The structure of all the songs is more or less the same: a couple of verses, then eight-line choruses divided into two groups of four (making the fourth line of the second group instrumental is used at more than one song), then a solo, then the end; we are lucky if we hear a modulation, even if it's the typical one, one tone higher, in the final chorus (as happens in The Last Stand). We can find similar vocal lines, some classical style melodies here and there (for example, the solo in Hill 3234), a very simple harmony. Yes, as I said, pretty much the same; yet there are some remarkable elements.
The pipes and a brighter atmosphere in Blood of Bannockburn will no doubt bring us to the 14th century Scotland. The detail level in Diary of an Unknown Soldier and The Lost Batallion will make us feel like we are fighting in the Argonne. Musically speaking, Winged Hussars has some of the most differential elements in all the album, like a darker atmosphere (due to the use of the minor scale) or the effect caused by mixing the lyrics in the chorus and the final verses of the song.
Nevertheless, the real surprise, the real hit of this album is, in my opinion, the last one, The Last Battle. It appears as a perfect ending for this war. Its atmosphere takes me back to the 80s, with Europe, Doro Pesch, Yesterday & Today, but without losing that thick, then again military sound typical of Sabaton. It's pretty much like a fresh, motivating hymn.
Last, but not least, the four bonus tracks (all of them covers). I see them as good jobs, not far from their originals, yet showing all the main features of the Sabaton style.
To sum up, even if they sound the same after eight albums, my heart welcomes their melodies and catchy choruses with joy, even if logic says quite the contrary. They are still capable of telling interesting tales of war and motivating the audience with their marching military rhythms. So let's give this album a pass!!
Now, for you to enjoy, I'll leave here my favourite song of the album, The Last Battle:

Avatar- Feathers & Flesh

This has taken longer than expected, but here it is finally. Avatar is a band that caught me from the very first note I listened from them, so Feathers & Flesh was an album that I was really waiting for. It was so promising. I listened to it the first time as it arrived to me three months ago. With a great illusion I unpacked the CD. Great design, by the way. Illustrations are amazing both in the cover and the booklet, although I would have preferred to have the lyrics printed in there, so as to read them.

It was a stressing time, lots of things to do, but I decided to listen to it while completing other tasks. However, it was impossible. Little by little, I got into the music and it had me there, unable to do anything other than taking some comments for this post. It had been ages since an album did that to me! But let's talk a bit more in detail about what made me get lost in the notes...

The first thing one can notice is the powerful catchy riffs. They draw your attention immediately. Then, song by song, I can discover an infinity of details that I get lost into and make the album great. The drum lines seem to be the leading part in each song. The richness of fills, rhythms and percussion effects are just a gift to the ears. It's at least surprising to hear cowbells in songs like The Eagle Has Landed, Black Waters or Pray the Sun Away, or a vibraslap (Black Waters) or bells; for these instruments are more typical of other musical genres, but Avatar just made them fit in there. And this all without forgetting the technique and quality of the playing. Each stroke is definite, the riffs well phrased, etc. To sum up, there's a brilliant work in the drums.

Pretty much the same can be said of the vocals. I can only congratulate Mr. Eckerström for his job. There's a wide range of registers: clean, gutturals, torn voices..., which leads to a great personification of all the characters taking part in the story, and great combinations of those in songs like Night Never Ending or Raven Wine. Even at the beginning of Sky Burial there's a perfect a capella part closing somehow the album with the same verses it started (I find it gives that a high sense of cohesion!).

And hand in hand with the musical part, go the lyrics. All the songs together tell a story, a fable, and the contents and meaning of it can be inferred from the verses in each song (for those of you interested in reading the whole fable, Avatar's selling the book, so go buy it!). Besides, as we've just mentioned, the characters taking part are perfectly represented by using different voice techniques, and the atmosphere of each piece conveys the meaning of the lyrics (one can hear the decay and feel the end near in the riffs and melodies of Raven Wine or feel the epicness of Sky Burial).

Finally, the album ends with two bonus tracks (not listed in the tracklist) whose sound is far more death-metal-like but don't really seem to fit in the context (even if they are killer, full of energy, and sound like the best of Avatar). They are like a world apart: I've Got Something In My Front Pocket For You and Det Är Alldeles Försent.

To sum up everything, this album is a union of a great amount of effort, work, stunning instrumental lines and vocals, and a strong deep story. It would be difficult to choose a song over the others, but if I had to recommend the most remarkable hits, these would be:

• New Land, as a kind of flashback to the atmosphere in Hail The Apocalypse
• Fiddler's Farewell, for its ballad-like sound and those details that slightly remind me of the Beatles (was that made on purpose or was it by chance? Just wondering)
• Night Never Ending, for that festive atmosphere, so far away from the darkness of the story
• The Eagle Has Landed, probably the most catchy piece. Once you listen to it it's difficult to get the verses "What a sensation, can you feel it? Can you see what I see?" out of your mind. I'll leave the video here.

Definitely it deserves a couple (or more) of listenings to appreciate it. Hope you enjoy!

Ithilien (Belgium) + Incursed + Hilotz, 05.22.2016 at sala Edaska, Barakaldo

I'm not used to going to concerts on Sunday, but this time I needed to do so. Last concert with Incursed's actual lineup, the one I've known since I discovered them one year ago. I just couldn't miss the event. And, to tell the truth, I was so excited about it, that I truly thought that Incursed headed the show, which was not true, obviously...

18:45 and it was time to go in. The place was rather small, just to make everything so homely. First sign of what was coming. I could also see part of the soundcheck and foresee that the evening was about to be extraordinary. 

Hilotz, from left to right: Mikel, Etxahun and Pablo

First of all, it was the turn for Hilotz (Lasarte-Oria, Basque Country) to go onstage. Early in the first song, I thought of writring this, as I was caught in the heavy riffs they delivered. A hard, strong wall of sound, gutturals that felt like something was being ripped off within me and bass lines that made me collapse in pleasure. I was also delighted by the cowbell sound coming from the drums amidst such extreme sounding, overwhelming guitars that filled the whole venue. Furthermore, they pretty much mastered the art of combining fast riffs with slow or mid tempos, more distorted sounds with more acoustic lines, etc. No doubt these guys have a high potential. However, I feel they still lack something the experience will give them, and I'm gonna quote my friend and personal photographer during the concert: They play, but they don't play together, as one. I guess everything takes time, but definitely, I'm gonna swallow each one of their songs until I learn them.

Sabrina and Pierre from Ithilien

Then Ithilien (Belgium) came. The first things one could see before it all started was that there was a lot of people on a stage that left almost no room to move around comfortably, and that an astonishing musical deployment was about to take place: bagpipes, a hurdy-gurdy (I had to ask what it was, it is such an awesome instrument, please check it out), or a bouzouki amongst others. The lights came down, and only their ready silhouettes could be made out in the dark. And then it all exploded and the very first note worked out the magic. They made themselves big on such a small stage. It was a pity that no one else but me in the audience had listened to at least a song. And they were so static like waiting for who knows what to happen. Instead, I was headbanging harder than ever (up to that moment, of course). I enjoyed every single note, and especially paid attention to the hurdy-gurdy and the bagpipe. Hey, it didn't sound through any microphony system and it could be perfectly heard over the crushing guitar/bass riffs, awesome. Maybe, what I liked the least was the drums. I usually prefer well defined and accentuated double bass drum strokes, and this time the drums sounded a bit blurry, but still amazing. I stood in awe along the whole set and couldn't help buying a T-shirt, as a way to thank them for their great job.

Jon Koldo "Flying hands" Tera, from Incursed

(from left to right) Narot, Jonkol and
Palas from Incursed

At last, the most awaited moment: Incursed (Bilbao, Basque Country) got onstage to delight us all with their viking-themed aesthetic and music. And there I was, in the front row, with bright eyes and the look of an excited child. I could say that we, the audience, gave everything we had, but it wouldn't be fair: we only reflected and maybe boosted what they gave us from up there. I absolutely enjoyed Narot's wild energy and gutturals (and jokes), Mr. Jonkol "Flying hands"'s keytar lines and clean vocals, Juan's bass lines, and Asier's drumming, of which I had already had a taste back in August last year; and of course, the stunning guitar lines by Palas, who had barely had time to learn all the songs in the absence of Asier and from whom I got my flower garland souvenir. Man, I admire you for that effort, and thanks for the garland *chuckles*. Songs such as Tidal Waves, Beer Bloodbath and Suaren lurraldea (the last two are probably my favourites) couldn't be left out of the setlist and we all danced, jumped and sang to them (and I headbanged even harder than with Ithilien, letting myself go), as vikings having fun, drinking beer and conquering another milestone. Neither could a heavy version of A-ha's Take On Me, to which we had a good time, and in my case, a fair share of laughs (of true happiness, of course). Although we were all emotive (both the audience and the band) because Narot and Juan are leaving, there was no place for sadness, only for fun, and good music and vibe.

Incursed says: Never stop messing around!!

To sum up, it was the perfect evening, I ended up knackered, covered in sweat after three hours of shows. My neck still hurts from all that headbanging. I have to say that the bands playing were very brave, playing for so few people. I know, we assume them to act like that, but it's something we still have to recognize and admire. I didn't only discovered that they were incredible bands, but also that there are very kind and talented people playing in them. You can follow these bands in these sites:


Hilotz:

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hilotz666/
• Webpage: http://www.hilotz.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hilotz666
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/HILOTZ666

Ithilien:

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Ithilien.Music/
• Webpage: http://www.ithilien.be/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/ithilienmetal
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Ithilienmusic

Incursed:

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IncursedOfficial/
• Webpage: http://www.warbanner.eu/incursed/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/IncursedBand
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IncursedOfficial

Last, but not least, I'd like to thank Jon Rodriguez Martin, aka Jack Kalavera for his excellent photos.

Edguy + Masterplan 10.18.2014 at Santana 27, Bilbao

I could summarise the whole show in just two words: Fucking Awesome. But then you would start wondering why, for sure. So let's tell you a little bit.



First of all, we had the German band Masterplan. To tell the truth, I didn't even know what to expect from them, for I had only listened to the last album, just by chance and while doing something else. But I ended up freaking out and enjoying their share of the show just as if I knew every song. In fact, I must confess that what I paid most attention to was the bass player. His playing was absolutely perfect and the bass lines were melodic, complex and totally out of the ordinary.

One couldn't say less of the rest of the band who were putting their heart and soul into every single note they were playing. Great voice, exciting drumming and guitars, extraordinary bass lines and a keybordist making fun of everything. There was a good vibe between the members and that definitely reflected on the audience, who made the venue shake out of emotion. I definitely went back home converted into a Masterplan fan.

Then it was the turn for Edguy. Once again, I must confess: I was excited about the show, but, although I love Edguy, it wasn't one of the bands I would give everything to see live. Until yesterday. I'm not exaggerating if I say that I was deeply impressed by the quality of the show, and that I was so exhausted at the end of it that I couldn't even stand on my feet. The only bad thing was that the show lasted for too short (Although I don't know. Had it been longer, I could've died of tiredness).

The setlist was carefully selected, presenting the most representative songs in the last album (Space Police- Defenders of the Crown) without forgetting about the most symbolic hits of the band (King of Fools, Lavatory Love Machine, Tears of A Mandrake...). For the pleasure of my ears, Rock Me Amadeus was included and we all sang and danced to its rhythm and melody.

As far as sound is concerned, I was absolutely surprised by how well everything sounded. Only the voice had to sound louder, but I guess that perception was due to my position. (I was in the front rows). Tobias did a perfect performance, singing every note in tune and every high pitch perfect (with a magnific sustain and well centered and projected into the crowd). As for the rest, no single note wrong, out of time or tune, and choirs were accurately performed by Tobias Exxel, Dirk and Jens (with special regard to Space Police which is no piece of cake, and the "game" between the voices was really nice).

We also enjoyed funny speeches from Sammet (and even funnier improvised vocals that we had to repeat, as though it was an "even more difficult" kind of game) and a nice drum medley with Felix performing even the famous Imperial March (Star Wars). It was also exciting and motivating to know that this show was being recorded, so we, the audience, gave our 110%, and definitely beat Madrid audience. Definitely. For sure they were emotioned by the warmness received from us.

At last we ended this incredible night with a warm and sincere promise of having them here again. We hope that happens soon. 

Sabaton- Heroes

Undoubtedly, this new album is a power metal hit by Sabaton. In each song, we can hear the characteristic rhythm patterns of this genre, as well as the typical keyboard and synth sound that makes you think straight of the band. Heavy guitars that sound like the inexorability of a tank, hymnic choruses, and military rythms are, as in every other album, present in Heroes. But there are, too, some details that remind us of other (maybe more melodic) genres.

This is not exactly what we call a conceptual album, where, track by track, a story is told or a single concept developed. However, every song relates to each other, as they describe the most remarkable actions of the different so-called war heroes that fought in the WWII. So, the title of the album perfectly meets the content we can expect to find in it.

Musically, it is worth mentioning the fact that, in songs like Inmate 4859 or The Ballad Of Bull, we can find very classical melodies (maybe reminding us of the baroque or classical style).

On the other hand, although the album in its vast majority is based upon the typical chord sequences (different combinations of the chords of the I, IV and V grades of the natural scale), and this makes the harmony tremendously simple, there are still surprising changes of scale and less typical cadences. In spite of the simplicity, the music gets your attention from the very beginning.

Another positive point would be the use of other instruments, such as the glockenspiel, to compose more delicate melodies, as well as the creation of different atmospheres. For example, in Inmate 4859, the sound turns darker, and heavier, just to convey the sad and hard meaning of the lyrics. We can also name the single, To Hell And Back, whose Indian-like melodies evoke the American lands.

The lyrics are not of less importance. Well written and with extreme accuracy, they tell facts of different countries, from different points of view. It is as though your history book was sung by your favourite band. Sometimes striking (as in Inmate 4859), sometimes catchy (as in To Hell And Back), and sometimes with phrases in other languages (among which Latin is a must-be, but also we find Italian and German), but always a good piece of musical poetry.

At last, we should talk about the three covers included: one of Metallica (For Whom The Bell Tolls), another one of Raubtier (En Hjältes Väg) and the last one of Beast Battle (Out Of Control). The three of them make good versions, although En Hjältes Väg is the best one, due to the similarities between the voices of the two vocalists or the sound of the bands. In Out Of Control, we con perfectly notice that the original voice is too different from Joakim's but it still works good, and Sabaton's versión sounds heavier and with a somehow "thicker" sound. For Whom The Bell Tolls is a good job too, but there is nothing remarkable about it.

Definitely, listening to this album has been a deeply emotional experience, and some songs have reached the very bottom of my heart, even making me cry. However, there is a bad side to it: it wasn't until the second time I listened to it that I started to feel all this things. Moreover, although I think it is a very good job, I still consider Carolus Rex the best album by Sabaton, maybe due to the fact that there is a version recorded in Swedish, which sounds more natural to me. Just to finish, I leave you the video for To Hell And Back, for you to listen.

Edguy- Space Police: Defenders of the Crown

Space Police: Defenders of the Crown is the title of the new Edguy album. Released on 18th April 2014, it could be named the best in their career (also according to Sammet's opinion). While it is true that it sounds heavier than usual, even heavier than Mandrake, released in 2001, it is worth saying that it still remains burlesque and full of joy. It maintains the atmosphere of every Edguy's album up to date.

On the one hand, we can well find some epic tracks, for instance the one that gives name to the album: Defenders of the Crown. It shows a range of musical resources (musical lines, vocal performance...) that could be found in any of Avantasia's albums, specially the ones belonging to the Scarecrow saga. On the other hand, we find the typical funny songs, as is the case of Love Tyger. It reminds me of Trinidad (from Rocket Ride, 2006) or Lavatory Love Machine (from Hellfire Club, 2004).

One of the best things that I can say of this musical masterpiece, is that Tobias Sammet has done an astonishing job on vocals. He shows us his best version of himself, with very well controlled high-pitched notes in the right places, and an almost lyrical voice in some moments, but without giving up his usual singing. Not less surprising is his performance of Rock Me Amadeus by Falco, which he sings in a slightly deeper vocal range, and once again, perfectly. I must say it is a very well done cover, that lives up to the expectations of an Edguy fan and doesn't change the original version dramatically and to worse.

Within this wide range of songs, one won't miss the rock and hard rock stuff. We have Alone in Myself, which is a beautiful rock ballad or Aychim in Hysteria, whose atmosphere reminds me of Gotthard or Def Leppard. But, once again without losing that Edguy thing.

And at last, but not least, there's something I'd like to mention, beacuse it is something important to me, and I usually pay attention to it when listening to music. This album has beatiful bass melodic lines. Not only does it contribute to the heavy, and slightly dark sound of the album, but it also gains great importance at some points, as in the track The Eternal Wayfarer.

And this is all for this first post. I hope you enjoy it.