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The small
rubric where I can say all the good I want about the good LPs
I like, but no MP3 because some says it's EVIL... (but you can
get some samples of most of these bands with all the links presents
on this page or on the especially
dedicated music links page)
MIDI FILES
The
other page of this rubric which contains all the MIDI files available
on this site, so mainly shooting games musics, but the music chronicle
will remain (not often updated unfortunately)
Some
CD
My
last CD purchase, the live in Tokyo of IN
FLAMES, the swedish band playing melodic heavy/death metal
(let's say that), which was touring after their last LP release,
the smashing and very complete "CLAYMAN". This purchase
was logical for me, and I don't regret it. This 60 minutes live
had remind me of my IN FLAMES gig in Paris (France) with all the
emotions I felt, the set list also gather most of my favorites
titles of the three last albums (which are "WHORACLE",
"COLONY", and "CLAYMAN", only the tilte, "MOONSHIELD",
is earlier). We can find on one same CD "EPISODE 666",
"ORDINARY STORY", "CLAYMAN" and the terrible
"SWIM" for example (why haven't we had "SWIM"
in Paris !?! Yet I asked it so much), and so many titles, with
the live touch and contributions, like different arrangements,
a synthé-sound I like so mush, very FM TECNOSOFT/THUNDER
FORCE sounding on "ONLY FOR THE WEAK", the crowd atmosphere,
etc...However, this live does not sound as good as a "TOKYO
WARHEARTS" from CHILDREN
OF BODOM recorded live at Tokyo's club CITTA too, I regret
that the crowd atmosphere is not more perceptible, on the BODOM
live it was a great pleasure to hear the screaming "NOOOO
!!!!" of a disappointed member of the audience when was announced
the last title of the gig. But you may object that a live CD is
mainly for music listening, well we can hear them afterall, Jesper
Strömbald is in great form, more than in Paris (little loss
of form I found in French performance, but great gig nevertheless)
and Anders Friedén growling singing is as ever raging.
So as IN FLAMES fan I only can recommand to you this acquisition
(I'm listening to it while I'm writing these lines, and it help
me for the whole update construction), I've also succeed in refering
to BODOM one more time, it must be a stealth message with some
myterious untold sense... Too I've not evoked my excited Paris
gig memories too much, you are lucky ones...
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IN
FLAMES "THE TOKYO SHOWDOWN" at Nuclear Blast |
I have decided
at the unanimity of myself to promote quickly the SOILWORK
last album "A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT" that I discovered at a friend's
home. The style of these Swedish is softer than before, but still
punchy enough to give us a very good melodic thrash/death metal
with clear heavy influences, in the IN FLAMES way but with their
own qualities, innovating and varying the registers. This style
is mostly appreciated since CHILDREN
OF BODOM blasted the door of the "hybrid black/death/trash/heavy"
kind with violents scythe hits, even if some will say it's too
loud and violent for their chaste ears, and others thinks it have
too much notes and melodies (?!). It's a median way which fit
me perfectly and is one of the best in my opinion. The sound of
this LP is very "swedish", very IN FLAMES or AT THE
GATES like, but it's natural for a Fredman studio production (I'm
not going to complain, I love
IN FLAMES). What else to say, good compositions, various vocals
(from clear vocals to growling "yieaw!"), melodies and
some keyboard to top the whole in bonus, total happiness would
be a SOILWORK gig in my town (and becoming rich too).
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SOILWORK
"A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT" at Nuclear Blast |
Another free
promotion, fot the finnish band called ETERNAL
TEARS OF SORROW and their third album "CHAOTIC BEAUTY", it's
not a hot news, in France the CD was released in october 2000
(the single of the forthcoming
newl album is already available in Finland). We face here
the melodic black metal genre, and the comparison with CHILDREN
OF BODOM is tempting, but I must admit it's less technical here.Nevertheless
E.T.O.S. have severals reasons to seduce : their second album
was also melodic/black metal with as catchy riffs as the last
opus with some heavy metal sounding sometimes, but in this third
album, the keyboard is taking a more important place, adding a
ambiant kind. Morever E.T.OS. don't hestate to use slow tempos
to reinforce these dark surroundings, even if in the other hand
the speed of a C.O.B. and the black metal origins of the band
are very presents (its no Bon jovi at all !). To get a feminine
touch, we have the vocals of KIMBERLY GOSS, who sing in SYNERGY,
and to crown it all, the visual of the cover and booklet by NIKLAS
SUNDIN (from DARK TRANQUILLITY) is really cool. You can object
that my argumentation is not the most original, but on the high
quality of this great album, some will agree with me, people likes
ALEXI "Wildchild of Bodom" LAIHO, TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN from NIGHTWISH).In
gratification this "CHAOTIC BEAUTY" offers you the super
cover of the excellent BLACK TEARS of EDGE OF SANITY, I had the
pleasure to see it played live in Marseille (France) on the NIGHTWISH/SINERGY
tour), and despite the second-rate sound of a gig first part,
it smashed me up and I can say that I wait for their return on
stage in France. I hope they will gain the support of many fans
and that their fourht new coming album well released in France
(release in finland in october 2001), or I will be forced to get
it by others ways.
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ETERNAL
TEARS OF SORROW "CHAOTIC
BEAUTY" at XIII bis records (in France)
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The last
album I wish to introduce to you is the "MENACE AND PRAYER" from
the youngs Finnish of the band THRONE OF CHAOS. Now you know me
a bit and I can hear you give a heavy sigh "oh no ! Another CHILDREN
OF BODOM-like band!", well...you win, more than you can expect,
we are in total melodic black/death metal in a CHILDREN way, the
same speed, spitefully played, but with good catchy compositions.
Nevertheless the guitar parts and solos are not as brilliant as
ALEXI LAIHO ones, the keyboard player is not as outstanding as
the young JANNE WARMAN with his speedfull solos, but don't panic,
it remains a really good album. This is the first one for this
combo, it's not an excuse I gave them, this youngsters may follow
the path of their "elders" to succes and glory. This
"MENACE AND PRAYER" really convinced me since the first
listening, Finnish and Japanese seems to have the same advice
as me. THRONE OF CHAOS was signed by SPINEFARM
(as BODOM) and was released in France by XIII bis records with
low price, if all the first albums were at least as good as this
one, would be so cool...I hope they will be on tour some day in
France, and I wish them an even better second album, these talented
youngs Finnish fully deserve it.
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THRONE
OF CHAOS "MENACE AND PRAYER" at XIII bis records (in France) |
And as a
conclusion, some national promotion, almost regionalistic, in
order to vary from this Finland vs Seweden (this was not ice hockey
game).
I discovered on a demo cd the title ERUPTION WITHIN from CHRYSALIS,
a band from Montpellier (France), my residence town. As this band
plays between power and melody (exactly what I like), it was logical
to say a few words about it, good words because the title is cool,
in a melodic heavy/death style with an alternation between male
voice and feminine vocals (sung here by the guitarist, who loves
IN FLAMES, very good tasting lady), I think the band is already
signed at least in France. I hope I could hear more and see them
live in my town. About CHRYSALIS gigs, I got the amazing surprise
to find on my guestbook a message from the guitar player and main
composer of the band, she tells me of some gig dates for France
and a last one is planned in february in Marseille for a festival.
here it is for CHRYSALIS news, I hope the audience will be ready
for the rendez-vous.
Seems that
someone, Murdock S.M.G., has some demo tape artefacts from the
past of this band, at the time when he was also living in Montpellier
(Hi there S.M.G.^_^!)...
(For officials
internet sites of the quoted bands, click on their names when
it's possible)
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