Northern Kings - Reborn (2007)

Format: ape + cue + log

Genre: Symphonic Metal, Power Metal

Release Date: 2007

Label: Warner Music Finland

Northern Kings:

Marco Hietala - vocals

Tony Kakko - vocals

Jarkko Ahola - vocals

Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto - vocals

Musicians:

Two Finger Choir: Backing Vocals

Vili Ollila: Piano, Keyboards, Programming

Erkka Korhonen: Lead & Rhythm Guitars

Erkki Silvennoinen: Bass

Anssi Nykanen, Sami Osala: Drums, Percussion

Review from amazon, revelationz.net

Northern Kings is a Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup. The Kings are comprised of four vocalists, who are all frontmen of successful Finnish heavy metal bands — Marco Hietala from ‘Nightwish’ and ‘Tarot’, Tony Kakko from ‘Sonata Arctica’, JP Leppaluoto from ‘Charon’ and Jarkko Ahola from ‘Terasbetoni’. Each vocalist has his own trademark sound, including deep, satanic, operatic metal rock vocals. It’s all-consuming and larger than life.

The band masterminded the idea of recording their own metal versions of an electic selection of pop staples. Unlike most bands who try to reproduce the sound and arrangements of the original songs, the Northern Kings have deconstructed the arrangements, by coming up with their own renditions, most of which is backed with metal guitars, a full symphonic orchestral backing, and electronic enhancements.

The general vibe on the album is to give the metal makeover a fully orchestrated backing (string section, the works), with some electronic noodling thrown in . The metal guitars are prevalent, but there is the northern vibe of the band’s renditions. It’s not a gimmick, but it is very dramatic, very lush and grandoise sounding.

The sonic attack of the bands’ take on each song just blows you away. Unlike most artists or bands who record a cover, the version is traditionally inferior and not a patch on the original. It’s quite an accomplishment to take a song like Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer’ or Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’ and give it a new lease of life.

Hearing songs from a variety of genres and decades turned completely on their heads is an awesome way to spend the afternoon, especially when the tracks are tackled with such passion and no thought to consequence in forcing the listener to think outside the box.

You’ve heard these songs before… just never like this.

Kamelot - The Black Halo 2005

Genre: Progressive/Power Metal
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 2005
Label: SPV

01. March of Mephisto

02. When the Lights Are Down

03. The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)

04. Soul Society

05. Interlude I - Dei Gratia

06.Abandoned

07. This Pain

08. Moonlight

09. Interlude II - Un Assassinio Molto Silenzioso

10. The Black Halo

11. Nothing Ever Dies

12. Memento Mori

13. Interlude III - Midnight/Twelve Tolls for a New Day

14. Serenade

Khan: vocals
Thomas Youngblood: guitars
Glenn Barry: bass
Casey Grillo: drums

In the beginning of this album, the sounds of military marching leading to a moderately paced but heavy guitar riff immediately draws this album away from the sound created in previous albums. Unlike Epica, which has a sound reminiscent to their power metal albums: Karma, The Fourth Legacy, etc. This album is of a final stage in the bands prog evolution, which did not carry over as well as it should have to Ghost Opera.

This is not a traditional power/prog album. There is much more compositionally progressive and musical prowess than found in your average power metal band. The use of sound effects, chord progressions, riffs, technical ability raises this bands music to a level not commonly attributed to any other genre than that of prog.

Musically, the album has many subtleties which give it an unusual atmospheric, haunting, sad, eerie feeling which supports a compelling melody, no matter which song you choose. Khan's vocals communicate an emotional feeling fitting perfectly to the nature of any given song. Youngblood's guitar work lifts the songs to a point that would not be the same had anyone else written or played them. However, much the same circumstance with Dream Theater, the bass is hardly noticeable becoming muddled with the bass drum, though, not to the extreme of DT. One must not forget the drummer, Casey Grillo, who gives an impressive show of talent and technical skill that often goes over looked. Keyboard gives the melody it's true foothold, and when special guests such as Jens Johansson are at the keyboard mast, one is guaranteed a truly spectacular song.

The story is based on the transcendentalist Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe's Faust. The story follows the typical Hero's Journey with the subtle transcendental themes, including the balance of evil and good, religion, ascendancy, the Alchemical Process, etc. Musically, these themes are expressed quite appropriately but it remains unclear if Kamelot actually knew the intricacies of this philosophy/psychology (but most likely so). Lyrically, the concepts are expressed, but yet may have been entirely rooted in the basic story-line.

All in all, a magnificent album that artistically transcends power metal to become entirely progressive and a simply beautiful album from start to finish. This is Kamelot's finest album and in my opinion, an essential album to not only metal heads but to all proggers.