Some songs that stuck with me.
Music really is something else.
I’m usually not “musically adventurous”. I have some bands and albums that I absolutely adore and for the most part, that is all I listen to. However, these past few weeks I’ve been opening myself up to a ton of music, mostly within the Metal genre since it’s generally what I vibe with.
Here are a few new (and old) songs that really stuck with me.
Small disclaimer, I’m NOT a music critic. Okay here we go.
Cleanse the Bloodlines — Unleash the Archers
Unleash the Archers is one of the new bands I discovered in this journey. Cleanse the Bloodlines is the 4th song in their concept album, Apex. The album as a whole tells a story and I’d definitely recommend listening to the full album. Brittney Slayes’s vocals and the band’s insane technical talent makes for an amazing listening experience.
Ghost Love Score — Nightwish
Nightwish is one of the most prominent bands in the world when it comes to Symphonic Metal so of course, this wasn’t the first time I had listened to their work. However, this particular song was a recent first-time listen and it is just 10 minutes of eargasm. Tuomas Holopainen (the leader, keyboardist and songwriter, of the band) is a genius. The song is such a fine balance between heavy and softer sounds and if Floor Jansen’s vocals doesn’t give you goosebumps, the flute will.
There’s also a version that is sung by the band’s first vocalist, Tarja Turunen which is also simply amazing but I prefer Floor’s version more.
Ghost of Perdition — Opeth
I’m convinced that this song is a masterpiece. In fact, most of the songs in the album, Ghost Reveries is so good (Beneath the Mire and Harlequin Forest come to mind) that I can’t begin to understand how people create music like this. In my opinion, the vocal range is Mikael Åkerfeldt comes out the best in this song, not to mention the sensational drum-work by Martin Axenrot.
Seal of Solomon — Epica
Another Symphonic Metal band that I never really got into in the past. Their new album, Omega drew me in and I’m so glad it did. This is another album that I’d recommend listening to completely. The Skeleton Key and Synergize — Manic Manifest also stuck with me in this album. The vocals of Mark Jansen and Simone Simmons complements each other so well.
And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope — Ne Obliviscaris
This is progressive metal. It’s not easy to describe this song, just give it a listen and you will see. What I will say is that this song was included in a teaching curriculum at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, being analysed for its composition.
Krigsgaldr — Heilung
And now for something completely different. Heilung has such a distinct sound that is very shamanic. I discovered the band from the trailer for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Their live shows are quite a sight to see (not that I’ve physically been to any), and the live performance of Krigsgaldr is hauntingly beautiful.
There’s plenty more where this came from but if I don’t stop now, I never will. I hope I introduced you to some bands and albums to check out.
