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x--daughters-of-darkness--x · 7 months

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NIGHTWISH Singer And SABATON Drummer Welcome Their Second Child

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl have welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lucy.

Jansen and Van Dahl already have a six-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

The Dutch-born vocalist revealed the news in a social media post earlier today (Friday, October 20). She shared a photo of her, Hannes, Freja and Lucy holding hands, and she wrote: "There she is! With great happiness we can announce the birth of our second daughter Lucy! Big sister Freja is delighted with our dark haired little girl too!

"Health is not a given fact, and so it's humbling to report that both our baby girl as mom are in a great one! We are enjoying these special moments to the fullest and ask for understanding of our privacy in this intimate time! Big thanks for all the love and support we received during the pregnancy! We have now welcomed our dear Lucy into this beautiful world".

Shortly before Freja was born, Hannes was asked by Spain's Metal Journal whether his family situation would have an impact on his ability to tour with SABATON. Hannes said: "Well, you know, as far as I'm concerned, nothing will really change, 'cause this is what I do, an this is… this is what I do to make a living. People have had kids before in this business. So, to stop any worries — 'cause I know a lot of people are worried [about me] quitting the band — I will stay in the band. And as far as I can say, when it's time, I need to go and be there with my family. But when I've done that, I'm going back to touring. So I won't leave. I will be there."

Jansen herself had spoken about the challenges of raising a child while being in a touring band like NIGHTWISH. She told Finland's Radio Rock in 2016: "Of course, it's a very challenging combination, and I was very happy that the way [NIGHTWISH is] today — or, actually, have always been — it's a very open group; we can talk about things. And the guys, actually, were curious. A few months ago, we started talking about it, like, 'So, 2017… How about kids? Yeah?' So it's great to think about things together: how can we combine it? Also 'cause my partner is in a successful band, touring a lot. Yeah, then you need the cooperation of the people that you are family with also. So I am not afraid that won't work. It will be a challenge, for sure, but, yeah, a little SABATON or NIGHTWISH daycare program sounds lovely, doesn't it? [Laughs]"

Jansen also dismissed rumors that she would leave the band after welcoming her first child. She told Mariskal Rock TV: "No, I won't [quit NIGHTWISH]. I love this way too much; don't worry. You don't even have negative speculations one way or another. Things are great, and let's keep on doing this forever."

NIGHTWISH played its last concert before its current break from touring on June 17 at Lemonsoft Stadion in Vaasa.

In November 2022, Floor revealed that she was "cancer free" after undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed following a breast cancer diagnosis.

In April, NIGHTWISH surprised fans by announcing that the band was not going to be playing any live shows for the foreseeable future and would be not be touring in support of the group's next studio album, which is tentatively due in 2024.

Floor's debut solo album "Paragon", arrived in March.

As part of NIGHTWISH, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal bands, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

#floor jansen #nightwish #Hannes Van Dahl #sabaton #2023 news

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black-arcana · 11 days

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EPICA's SIMONE SIMONS To Release Debut Solo Album

EPICA singer Simone Simons has announced plans to release her debut solo album. The LP's first single, "Aeterna", which was co-written by Dutch songwriter, singer, musician and record producer Arjen Lucassen (AYREON),will make its online debut on Tuesday, May 7 at 9:00 a.m. PDT / 12:00 p.m. (noon) EDT.

Earlier today, Simone took to her social media to share a teaser for the "Aeterna" music video, and she wrote in an accompanying message: "May 7th everything will turn RED. At 18.00 CEST my first single AETERNA will go live.

"@ayreon_official and I created some masterful melodies for you! We will go live on Instagram tomorrow at 18.30 to hang with you all and let you in on all the details of my solo album."

This past March, Simone told Mexico's Summa Inferno that EPICA's follow-up to 2021's "Omega" album will likely be released in 2025.

"I love the songs so far that we've written," Simone said. "There's more [songs that have been written] than fit on the album. So it's gonna be cool. And we won't tour that much this year. So we are focusing on the EPICA album and the 'Symphonic Synergy' shows [where EPICA will play alongside an orchestra], which is a lot of work."

In November 2022, EPICA released "The Alchemy Project" through Atomic Fire Records. The EP was co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Niilo Sevänen (INSOMNIUM) and Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) along with melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT),keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) and Roel Van Helden (POWERWOLF) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur.

Just one day after the release of its anniversary reissues "We Still Take You With Us" and "Live At Paradiso", EPICA celebrated 20 years of existence live in September 2022 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, the same place where they played their first show (supporting ANATHEMA) back in 2002.

EPICA was formed by guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen after leaving AFTER FOREVER in 2002, and the band quickly gained attention outside their home country, taking big steps towards becoming the leading symphonic metal superpower they have long proven to be. After their ambitious debut "The Phantom Agony" (2002) and the surprisingly eclectic sophomore work "Consign To Oblivion" (2005),the road took them to new heights via their first concept masterpiece "The Divine Conspiracy" (2007) and their global breakthrough "Design Your Universe" (2009). 2012's opus "Requiem For The Indifferent", 2014's bedazzling "The Quantum Enigma" and "The Holographic Principle" (2016),cemented their reputation as not only one of the hardest-working metal bands in the business but also as one of the best. With "Omega", the final part of the metaphysical trilogy they began with "The Quantum Enigma", they reclaimed the throne without so much as the blink of an eye, amassing three million-plus streams during the first week of the album's release.

#simone simons #vermillion

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homochadensistm · 3 months

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Ok, so there’s that anon I think last week that was blabbing about “a reckoning,” and you googled “the reckoning” and the first result was a woman you were like yes A+ -

Her name is Sharon den Adel, the singer of the symphonic rock/metal band Within Temptation. I think they’re based in the Netherlands. I’m a huge huge fan of their old stuff which is definitely more into symphonic metal territory. They’ve branched out with their newer albums. The most recent stuff they’ve come out with is closer to what they used to sound like. Sharon is just - A++. Perfect. Her high notes make her sound angelic. Check ‘em out when you can. If you like Symphonic metal I’d go right to their album that was released in 2007.

Though the actual song “The Reckoning” is also excellent. Somewhat similar to their old stuff.

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anotherghoul666 · 1 year

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Under Our Black Cult tour primer

@battiestbelfry as promised my dear! Now, I don’t have info on Gaerea yet because I don’t know them yet, Imma deep dive in the next few days. But the other 3 bands on the bill I know well, so here we go!

Under the read more: primers and my personal opinions on the bands Uada, Carach Angren and Rotting Christ. Song and album recommendations to start off. And the mask kink thing, with pics. 3/4 of the bands on this bill are or can be confidered masked bands, you know I gotta touch on the mask kink in there!

UADA

Uada, which means “haunted”, are a melodic black metal band from the United States. They are based in Portland, Oregon and have been active since 2014. They are currently signed to Eisenwald records, an independent music label from Germany. In this house we love and support independent labels! They are specialized in black metal and have a very fun roster.

Uada have 3 releases out so far, all full length albums. They don’t do singles, they don’t do demos, they don’t do splits, they don’t do EPs. They make full albums and drop them on a roughly 2 years cycle, though with the pandemic we are at 3 years since the last record, so these mysterious hooded figures are ripe for new material! Their debut album Devoid of Light in 2016 was well received by the metal world as a promising debut, albeit very classic black metal that didn’t surprise much. 2018’s Cult of a Dying Sun seems to be their album with the most acclaim. The sound quality difference between these two is astounding. The tracks tend to be longer, which helps some songs and doesn’t help others. 2020’s Djinn is their latest release and the reception’s been this: Djinn is way more niche, as in, you have to be down for 14 minutes atmospheric black metal songs to like it, but if that’s your vibe? It’s fucking good. Quality up, marketability down. They still don’t do anything super different, but it’s good black metal. It feels like European black metal despite being American, which is what I love, because I’m intensely biased towards the EU scene. US bands have to be either 1)extremely fucking special or 2) European-sounding to get in my good graces XD

The guys are “masked”, in the sense that they play with hoods over their faces with the aim of not being seen, for atmospheric purposes:

They also do “the hand thing” when taking pictures.

But they’re ok being approached in public by fans, as long as you don't pressure them to take a pic with their faces showing. They are not anonymous, their names are out there if you wanna know.

As far as recs go, I would rec all of the albums honestly cause it’s less than 3 hours of music and there’s nothing truly bad in there. My favorite album personally is Djinn but that’s because I fucking love atmospheric albums that make me lose track of time. I’m aware that’s not everyone’s cup of tea xD So, to my previous recs of Devoid of Light, Black Autumn White Spring and Cult of a Dying Sun, I’d add all of Djinn, but specifically the title track and In The Absence of Matter as a first contact.

CARACH ANGREN

Carach Angren are a symphonic black metal band from the Limburg province of the Netherlands. They’ve been active since 2003 and they’re currently signed to French label Seasons of Mist, one of the few major metal labels I feel positively about! The Seasons of Mist roster is INSANE. They specialize in the darker genres of metal, black, death, gothic, doom and some prog. Many of my favorite bands have been on them through the years.

So. Listen. Carach are one of my absolute darlings in the black metal world. When I began my exploration into black metal in the early 2010s, their first three records have been instrumental in making this genre my favorite. I would not be where I am today without them. I will forever have a very special in my heart for these guys. I hung out with them several times, I’m attached, ok? But. And there’s a huge But. Dear fucking god did these guys fall off. I’m still reeling from how perfect their music used to be, and how fucking atrocious the output has been since 2015. In my opinion. These primers are only my personal opinions and ramblings ok XD They’re doing fine, their latest albums did get decent reviews which I? Don’t understand? But you do you, boo? XD They’re one of the big names in black metal right now, they’re headlining tours, they’re doing good on the new material ok. But I can’t fucking stand it hahaha.

The main problem for me was the vibe shift. Carach Angren’s themes are horror stories. They recount fantastic tales of horror, fright and gore, psychological horror, body horror, historical horror, the like. The storytelling in their first three albums is stunning. There was always a sense of realism there, of horror being grounded in reality. It’s classy, it’s tasteful, it’s striking and horrifying but it’s never cheap and nothing is played for shock. 2008’s Lammendam is about “true stories” in a 1700s an 1800s backdrop, a historical version of our “I heard from a friend of a friend that…”, tales from the crypt and all that. Ghost stories that we’ve heard before, la Dame Blanche for example, but set to music. 2010’s Death Came Through a Phantom Ship is about nautical horror. Historical stories of phantom ships, captain-less ships, mutinies and their disastrous bloody consequences. It’s so grounded. Their masterpiece, 2012’s Where the Corpses Sink Forever, is about the horrors of war. We follow soldiers in trenches, feel their desperation, their fear of death yet longing for it. The heart-wrenching beauty to be found on battlefields because they are so human, yet the absolute bone-chilling reality of it. It’s so fucking real. This album, no joke, is one of the best albums I have ever heard in my life. It’s a 10/10 record for me, and I do not give out 10/10 easily. I’m rather critical. I have less than 20 albums that I’ve ever rated as perfect in my life, and this album is unanimously recognized as the pillar of this band, and one of the pillars of symphonic black metal altogether. This is one of the albums that made black metal click for me. It changed everything.

And then, there was a tonal shift. I suspect, coming off from such a resounding success, the band didn’t know how the fuck they could live up to it, and they crumbled under the pressure. 2015’s This is no Fairytale is, as the title suggests, bases in the Grimm fairytales. It’s a weird modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel and like. Yeah. It started to get cheap. The language used in the lyrics shifted. There’s a ton of unnecessary cursing all over this album, graphic depictions of SA, p*dophilia, incest, drugs abuse and overdose, and like, yes, Hansel and Gretel is a tale about child abuse, of course, but there’s a way to approach those topics you know? With feeling, with emotion, with realness, and here it just feels cheap. Ghastly “twists” are constantly played out for shock value, it’s surface, it’s plastic-y. The stage show changed from refined hustorical costumes and atmospheres to, like, female-bodied mannequins being dragged around and getting their throats cut on stage with copious amounts of fake blood, and for what? It’s just, tasteless now. The band lost its delicacy. That’s where it started to feel cheap, and it only went downhill from there. 2017’s Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten is a joke. Legit, this album sounds like a joke. The songs are boring, uninspired, structure-less. The lyrics are so cheap. It’s like we went from a museum quality horror painting that moves and inspires, to a cheap clown trying to be scary at a kid’s birthday party. 2020’s Franckensteina Strataemontanus was very “meh” to me. Less offensive than the previous two, and the story is inspired by classic horror literature like Mary Shelley and the strange scientists that inspired her Frankenstein. There’s potential, but the magic is dead for me. Bad taste in my mouth. I can’t do it anymore, but maybe a fresh pair of ear that doesn’t have the baggage I have with this band will like it? You let me know.

In this context, you’ll understand why my recommendations will only be from the first three albums. If you want to go for it, just listen to all three. There are no duds in any of them. But for specific songs, from Lammendam: Haunting Echoes from the Seventeenth Century, The Carriage Wheel Murder, Heretic Poltergeist Phenomena and my absolute favorite La Malédiction de la Dame Blanche. From Phantom Ship: The Sighting Is a Portent of Doom and Bloodstains on the Captain's Log. From Corpses? Listen to the whole thing man. For real. It’s a concept album, so grab the whole thing, sit down, close the lights, get the lyrics out, and follow along. Prepare to be sobbing by the end. I could recommend every single song, but they hit so much more powerfully within the context of the story.

In terms of aesthetic, there guys are “masked” in the way that they have a very unique look of corpse paint (the face paint typical to black metal).

They coined this look, not corpse paint as a whole, but their style of it. It’s been copied a million times since (like by Cradle of Filth notably, though they'll argue to the ends of the world it wasn't copied. It looks the exact same, it's a bit ridiculous), but it was Carach who did it like this first. The band members have character names, though they are not anonymous. Their real names are out there, but on stage, they’re not themselves, they are Seregor and Ardek (Namtar used to be their drummer. He quit in 2020. I have no clue how the band will record anything else in the future without him because he was the CORE of the band for me. Absolute drummer crush. I digress.) Seregor is a hobbyist mask maker and he makes masks for his different characters from his stories, like these:

Imo they still hit on the mask kink somewhat. The guys on and off stage feel like they are radically different people, and to have met them masked at the end of a show and unmasked at more proper events, there’s a world of difference in the vibe. I love it.

Oh also they have spawn a good few big metal memes like this one XD :

Which they found funny enough they turned it into a shirt XD :

(and yes of course I have one hahaha)

ROTTING CHRIST

Rotting Christ are a seminal band in black metal’s history. They have been at it for 36 years under the Rotting Christ banner, 39 years if we count the first iteration of the band under a different name. Dare I say it? I’ll say it. They’re the black metal daddies. I’m so sorry, I said it, it’s out there now XD They are daddy and I don’t make the rules. Anyway! They’ve been active since 1987, as I said, and they are signed to, yep, Seasons of Mist. I wasn’t kidding when I said this label’s roster is nuts. They are from Athens, Greece and they’re more towards the melodic / gothic side of black metal. They influen ced black meal heavily because this early in the 80s (black metal as a genre really kicked off in the 90s), there were no other bands who did what they did, and especially not in Greek. Rotting Christ have a lot of songs in Greek, in Latin, later in their career they made songs based on Hindu mysticism, their lack of fear when it comes to singing in everything but English at the time was genre defining. They made many songs in English since, but man the ones in Greek just hit different you know? They changed the game before the black metal game was even a thing.

Currently there are only two original members left in the band, brothers Sakis and Themis Tolis, vocals/guitar and drums respectively. Everyone else right now are tour musicians or session studio musicians. As their band name suggests, their themes are of anti-christianity, satanism, occultism of many different cultures, mysticism, it’s all good shit. One more band we traumatized christian kids can heal our religious trauma through, weeeee!! They have 13 full length records out, their latest one being The Heretics from 2019 (we are starving from new material, please feed us) though they haven’t paused during the pandemic, re-recording older material and releasing compilations instead. There was a new single in 2022 called Holy Mountain, and I hope and pray that means new album soon. Sakis Tolis also released a solo project in 2022, Amongst the Fires of Hell, which was fucking DELICIOUS my dude. More laid back, but so fucking crunchy. Highly recommend if you feel their sound.

In terms of recommendations, you’re in luck because they released a massive best of for their 30th anniversary called Their Greatest Spells: 30 Years of Rotting Christ. That’s the must-listen. If you want into this band, start here. You’ll get a taste of the sound of every single full lenght that came befoee. It’s 2 albums, 33 songs: find your favorites, check which album they're from, and go from there! Non Serviam, Grandis Spiritus Diavolos, In Yumen-Xibalba, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, everything’s on here, besides my personal favorite song of theirs, Apage Satanas. It’s a weird chanty, trance-y song but it’s the one that made me fall in love with the band. It scratches at something deep inside my brain idk.

Rotting Christ are not masked, nor is there an aesthetic to latch onto, really. They’re just cool dude doing cool things and doing their part spreading the message. They’re honest and raw. No frills. What you see is what you get. They’re the OG.

And that's the bill! Lemme know if you listen to anything and if the bands catch your interest :D

#asks #band primers #metal band primer #uada #carach angren #rotting christ

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a-silent-symphony · 1 year

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NIGHTWISH's FLOOR JANSEN To Release New Solo Single 'Invincible' This Friday

Floor Jansen, best known as the lead vocalist of the Finnish symphonic metal band NIGHTWISH, will release a new solo single, "Invincible", on Friday, January 13. She says: "This song tackles a sensitive and important subject."

"Invincible" is the fourth single from Floor's upcoming debut solo album, "Paragon", which will arrive on March 24. The LP showcases the Dutch-born singer's impressive vocal range and powerful voice on a diverse collection of pop-infused tracks and emotional ballads influenced by the sounds of her career.

"Paragon" includes the following tracks:

01. My Paragon 02. Daydream 03. Invincible 04. Hope 05. Come Full Circle 06. Storm 07. Me Without You 08. The Calm 09. Armoured Wings 10. Fire

Jansen said: "To renew yourself and take leaps into the unknown makes you grow. To age is a gift not everyone gets. I am a fortunate woman who got to make an album I never knew I could make. One that even defines me, where I am on my path. I have reached my PARAGON! I am so proud of this work! And grateful for all the amazing people in this beautiful life that helped me get here!"

With its mix of influences and powerful vocal performances, "Paragon" is an album that will appeal to fans of pop music and metal alike. It's the perfect addition to any music collection, and a must-have for fans of Floor Jansen and NIGHTWISH.

"Paragon" will be released digitally and physically on CD, vinyl, and a limited-edition deluxe box set. The album will be available on all major streaming platforms and at music retailers worldwide.

Following the release, Jansen will embark on a tour of The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in April and May of 2023.

Floor has already released three singles from "Paragon": "Me Without You", "Storm" and "Fire".

As part of NIGHTWISH, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

#floor jansen #NW members side projects #Floor solo career #2023 news

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metalshockfinland · 3 months

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Symphonic Metal Sensations BEYOND GOD Present 'Cronos' Live Video

Gear up for an exciting symphonic metal experience with BEYOND GOD’s latest release – the live video for their track “Cronos.” It’s a thrilling musical journey that combines powerful melodies with a captivating performance. Trust us, you won’t want to skip this one! Beyond God is a female-fronted symphonic metal band from the Netherlands. Their music incorporates elements from heavy metal as…

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#BEYOND GOD

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projectmetalmusic · 1 year

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Haliphron: Prey Album Review

Haliphron Is a symphonic Death Metal Band from the Netherlands. The current lineup is Jessica Otten – Bass, Frank Schilperoort – Drums, Ramon Ploeg – Guitars, Jeroen Wechgelaer – Guitars, David Gutierrez – Keyboards, Vocals, Marloes Voskuil – Vocals. I am going to take a listen to the bands 2023 Album, Prey. The cover of the Album is awesome. The Album has 9 tracks on it. 1) Let the World Burn…

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handsofdarkness · 2 years

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The story behind the song: Within Temptation’s Angels

Within Temptation’s breakthrough hit Angels was shaped by label trouble, departing members… and a high-profile political assassination

By the time Within Temptation released The Silent Force in 2004, they were shaping up as one of metal’s great new hopes. The Dutch band’s first two albums, 1997’s doomy, gothic-leaning Enter and 2000’s fantastical Mother Earth, had helped put symphonic metal on the map, but it was their third album that really grabbed people’s attention.

The Silent Force was a weightier, darker collection than its predecessors. Landing just a few months after Once, Nightwish’s genre-defining statement, that year saw the two bands stepping forward as the figureheads for a rising scene that was becoming a global commercial force.

The Silent Force’s first two singles, Stand My Ground and Memories, had been big hits across mainland Europe, but when the band saw how fervently the crowd at live shows reacted to Angels, they decided to release it as the album’s third single. Elegantly bridging the ornate gloom of the band’s early sound, the Celtic-infused sparkle of Mother Earth’s burgeoning symphonic drama, and the arena-filling bombast that would follow, the song would play a significant role in Within Temptation’s ascendancy. Today it stands as one of their most enduring anthems.

“Everyone has their own interpretation of the lyrics,” says vocalist Sharon den Adel of Angels. “It holds such a meaning for so many people in many ways. It’s a song that people love.”

The period leading up to The Silent Force was defined by turmoil and change. Following the departure of keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, who’d left in 2001, Within Temptation were getting to grips with a new line-up, which included guitarist Ruud Jolie and Martijn Spierenburg on keyboards. They had also moved labels, leaving the small Dutch independent DSFA Records and signing with German label GUN Records, with the hope that the latter could promote them across Europe on a grander scale.

That upheaval wasn’t confined to the band. The Netherlands itself had been in turmoil since the 2002 assassination of right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn, who’d been shot and killed by a political activist who disagreed with his anti-Muslim views. The incident had stunned the nation at the time, and its aftershocks were still being felt when Within Temptation entered the studio in summer 2004 to record the album.

“There was a lot of commotion in our country at that moment,” recalls Sharon. “We’ve always been very engaged with politics, although you don’t hear it much in our music. We did not agree with [Fortuyn], and we were worried about the future… that shines through on this album.”

The band shut themselves away from the world during the eight-week recording session, holing up in a studio on the industrial outskirts of Rotterdam. Every day they would arrive at 9am and not leave until 11pm. “Everything in the studio was closed; there was only a canteen with a little bit of light coming in,” remembers Sharon. “The fact we were in a very dark studio made us feel very gloomy.”

The album marked the first time the band had worked with producer Daniel Gibson, who has produced each of the band’s albums ever since. “He taught us not to sit inside all day,” laughs Sharon. “He’s like, ‘Guys, we have to go for lunch and see some daylight!’”

The success of Mother Earth meant that the band could do things differently this time around, pushing their symphonic inclinations to the forefront. Within Temptation had flirted with symphonic elements before: they’d used computerised orchestral sounds on both Mother Earth and Enter, and they’d worked with a small choir on the former, too. However, GUN Records were so impressed by the band’s growth that they splashed the cash, and forked out for a real Russian orchestra to play on the new material.

“The palette of colours we had to play with became bigger,” remembers Sharon. “We’ve always loved heavy music, but we also loved the soundtracks of epic movies like Braveheart and Gladiator. It had always been our intention to have this sound within our music – this was the first time we had the budget to do it!”

Of course, making a record in the mid-00s with an orchestra based on the other side of a continent was not without challenges. “We were close to Rotterdam, and they were in Moscow,” Sharon says. “Files were sent online but this was back in the day, and it took ages and the computer would crash. Then we said, ‘We want to change this’, and had to go back with a load of files again.”

Angels encapsulated their growing ambition perfectly. Starting with a fragile falsetto from Sharon, it built into an emotional, symphonic anthem, laced with bittersweet venom: ‘You took my heart, deceived me right from the start / You showed me dreams, I wished they would turn into real / You broke a promise, and made me realise, it was all just a lie.’

Fans have spent years dissecting its lyrics of betrayal, but Sharon reveals the band wrote the track to vent about frustrations with their original label, DSFA Records, that had been bubbling to the surface.

“Although we mostly work with metaphors in our music, there was a lot of things that were influenced by politics and our personal lives on that album,” she explains. “Angels is about heroes never coming with a cape and bad guys never coming with the striped shirt, like they’re supposed to be in prison. You have people that you trust and you finally find out they’re not that trustworthy.”

The band’s success, she says, had been a welcome surprise, but it had left them vulnerable. “We were never meant to be a professional band,” she explains. “The thing about that is then you don’t take contracts so seriously. You say, ‘OK, I’ll sign whatever as long as I can make an album!’ You never expect it to become a success, then things start to change and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’ I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Even though we had lawyers and stuff involved, they were not specialised in music, so it was our own fault in a way.”

The video for Angels represented a new look for the band. Shot in a traditional Spanish mansion in Malaga, it was a visual step out from the shadows. “It was an excuse to do a warm video!” laughs Sharon. “Every time we made a video before, we were standing in the cold, in the rain! For Stand My Ground, we were on the top of a building in Berlin in the middle of the night. We were like, ‘Angels is going to be in the sunshine!’”

The video was also Sharon’s first time on a motorcycle, zipping down dusty roads clinging onto drummer Stephen van Haestregt for dear life. “He was always on motorbikes,” says Sharon. “He was used to it and was like, ‘I’m always in the back of the video clips and now I’m in front. I get to be a cool guy!’”

However, the darkness that had hung over the sessions for The Silent Force carried over into the concept for the video. Together with director Oliver Sommer, the band wrote the treatment for the shoot, which featured Sharon as a fallen angel, kidnapped by a demonic priest-cum-serial killer, played by an actor who had appeared as an extra in Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Western classic, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. With spirits rising from the grave and Sharon finally destroying her nemesis while sporting a pair of white angel wings, it’s a gothic-western fantasy that perfectly encapsulates the poignant beauty of the song.

Released in November 2004, The Silent Force immediately pushed Within Temptation to new heights, going gold only one week after its release in the Netherlands, Belgium and Finland. They had played their first UK show, a sold-out gig at London’s Scala, that September, but the real payoff would come a year after the album’s release, as the band headlined Bloodstock Festival for the first time (they would triumphantly return to headline again 10 years later).

“You could feel something was changing through interviews, and we were playing at later times at festivals,” Sharon remembers. Not that there was a handbook for their burgeoning success. “There was no one else to guide us outside of the Netherlands. We had to do things on our own and pioneer a bit. There weren’t many other bands we could ask, ‘How do you do that? What’s your experience?’ For us it was new.”

Still, the band who had begun as a casual hobby had become their homeland’s prime musical export. And The Silent Force, and Angels in particular, served notice of their impending popularity outside of the Netherlands, helping transform them into one of symphonic metal’s biggest success stories.

“With The Silent Force, people really knew who we were,” says Sharon. “We stepped up a level with everything. It was the moment we became who we are today.”

#within temptation #The Silent Force #Angels

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breedsblood · 3 months

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Within Temptation - Restless - Live Streaming With Just Jen Reacts

Click Link For Full Video

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concerthopperblog · 1 year

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Under Our Black Cult: North American Tour 2023 - Rotting Christ Returns to The Masquerade!

Well-known and legendary Greek black/gothic metal juggernauts Rotting Christ (and personal favorites of mine) were back touring stateside on their Under Our Black Cult North American Tour with opening support from Carach Angren, UADA, & Gaerea. Originally named Black Church (c. 1984) and renamed later to Rotting Christ in 1987 when brothers Sakis Tolis (vocals/guitars) and Themis Tolis (drums) joined the band. Rotting Christ is considered one of the first black metal bands to come from the Mediterranean Region. They are also responsible for influencing the black metal community in Greece during the onset of their career in the 1990s. Currently, the band consists of Sakis Tolis (vocals/guitars), Themis Tolis (drums), Kostas “Spades” Heliotis (bass/backing vocals), and Kostis Foukarakis (guitar/backing vocals). They have released thirteen (13) LPs, one (1) EP, and numerous demos/compilations/DVDs over their historic musical career.

Their latest release, The Heretics (2019), is an incredible album and deserves more attention even years after its release. The underlining theme for this album focuses on renowned literary icons, poets, and authors who were considered “heretics” during their lifetime, such as Mark Twain, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Paine, and Edgar Allen Poe. You can also check out my first review of Rotting Christ from last year’s Devastation of the Nation Tour live from The Masquerade in Atlanta exclusively on Concerthopper.com by following this link. Anytime Rotting Christ makes the trip to the United States to tour, make sure you attend one of their shows. You will thank me afterward. Non Serviam!

The set list from Rotting Christ’s triumphant return to The Masquerade is below:

· “666”

· “Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy”

· “Fire, God, and Fear”

· “Dub-sag-ta-ke”

· “Apage Satana”

· “Elthe Kyrie”

· “Demonon Vrosis”

· “Societas Satanas” (Thou Art Lord cover)

· “Non Serviam”

· “In Yumen-Xibalba”

· “Grandis Spiritus Diavolos”

· “The Raven”

Encore:

· “Noctis Era”

Follow these two separate links to Rotting Christ’s Official Bandcamp and to the Bandcamp page run by their label Season of Mist and listen for yourself. If you are going to listen to Rotting Christ for the first time, I suggest listening to their live album, Lucifer Over Athens, as your starting point. I believe this highlights Rotting Christ’s ability to create a symphonic journey through their melodic yet often very shadowy lyrics. The set list used for this album will make any fan of Rotting Christ salivate to witness live, especially seeing them live at a hometown show in Athens, Greece. You can order lots of merch (including vinyl variants) from Rotting Christ over on Season of Mist’s website.

Carach Angren is a symphonic black/horror metal band from Landgraaf, Netherlands that formed as a band in 2003 by Dennis “Seregor” Droomers (lead vocals/guitars) and Clemens “Ardek” Wijers (keyboards/backing vocals). While on tour, Bastiaan “The Butcher” Boh joins the band to play guitar as well. The band has released six (6) LPs, one (1) EP, and one (1) demo. Their latest album, Franckensteina Strataemontanus” was released in November 2020 and retells the age-old story of Johann Konrad Dippel, which inspired Mary Shelly’s novel ‘Frankenstein’.

You can see Carach Angren’s set list below:

· “The Ghost of Raynham Hall”

· “The Carriage Wheel Murder”

· “The Necromancer”

· “Bitte Totet Mich”

· “Operation Compass”

· “Franckensteina Strataemontanus”

· “A Strange Presence Near the Woods”

· “Monster”

· “Bloodstains on the Captain’s Log”

You can hear Carach Angren by following this link to their Official Bandcamp page today!

UADA (Latin for “haunted”) is a melodic black metal band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 2014. UADA consists of James Sloan (guitars), James Superchi (vocals/guitars), Nate Verschoor (bass), and Josh Lovejoy (drums). UADA has released three (3) LPs with Djinn being the latest release from 2020. As the only stateside black metal act on this tour, UADA proved to everyone why Rotting Christ invited them to perform on the Under Our Black Cult Tour. What started to be a difficult stage setting to photograph with the low lights and heavy smoke, turned into an exquisitely, dark, and intimate performance by UADA.

You can check out UADA’s set list below:

· “Djinn”

· “Retraversing the Void”

· “Cult of a Dying Sun”

· “Black Autumn, White Spring”

Want to check out UADA? Follow this link to UADA’s Official Bandcamp page today!

Fellow Season of Mist label mates, Gaerea is a post-black metal band from Porto, Portugal that formed in 2016. The band consists of Guilherme Henriques (vocals/guitars), Lucas Ferrand (bass), and Diogo Mota (drums). Gaerea has released three (3) LPs, one (1) EP, and three (3) singles. They are touring in support of their latest release, Mirage (2022). Also, something worth noting is that the Under Our Black Cult Tour was Gaerea’s first time playing in the United States and Canada. The stage presence of Gaerea is something to behold and had this Concerthopper enthralled as soon as they took the stage. I was not that familiar with the music of Carach Angren or Gaerea before this tour. That would change very fast once the lights went out before Gaerea’s formidable and stunning opening set.

Gaerea’s set from this night at The Masquerade is below:

· “Deluge”

· “Salve”

· “Mirage”

· “Urge”

· “Laude”

Follow this link to Gaerea’s Official Bandcamp page and show them some support today!

Unfortunately, the last show for this North American tour was on March 14th (the night after this show in Atlanta) at The Haven in Orlando, Florida. Now the countdown begins for the next North American tour for Rotting Christ. You can still see Rotting Christ on tour in Europe on the following dates:

24 Mar 2023-Capital Death Fest-Galve-(SWEDEN)

25 Mar 2023-Thunder Metal Fest-Antwerp-(BELGIUM)

9 Apr 2023-Dark Easter Metal Meeting-Munich-(GERMANY)

28 Apr 2023-Black Hole Festival-Wetzikon-(SWITZERLAND)

29 Apr 2023-Gothoom Festival-Zemberovce -(SLOVAKIA)

4 May 2023-Karmaggedon Festival-Kopervik-(NORWAY)

12 May 2023-Durbuy Rock Festival-Bomal-sur-ourthe-(BELGIUM)

13 May 2023-Incineration Festival-London-(U.K.)

23-25 Jun 2023-Rock Imperium Festival-Cartagena-(SPAIN)

22 July 2023-John Smith Festival-Peurunka-(FINLAND)

4 Aug 2023-Saarihelveti Festival-Tampere-(FINLAND)

17 Aug 2023-Frantic Fest-Francavilla al mare-(ITALY)

18 Aug 2023-Kaltenbach Open Air-Spital am Semmering-(AUSTRIA)

02 Sep 2023-Rethymno Rocks Festival-Rethymno-(GREECE)

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our very own ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2022, on all music related events/festivals such as: Long Time Going Tour: Sierra Ferrell at Georgia Theatre, 20th Anniversary Tour: August Burns Red (Rapids Theatre), Pitch Black Forever Part 2- Hawthorne Heights & Armor For Sleep: Live at Town Ballroom (Buffalo), Mental Awakening: Spafford, The Orange Constant, Spaghetti Western, Airshow, Mountain Grass Unit, & The Fixin’s Live at Steady Hand Beer Co., Spring Tour (2023): BongZilla with Wizard Rifle @ Grantski Records, Beartooth & Trivium: Live at Buffalo Riverworks, AmericanaFest (2023), Ghost RE-Imperatour U.S.A. with Amon Amarth: Ascend Amphitheater, The 5th Annual PorchFest, 12th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Music Festival, Souls of Mischief: 93’ til Infinity 30th Anniversary Tour @ City Winery (Atlanta), Yob and Pallbearer: Live at the Masquerade, and Morbid Angel: The 40th Anniversary Tour (The Masquerade) by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, you can follow my personal concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.

#2023 #black metal #metal #the masquerade #rotting christ #greece #live show #live music #concerthopper #concert photography #photography #review #concert review #music #atlanta #georgia #greek music

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horrorpatch · 1 year

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Symphonic Metallers BLACKBRIAR Sign To Nuclear Blast Records!

Netherland-based gothic symphonic metal band BLACKBRIAR has signed a worldwide record contract with Nuclear Blast Records. They are currently working on their second full-length album, but in the meantime they have released the new single and video for “Crimson Faces”. Get more info about the band down below. From The Press Release Having refined their broody, mesmerizing vision of…

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#Blackbriar band #Crimson Faces single #Gothic Metal #Nuclear Blast Records #Symphonic Metal

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justfiles · 2 years

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Epica retrospect

#Epica retrospect movie#

During these premieres a number of band members will. (GMT+1) and will be available through the websites of Epica and Klokgebouw. Tickets will go on sale on the 15th of September at 10 a.m. Both as a 2DVD/3CD and 2Blu-ray/3CD version. Retrospect will be Epica’s most ambitious project to date, joined by a 70-piece symphonic orchestra and choir, international guests and lots of special effects. On the 8 th of November Nuclear Blast will release »Retrospect« as a deluxe hardcover book with 48 pages. In addition to a collection of the band’s biggest hits from across the spectrum of their entire catalog, this once-in-a-lifetime spectacular also features the live debut of ‘Twin Flames’ and the previously unreleased ‘Retrospect’, covers of classics by Vivaldi, Pergolesi, and Oscar-winning film composer John Williams, two guest collaborations with the venerable Floor Jansen (Nightwish, ReVamp), and a very special performance of their breakthrough single, ‘Quietus’, with founding members Jeroen Simons, Ad Sluijter, and Yves Huts. The band invited the Hungarian Remenyi Ede Chamber Orchestra and the Choir of Miskolc. The concert which would be called Retrospect, would be held in Klokgebouw with a 70-piece orchestra, choirs, international guests and many special effects. Ten high definition cameras captured this very special sold-out show while EPICA played in front of nearly five thousand ecstatic fans in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The band announced on their official website that on March 23, 2013, they would celebrate the 10th anniversary of Epica in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Rock Tribune (Belgium) thought it was “ an unforgettable show“. a view into the past 420,000 years.11 But the longest retrospect by far came in 2004 with the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA). The band was accompanied by the seventy piece Extended Reményi Ede Chamber Orchestra and the Miskolc National Theatre Choir, playing an unforgettable 3-hours best-of set.Īccording to respected Dutch newspaper the Volkskrant “ The band wrote a chapter of Dutch metal history” this evening. Retrospect is the third live album released by the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica in celebration of their tenth anniversary. I an 68 years old and have been listening to Classical and Rock. The concert which would be called Retrospect, would be held in Klokgebouw with a 70-piece orchestra, choirs, international guests and many special effects. I have liked Epica since first hearing them about 8 years ago. Tickets for the Dutch premiere are on sale now through : ĮPICA celebrated their 10 th anniversary with a one-night-only event, dubbed »Retrospect«. The band announced on their official website that on March 23, 2013, they would celebrate the 10th anniversary of Epica in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The second premiere will take place a day later – on Thursday 7 th November – in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, at Service Bioscoop Zien. Composer Ad Sluijter, Coen Janssen, Epica & 4 more. and in the spirit of the great Epica, roan poet see in death the end of a. Writers Ad Sluijter, Antonio Vivaldi, Arin van Weesenbeek & 9 more. Io the retrospect of which I have been just speaking, there is more of. The first premiere will be held on Wednesday 6 th November at the Mathäser Multiplex Kino in Munich, Germany. Producers Epica, Olaf Reitmeier & Sascha Paeth. I like all that I have heard from Epica and there are some amazing tracks on this anniversary. During these premieres a number of band members will join their fans with the first exclusive viewing of »Retrospect«.

#Epica retrospect movie#

EPICA – »Retrospect« movie theater premieres announcedĭutch symphonic metal band EPICA has announced the first two movie theater premieres of »Retrospect«.

#Epica retrospect

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