Music I enjoyed in 2020

 After the parody that was 2019, 2020 has been an excellent year. Lots of good music, I barely got used to one album, that another great one was released. So here are 20 albums and EPs from 2020 that I really enjoyed.

Albums I love

Brothers of Metal - Emblas Saga

Emblas Saga is a truly epic album. Whenever I listen to it, I am taken on a musical journey full of wonder. The narrations set the stage, while the orchestral arrangements and choir build up the grandiose atmosphere, as background for the fist-pumping, adrenaline-releasing power metal riffs. The world is filled with characters with properly-pronounced Nordic names, and their goofy stories are sang with unflinching seriousness by a vocal trio, which I would describe as: the angel, the beast, and the buffoon. It's the most ludicrous mix you can imagine. The buffoon mostly narrates and speaks the lyrics, the beast is the growler of the band, while the angel… is one of the most enchanting female voices I have heard in this genre, delivering anything from powerful choruses to emotional intros. We finally have a band that has a proper take on Norse mythology: epic, preposterous, and with just the right amount of silliness.

Brothers of Metal is a seriously ridiculous band. They have three guitarists and three vocalists, only one of which has any actual talent, and their videos are comical. Considering the name (I couldn't find an explicit connection to Manowar), you would really think that they are just a bunch of friends, gathered to have fun and sing about whatever floats their boat. That might be so, but they strive for perfection and succeed both at delivering high quality music and tons and tons of joy. So move over, Amon Amarth, you old farts! Brothers of Metal is the Nordic band of the moment!

Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man

With Black Sabbath officially retired, the Prince of Darkness has summoned a bunch of people with loads of experience  to release a kick-ass album. (I mean just look at the personnel section - you'd think they were making a movie, not a solo album.) The production values and attention to detail are evident at every second of music on this record, but don't get in the way of keeping a down to earth attitude, making it a fun and enjoyable listen. You've got your classic "rock music is dark but the fun" tunes like opener Straight to Hell and the mandatory classic Ozzy "I know I'm crazy, and I know you like that" songs with oddball lyrics like Eat Me or Scary Little Green Men. You've even got the two collaborations with Post Malone -fun and interesting, but not anything jaw-dropping to be honest. The highlight - at least for me - has to be the two auto-biographies - Ordinary Man (feat. Elton John) and Under the Graveyard. Don't know or care how honest they actually are, but they are powerful and emotional, not only due to lyrical content, but also because of the song writing and the aforementioned attention to detail. I think they really are up there with the rest of Ozzy's ballads. And the latter has a really awesome video that reminded me of the cool ones bands used to make during the 90s. Really well edited and acted. Overall, this is a very well made, very enjoyable album on all levels and would be a great wrap for Ozzy Osbourne's career.

Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut

We live in a time where a bunch of guys who are into beer, pirates and gaming, produce one of the best metal albums of the year. Honestly, if I were to actually make a ranking, I'd have no regrets in putting this at the top spot. Curse of the Crystal Coconut is an almost perfect album! The only complaint I have is that there are no references to the Monkey Island game series as the album cover and title would lead you to believe. (The title is actually a Donkey Kong reference.)

You might think it's just a silly parody metal album. Sure, you have the "we don't care about anything but drinking" party songs, funny lyrics and absurd stories, but the song writing is outstanding, from the orchestration down to the silly barking dog inserts. They have loads of guests, both vocal (like the guy from Finntroll) and instrumental, and many people contributed to making this the great record that it is. The highlight for me would be the excellent use of the hurdy gurdy (played by Patty Gurdy) in many of the tracks. And the songs are just crazy in their variety and creativity. There's something for everyone. You have the epic Wooden Leg Pt. 2 (The Woodening), the traditional folk song of Henry Martin, the motivational anthem Call of the Waves, and last, but not least, you have the pirate rap-metal hit Tortuga, featuring Captain Yarrface of Rumahoy. And even the bonus tracks are so amazing, I can't believe they chose not to include them in the regular release.

Curse of the Crystal Coconut is an album I will definitely enjoy for a long, long time from now.

Falconer - From a Dying Ember

Falconer is one of those bands I've heard about in passing, but only stumbled upon a few years ago, randomly hearing the excellent Heresy in Disguise. I listened to more of their discography but it didn't really stick with me. So I was surprised how great From a Dying Ember turned out, with solid track after solid track. They hold strong on the medieval topic, with a pronounced folk influenced, but definitely heavy metal sound. There are a dime a dozen such bands, but, at least with this album, Falconer stands out. What I like the most is that the medieval themes are just pretext, not the central subject, and most of the songs read more like allegories for modern times. Kings and Queens is a call to be the master of your own fate. In Regal Attire is a satire of all upstarts who are where they are without merit, but that doesn't stop them from boasting. Quite a lot of them these days, wouldn't you say? Fool's Crusade is a thoughtfully written criticism of humankind's onward march towards enlightenment, without regards for the consequences.

The folkish elements blend perfectly with metal, but the star of the album is frontman Mathias Blad, whose performance is better than I remembered on previous releases. His voice is powerful, but with a soft delivery, effortlessly reaching the high notes when needed. And the spotlight falls on him during Rejoice the Adorned, where he carries the whole song, practically accompanied by just a piano. It is a lovely ballad about not suffering from the pain of loss. And his delivery makes it that much more effective.

As I was writing this review, I just found out that the band had decided to retire, this album being their last. I'm sad to hear this, but wow… what a send-off!

Bush - The Kingdom

I was scrolling through TV channels one night and stumbled on MTV Rock or something and recognized Gavin Rossdale. Hey, this is Bush! Bush, in my mind, was the kind of band that I didn't know much about, but remember really loving a few songs back when I was a kid in the '90s: Glycerine, Machinehead and especially The Chemicals Between Us. I thought that was it, a band lost in the mists of time and I was lucky enough to have these memories.

Anyway, they're still alive and kicking, and put out a really cool record in 2020. A bit '90s sounding, but definitely modern, with some nifty riffs, catchy melodies, thoughtful lyrics and a few killer tracks. When it came out I kept listening to it all the time, but after a week I thought I got bored with it. However, I find myself enjoying it from time to time. On the video for Flowers on a Grave, Katie comments: "In 1995, I was 12 & Gavin was the hottest dude I'd ever seen. I'm 37 now & my opinion hasn't changed. Holy shit." Kinda sums it all up.

Alanis Morissette - Such Pretty Forks in the Road

In a world where pop stars like Adele or Sia take their God-given gift, throw it on the floor, trample on it and bang it repeatedly against the wall like an old rag, it's refreshing to listen to Alanis Morissette deliver a collection of simple, soothing songs. It may be far from the energy of Jagged Little Pill, but there is a lot of strong emotion flowing from the words penned for these tracks and her confident delivery. Each song is about different struggles she faced throughout life, but which in the end built her resilience, making the overall feeling an optimistic one, as the title of the album beautifully implies.

Deep Purple - Whoosh!

This album is like well-aged cognac. You pour yourself a glass, sit back and listen. Deep Purple have nothing to prove, they don't need to dive into new territories of music. The past has already been told, all that matters now is the sip you just took, the taste filling your mouth and your soul. Five musicians with two centuries of experience among them. Two centuries collapsed into less than an hour. It seems as if the music just came forth, already formed, perfectly blended. Time feels frozen for the 50 minutes it takes to finish the glass of joy. The future is unknown, but it flows directly from this moment. So make the best of it! Enjoy it while it lasts, because it will be gone soon. Whoosh!

Pain of Salvation - Panther

I think this is the most creative album I've listened to this year. It covers a lot of genres and styles, which blends in perfectly with the subject matter - people feeling like panthers in a dogs' world, as the title track describes it. Or in other words, people with an always active, easily distracted, but deeply curious mind. It's like a vast modern impressionist painting. Ragged riffs paint grooves on the canvas, alternating with rhythmic melodies, as mastermind Daniel Gildenlöw dashes his vocal brush, ranging from high-pichted singing, to vocalizing, to anger, even to rapping. Patterns incessantly repeated, abruptly interrupted by tirades about how the "normals" always get into the way of "panthers".  All in all, a captivating and thrilling album, that I'm sure I will want to get back to from time to time.

Blue Öyster Cult - The Symbol Remains

Yet another band from the good old '70s having some fun together. You can just feel it in the music how the band gels together. There's a pleasureful feeling as the sound waves roll into your ear, from the outright heavy metal tracks (Stand and Fight is like a Metallica + Manowar parody - or homage, who the hell knows?!) to the more rock'n'roll and country tunes. The lyrics are witty and satirical (Florida Man - LoL) even in the most serious of songs. The Symbol Remains is one hour and one minute of high quality fun, with just the right amount of cowbell.

Albums I was thrilled by

Grave Digger - Fields of Blood

Grave Digger are a very productive band. They release a new album every two years or so, this one being their 20th! And as you might expect, the quality of the albums is all over the place. The previous one was very disappointing, a very flat and unimaginative collection of songs, utterly forgettable. Fields of Blood, however, is one of the good ones, the really good ones! They went back to their favourite subject of Scottish history, basically retelling the same stories from their biggest hit - Tunes of War. Of course, that's not what makes this album a great one. It's the music. And I was delighted at the diversity I found among the different tracks. There is a lot of creativity on this album and it feels like they are trying different things. With every song there is something to grab your attention and keep you interested, and that's what makes this such a fun listen. Of course, we definitely have the air-fisting old-school metal riffs and chants, and the quirky but inexplicably effective vocal performance, that you expect from Grave Digger.

Nightwish - HUMAN. :||: NATURE.

I really enjoyed Nightwish when I was in high school, but haven't listened to them since Tarja left. With Floor Jansen they are more to my liking again. However, I couldn't get into the pompous Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Their latest release is less so, at least by modern Nightwish standards - I mean just look at that title 🙄 and let's completely ignore the superfluous instrumental second part. Sure, some of the lyrics and attitude might be obnoxious for the narrow-minded, but musically, thematically, it's all well rounded, a symphonic journey through different feelings exploring different but related themes, from the rawness of Noise and Tribal, to the mellowness of Harvest and How's the Heart?,  and some classic symphonic metal in between.

Floor Jansen is used to her full potential, always striking the right tone, aptly sliding from operatic to energic to preachy etc. I think there was room for a classic Marco Hietala-fronted song, but his softer delivery on Endlessness is a nice touch. And Troy Donockley is a great addition, Harvest being such a catchy song, although clearly an odd-one-out. With Tuomas Holopainen's creative orchestration the album offers a very rich and enjoyable musical experience.

Beyond the Black - Hørizøns

As I've previously stated, Beyond the Black is my recent favourite female-fronted symphonic metal band. While I don't mind their march towards a more pop aesthetic, their overly refined sound makes it harder to connect with the music and sit through listening to the whole album. Thankfully, there still are a few standout songs (Human especially) and Jennifer Haben's voice is as fascinating as ever.

Ulver - Flowers of Evil

All I knew about Ulver is that they are a black metal band from the '90s that three years ago released a purely synth-pop album. Flowers of Evil follows that exact same style, so I thought I'd see what it's all about. It didn't impress me at first, but it grew on me, and I guess it's nice to have a gloomy dark wave band to listen to now and then. I wish they'd stop shortcutting their lyrics with bible verse references. I really don't think we need footnotes with our music.

Haken - Virus

Progressive metal mostly bores me to death. That was until I found Haken, who make it fun. I was thrilled when I heard they were planning the release of a new album, with the unintentionally ironic name Virus. The first few singles also thrilled me, especially Prosthetic and Invasion. But other than that I couldn't get into the album. Sonically, it just feels like too much going on all the time, and you don't know what to even focus on. That's the kind of progressive metal I don't like. It's still a good album, just not something I would like to listen straight through.

Demons & Wizards - III

Everything about this album is Demons & Wizards as they were when I discovered them some time in the 2000s. A slow build up to a frenzied guitar and Hansi Kürsch's unmistakable voice, the atmosphere of a dark, cold, cathedral. If you liked Demons & Wizards back then, you'll like them today, too, only with 15 years or so of listening to other music as well.

Magnum - The Serpent Rings

I had forgotten to list them in 2018's review, but I'll do justice now since The Serpent Rings is very similar to Lost on the Road to Eternity. Heh, if I listen to songs from both albums mixed together, I won't be able to tell which is which. Anyway, it's just another album that offers an enjoyable listen: an old-school yet modern sound, with judicious use of keyboards, Bob Catley's powerful ragged voice (73 years old, wow!), crafted lyrics. There's something soothing but at the same inspirational about these songs.

Lockdown EPs

Beyond the Black - W:O:A Acoustic Clash - The Lockdown Session

This seems to be some sort of bet, but more like a challenge from the organizers of Wacken Open Air. In just 48 hours, the band arranged and recorded acoustic covers of four metal songs:

        • Sabaton - To Hell and Back

• Disturbed - Down with the Sickness (my favourite)
• Volbeat - A Warrior's Call
• Iron Maiden - The Trooper

You can see for yourself this was not just something done for fun over a few drinks, the attention to details is remarkable, the rearrangements very creative. Jennifer Haben handles the various male vocal styles with skill and shows her versatility with regards to musical instruments as well, playing the piano, cello, flute and even the wine glass!

Thrawsunblat - Insula EP

These 20 minutes of music were created in less than a month in the spring of 2020, just when most of the people in the world were in isolation. Four songs born in isolation, about isolation and beyond. Joel Violette, the leader of the band, seems to have done all this himself, from writing the songs, recording every instrument and producing the EP. It is inspired by astronaut Chris Hadfield's guide to self-isolation and each song is dedicated to one of the four steps for thriving in such an environment: identify the risks, identify your goals, identify your constraints, take action. The result is very poetic and very inspiring.

Zeal & Ardor - Wake of a Nation

Another EP born as a spur-of-the-moment reaction, this time to police brutality and discrimination against people of colour in the USA. Well, it has been the topic of the band since its inception, anyway, the overall musical style being a blend of African-American spiritual music and black metal. Wake of a Nation still has a little of that style, but the six songs are less cohesive and have a rawer quality to them, like the full-on black metal track Tuskegee, dealing with the horror of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. Other than that, the style remains avantgarde, sprinkled with electronic bleeps and bloops, while the drums provide a marching rhythm throughout. The despairing cries of the victims involved in previous incidents ("I can't breathe!", "Don't shoot, it's a cellphone!") are incorporated as  lyrics to great effect. All in all, a creative musical mix, evoking raw feelings, from despair to anger.

Romanian Metal

White Walls - Grandeur

This is the only Romanian album I've listened to. I wanted to listen to White Walls for some time now, but never got to, and this release was the perfect chance. I'm not very impressed. It's a good album, but it falls short. There is ambition, but the parts don't connect. I see a bit of Goodbye to Gravity, a bit of Days of Confusion, a bit of Implant pentru Refuz's Cartography, a bit of Alternosfera or Grimus even, but not really reaching either of them in quality, not to even think of better than the sum of the parts.

Feel good song of the year

Twenty one pilots have released an absolutely lovely feel good song about making the best of living locked at home, and an even lovelier "live" version:

A powerful podcast

I don't why he didn't do this until now, because it makes so much sense. Joey DeMaio has started a podcast. Six episodes in and he delivered exactly what he says in the intro. This is a great listen not just for Manowar fans, but especially for them. You have stories from behind the scenes, both from the most recent tour and from the good old days, like how they worked with Orson Welles. Joey's motivation for the podcast is to inspire people beyond music, to help them live a powerful live, and the episode about courage really does that. Finally, the year ended with a two part interview with none other than every Manowarrior's favourite human being - Eric Adams. We find out that he actually started his career when he was a kid, and how he was fooled into abandoning playing the guitar while singing and concentrate only on the vocals, thus becoming the greatest metal singer ever. What's the best thing about these stories is that they've finally thrown away that veil of perfection, because their actual lives are just as inspiring as the personas they embody in their music. It's inspiring to know your heroes have actually achieved success from humble beginnings, through hard work, integrity and perseverance.

2020 hindsight

If I look back over all the music stuff I enjoyed this year, I think what's common for all of them is honesty. All the artists I mentioned have an honest pursuit in their music, be it to just have fun, to explore a serious subject, or to express some personal feelings. And that can only happen when you follow the path you believe in, without faltering because of whatever tries to push you off. That's a good thing to take away from 2020: whatever comes, you will always be you.

The Eternal Run

I’m running, I’m running,

Nothing to stop me.

I’m running, I’m running,

I’m feeling so free.

I’m running, I’m running,

Nothing to hold me,

Except

This thing that’s following me.

I’m running, I’m running,

I pick up the pace.

I’m running, I’m running,

It’s up for the chase.

I’m running, I’m running,

Feel it breathe down my back.

I’m running, I’m running,

Trying to lose its track.

I’m running, I’m running,

It reaches to grab me.

I’m running, I’m running,

Trying so hard to flee.

I’m running, I’m running,

It’s got a hold of me.

But I’m still running and running,

It’s covering me!

I’m running, I’m running,

Trying to shake it free.

I’m running, I’m running,

It’s actually inside of me!

I’m running, still running,

I’m not really free.

Ice teeth gnawing,

Warm sweat drowning,

Ghost hands choking,

Heavy breathing.

Heart is running, it’s running,

There’s no place to be.

Mind is running, it’s running,

It’s acting crazily.

It’s running, it’s running,

Nowhere to go.

It’s running, it’s running,

It’s part of the show.

It’s running, it’s running,

Illusion it’s free.

It’s running, it’s running,

From this moment 

Towards a distant memory.

I’m running, I’m running,

The wolves on a spree,

I’m running, I’m running,

Climb up on a tree.

I keep running and running.

I was a tadpole,

I ran from the sea.

I keep running and running,

I am the light that you see,

Forever running and running,

So fast I can’t even be.

We've all been running and running,

We are the Universe's breath.

We’re running, we’re running,

We keep running from death.

I'm running, still running,

Track makes a turn,

So do my feet.

I’m running, I’m running,

Now I’m running straight towards it.

I’m running, I’m running,

Chatter in the air.

I’m running, I’m running,

People despair.

I’m running, I’m running,

Governments scare.

I’m running, I’m running,

I really don’t care.

I’m running, I’m running,

Machines on the rise,

I’m running, I’m running,

Our own demise.

I’m running, I’m running,

Feet stomp the ground.

I’m running, I’m running,

I’m gravity bound.

I'm running, I'm running,

Just riding the wave.

I'm running, I'm running,

Forever a slave.

I'm running, I'm running

All that I am, all there will be,

It's running, it's running,

Always

Together with me.

Life is running, it’s running,

Until it runs out of me.

I’m running, I’m running,

Now I feel free.

I’m running, I’m running,

Now I am free.

Some music from 2019 I've listened to

The year of parody

2019 was the year of parody for me. The biggest surprise came out of nowhere in the middle of the summer, when Nanowar of Steel struck gold with what I consider to be the video of the year:



At this point it has over 4 million views, which is something like 10 times more than anything from the band's videography. It is the most blasphemous thing I've seen, providing black metal with the parody it needed. The lyrics are funny, the metal riffs outstanding in what is otherwise a mostly pop song. I've even seen people that I'm sure don't get all of the black metal references, sharing it or laughing at it.

This inspired me to pay a closer look to Nanowar's album that I've enjoyed listening to last year, and found that they've generously released a lyric video for probably every song. And even though they are just lyric videos, they are terribly amusing, making me enjoy such gems as Ironmonger (The Copier of the Seven Keys), The Quest for Carrefour and Barbie MILF Princess of the Twilight even more.

Second place goes to another parody video:



Sounds awesome, and once I've searched for all the memes it references I realised what a culturally significant piece of art it really is. For me it opened up the wonderful world of squatting slavs in tracksuits, a meme that I had only heard of, not realising how rich it actually is.

Also this year saw the release of Gloryhammer's album Legends from Beyond the Terror Vortex, the third (and final?) chapter in the outrageous story of Angus McFife. At first I wasn't so impressed with it, because it didn't have any immediate standouts and it just seemed more of what was before. But it has some awesome catchy tunes about the Land of Unicorns, Laser Powered Goblin Smashers, Thunder Striking Wizard Thrashers, Heavy Metal Darklord Crashers and so on.



And I've been greatly excited to be able to see them, and Powerwolf on the same stage, in Bucharest. What an amazing pairing. If you understand Romanian, you can read my review here. Not only can the frontman bring his operatic voice from the studio to the stage, but he is a real showman and made some really funny jokes between songs. Really, the whole show is better quality than some other serious acts I've seen. The same can be said about Powerwolf as well.

And when the year was coming to an uneventful end, the bomb dropped: another Nanowar video, with a guest appearance from Angus McFife as Odin the Allfather himself. Another amazing gospel metal tune that reunites all the religions and cultures of the world under a single sign. What a great Christmas gift!



I guess Rammstein also fit here, with their first album in 10 years. A great one all round, nothing fancy, catchy tunes that deserve several listens, and an over the top spectacular show, that is a must see for any concert lover.

Great expectations

In the conclusion of my last year review, I mentioned some highly anticipated releases for 2019. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love Moonglow, it just doesn't connect. Nothing seemed to stick with me, like it did with all of the previous releases, the guest voices sound muddled and do not leave the impact that we've come to expect from Avantasia.

Myrath, on the other hand delivered a great album. Even though they've totally departed from their proggy beginnings and have a more commercial sound, the combined talent and musicianship makes for some very exciting songs. And in December they also released a DVD of their performance in Carthage, which from the trailer looks absolutely stunning.

While I was glad to see hometown band Methadone Skies receive praise for their Different Layers of Fear album, I just couldn't get myself to listen to it more than a few times. They've departed a bit from their playful experiments for a more cemented post-rock sound. I guess it's more mature and it might just be my mood, but it wasn't for me. I felt the same way about We Lost the Sea's Triumph & Disaster. I had to force my way into it, and didn't feel as awe-inspiring as the sublime Departure Songs.

Finally, I was delighted to see Immortal Bird release their first full-length release, Thrive on Neglect. (even thought it's only 37 minutes, not much longer than the two EPs already in their discography) Immortal Bird is another offshoot of Woods of Ypres, in which drummer Rae Amitay takes on the microphone with some incredible growls. The band delivers a wall of  sound, with mellow bridges that take you from one blast of energy to the next. The best thing about them is the honesty and passion of their performance.

Great discoveries

The year started great with an album that actually would fit very well next to the albums of 2018. When a Shadow is Forced into the Light by Swallow the Sun creates an inspiring doomish setting, moulded by moody orchestral arrangements. Excellent song-writing, perfect blend in a very digestible soundscape.

 At some point Spotify fed me the eerie sound of Mephorash. Everything about them screams occultism and the atmosphere they create feels veritable if you don't give it too much thought. I was quite mesmerised by Sanguinem, off of their Shem Ha Mephorash of 2019.

It takes a lot for a band to amaze me. Especially covers that don't bring their own (radical) touch I find not interesting at all. So I was quite surprised when I first Liliac's version of Holy Diver. It's basically the same as the original, only with a modern production, that sounds just perfect. The most stunning thing is the voice: an 18-year old girl with the perfect blend of raspiness, range and attitude. Then you find out the band is actually a family, with the youngest aged 12, the oldest 20, while their father is their producer. Everything sounds great: guitars, drums, keyboards. They started doing covers on Santa Monica pier and, having enjoyed great success, decided to record some original songs. Unfortunately, the compositions are not that distinguished, but still listening to how they play fills me with great excitement.



Finally, Spotify delivered another great discovery towards the end of the year, a band that I'm surprised I have not heard of before: Neonfly. Another great sounding band, with a perfect mix of old-school and modern, intriguing lyrics, catchy riffs, a superb solo, and a powerful voice. This World is Burning is one of the best songs I've heard in 2019 and is the first single off their third album, to be released sometime in 2020.

Pop

Gotta have a pop album in there. And this year it's Weezer. With two albums actually, released at around two months difference, beginning of the year. One is a compilation of covers of songs like Africa, Mr. Blue Sky, Paranoid, or Take on Me. The other is just original compositions and I can't say much, other than I just really enjoyed listening to both albums. It's Weezer.

Manowar

Seems about right to start the year of parody with Nanowar and end it with Manowar. There were announcements of studio recordings from the band, but with a tour early in 2019, the Final Battle I EP came sort of as a surprise. Just four songs, with one being an instrumental intro that has replaced the Ben Hur theme in concerts. But what songs for any Manowar fan!

Blood and Steel continues the style from the previous Manowar album, The Lord of Steel, outlined by a fuzzy bass line, uplifting drums, synth choirs on the chorus, an all round feel good metal tune, that climaxes with a good old guitar solo and trademark Eric Adams screams.

Sword of the Highlands got me all emotional. And not because it seems like it was written for Braveheart. Actually, Joey DeMaio said that the inspiration was the soundtrack for Titanic, and I think the flute intro is proof of that. But the highlight of the song is once again Eric's mesmerising voice, that starts soft and soothing, delivering power without screaming, sustained by an emotional guitar. And the lyrics just bring chills up my spine: "Carry the fight on for me/ For all the sons of the Highlands/ Fight for the right to be free, never be owned".

And finally, the biggest surprise of the EP, a song with Joey singing! You Shall Die Before I Die is in the vein of Hatred or Burning, with a devilish bass line, eerie guitars and choirs, painting a rather compelling image of a colourful, freakish hellscape. Of course, Joey doesn't really sing, but recite the in-your-face Joey style lyrics, with a devilish effect to the point of caricature. It's one of the most original compositions I have heard in a while from a metal band.

And that just makes me hope with all my heart that there are still more Manowar songs to come in the future.

It always wins

2019 has seen the two biggest movie franchises come to their conclusions. (Or perhaps more accurately, to their end-of-an-era moments). Of course, this meant that the heroes of these movies were set against their biggest foes, and of course, good won in the end, because with Disney, Hollywood and blockbusters in general, it always wins.

Nothing wrong with that, except that, at least in the times we are living, it is so predictable and expected that it does not have the same emotional and inspirational impact that it used to. It just feels like running through the same familiar script, enjoying the visuals and the witty dialog of the protagonists. It's just not relatable.

Let's start with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanos was such a great villain not only because he was the most powerful one that the Avengers have had to fight, but because he was always right. What ever he said, it had truth in it, even though the others didn't like it. And you cannot defeat truth. You can fight it, hide it, ignore it, hide from it, but it will be always there, haunting you.

Or you can use some magic stones and snap your fingers to make it go away. Yeah, that always works.

If you ask me, the perfect end to the Marvel saga would have been the first scenes of Endgame, where people are coping with their losses. Some better than others, some worse: Captain America, as always, doing what is right, leading the way, showing others and helping them go on with their lives; Tony Stark, settling down, realising he cannot put a suit of armour around the world; Banner, accepting what he is, Thor not accepting he is and becoming a hobo; Hawkeye not dealing so well with the loss of his family.

But I can see why this could not be the end, as the franchise needs to keep rolling, and offer a satisfying conclusion to the heroes of the last decade. Obviously, the status quo is not satisfactory, and they couldn't lay back and do nothing about it. And this brings them back to fight Thanos, who bluntly summarises their ultimate flaw:

You could not live with your own failure.

Indeed! That is basically the story of the whole franchise, or at least of the Avengers movies. Because of them, Earth almost got occupied by aliens. It wasn't, but the aftermath was incredible, changing the lives  of millions of people in dramatic ways. Then they thought of solving the problem once and for all. And that led to Ultron, another walking-talking lesson, that they "solved" with even more tragedy and destruction, ending with a not so friendly break-up between the world's most loved superheroes. Surely, after more than 20 instalments, they would have learned their lesson. Surely now, when the lesson itself is talking to them directly, staring them in the face, ready to crush them once and for all, surely now they will learn to live with their failure.

Nope. Because Iron Man. And because, like I said, that was pretty much inevitable.

Well... if we think about it deeper, Thanos may have been defeated, but the good guys didn't win. Because you can't win against truth. You cannot ignore it, for it will always come back to haunt you. (Where did that bring you? Back to me. - IV Avengers 128:11-16) And if you do fight it, you will not come out triumphant. Tony Stark, who was instrumental in the whole reverting things to how they were plot, whose core simply could not accept the truth - that he failed (over and over) at protecting the world, would pay the price for his sin. Not being able to accept his family life over his failure, he payed the ultimate price for it. Captain America on the other hand, accepted that things are not as simple as they were in the good old days when you could always punch evil in the face, and that you can live with not always having to fight just because you're right. Perhaps the most endearing of all, Banner has learned to live with the Hulk. Like I said, you can fight the truth, you can hide it, ignore it, and that's what Banner always did. But it will always come back to remind you of it. So it's much better to just accept it and learn to live with it.

Hmm, now that I've thought about it, I guess the writers actually did a great job.

Let's move on to Star Wars, where the evilest being in the Universe is back. And gone in like 16 hours. Phew! And millions of worlds probably didn't even know about it.

So the big twist about Episode 9 is that JJ Abrams wanted to have his "No, I am your father" moment. Well, I don't know if he wanted that or not, but the reaction to that scene was more like "She's a Palpatine. Oh, ok, whatever." Well, I loved the idea of The Last Jedi, that you don't need to have the privilege of your ancestry in order to be special, but this setup does make things interesting.

Just like Hulk, Rey is now confronted with what she is. There is something dark inside her, but since she wants to be good, she now has to deal with it. And the climactic moment of this decision is when she confronts Palpatine himself, just like Luke Skywalker did. And both are put up against similar decisions: Luke should kill his father, but doing so he would have given into his negative feelings, while Rey should strike down Palpatine as the only way to stop all of the incredibly bad going on around, but doing so she would inherit the throne of darkness. (Don't know why there needs to be a ritual involved for something that is just giving into your instincts and acting out of impulse, but whatever.)

And it's the same sort of threat that Thanos poses, only more direct. Here I am, all the evil in the world, yet you cannot defeat me, because I represent the truth about yourself and doing so in this case would just mean that you are also evil. And not doing it would just mean that I kill you and nothing has changed. That is the inevitable truth. You can fight it, ignore it, hide from it, but it will always be there. And that's why Luke never defeats the Emperor.

He was feeling pretty smug when Darth Vader brought him to face Palpatine. "Oh, this is going to be so awesome." he was saying to himself. "I'm going to convince my father to turn good, we're going to kill the Emperor together, Han and Leia will bring down the shield and the Rebellion will blow up the Death Star. Live happily ever after, for ever and ever and ..."

Ooops! Just a reminder from the TruthEmperor that being arrogant is not so nice, and that you're still an animal driven by your emotions and before you know it you're smashing your own father with a lightsaber. And all because you could not accept failure above your precious Jedi principles.

Of course, Luke does realise all that and stops himself just in time and does the right thing. He accepts his defeat, and therein lies his victory. He throws away his lightsaber (ghasp!) and proclaims:

I am a Jedi, like my father before me.

You should note the subtlety: it's not just that Luke didn't kill the Emperor. That would have just been hiding from the truth. He openly accepts the truth, thus showing Anakin that there is another way. Yes, Anakin, the one who could never accept the loss of his mother, nor the fact that you cannot stop all suffering, that you cannot stop death, the one who has fought the truth, and then just ignored it and hid from it under a mechanised suit. Yes, Luke has shown him that acceptance is the way, and Anakin is the one who kills the Emperor, redeeming himself and his life of neglect. But Luke could never have defeated the Emperor himself, lest he go down the same path as his father.

Well, turns out Luke didn't really learn the lesson himself, as he thought that evil can be defeated for good, and that good can live on by itself and he can happily train good Jedi forever and ever. Except he couldn't and once he realised the truth, how did he confront it? He ran away to hide from it.

But luckily Rey showed him the way (in The Last Jedi) and he could advise her (in The Rise of Skywalker) not to make the same mistake as he did and act out of fear. Although I'm not sure how necessary that advice was, considering that the biggest threat of the Universe is ready to strike and if you don't act upon it, no matter the consequences, there will literally be no place to hide!

Anyway, Rey inevitably stands in front of her eeeevil grandpa, given this impossible choice of striking him down and taking his place, or not doing that and letting him destroy his friends and everything she ever cared for. So what does she do? Strike him down, of course! Ok, she reflects his lightning with her lightsabers and the power of all the Jedi, but that still counts as striking him down! And it seems she didn't take his place after all. I guess that ritual was really important, huh?

Well, you could say that the point actually is that Rey was confronted with having evil inside her but choosing to be good. In the final scene when asked her family name, she says Skywalker, instead of Palpatine, showing that she chose to be a Skywalker, rather than a Palpatine. Yeah sure, I guess one family of Universe-level mass murderers is better than the other one. Good on her for listening to her heart. I guess that also means that Luke's failure in defeating evil for good is due to not changing his own name to Luke Kenobi.

Sarcasm aside, that's not the way things work. It's not just choosing who you want to be. It's not the same as being born in a family of gangsters and choosing to become a cop and arrest them. Being the ancestor of a force-wielder is more like being born with a disability (or a super-human ability, but the disability analogy fits better in this case, because it's something that Rey would rather do without). If you're born deaf or mute, it's kind of hard to choose to be a musician. If you're born with something like the Down syndrome, you can choose to be a better person, but it's more than just choice. You have to accept your flaws and deal with them. And, once again, dealing doesn't mean fighting them, ignoring them, or hiding from them. It means living with them and becoming better because of them, not despite them.

If you ask me, the best plot for the next Star Wars trilogy would be that Rey is driven mad by her inner conflict which she obviously does not even understand nor is even aware of, and actually becomes Empress Palpatine, only instead of being driven by an urge for absolute power, she's just demented and does irrational things. Sometimes for fun, sometimes out of anger, or hatred. And when someone confronts her, she just tells them that they're talking nonsense, that she's a Skywalker, and she's all good. Who would save the galaxy this time? Don't know. Many people. The kid with the broom from the last scene of The Last Jedi would surely be involved. The first two movies wouldn't even have to show her. Maybe keep some mystery about who the Empress is at first. And where the hell is Rey? The gang of good guys could have an adventure to some unknown world, where they find her true ancestry (because no one besides her knows, right?). Anyway, I'm just blabbering here. But in the end, they face her. And they persuade her to admit the truth. And then she crumbles inside. And she commits suicide, finally accepting the truth. Because it always wins.

Childhood Park

Replenish your faith

in memory of the bronze deer

as the oaks stand firm witnesses

to the cobwebs on the bushes

that once were attack ships off the shoulder of Orion

while gypsy kids climbed up the tree of life

to get the ball

that was not theirs.

So messed up

I cannot tell the weeds from the roses anymore.

Only time swings now

pausing only for this moment of eternal joy.

2018 Music Albums

Unlike previous years, it looks like in 2018 I've listened to quite a few albums actually released this year. So I thought it might be fun to write a bit about them.

Albums I love

Godsmack - When legends rise

My relationship with Godsmack started in the late '90s, before YouTube and I think even the Internet. I was mesmerised by the video for “Voodoo” and would switch music TV channels just hoping I might catch it.

Time passed and I didn't follow the band closely, until a few years ago. Having been disconnected I did not realise that they had garnered some hate, just like all things late '90s seem to have. So I questioned my feelings and wanted to see if it was just skewed teenage perspective. Nope, turns out I still like the classics like “I stand alone”, “Awake” or “Keep away”, and I enjoy listening to anything from their discography. Yes, I can see why you might despise the attitude, but that's just on the surface, and music-wise Godsmack is a great band. I liked “The Oracle” and I especially liked “1000hp”. And finally, three years ago I got to cross them off the list of “absolutely have to see” bands and they totally kicked ass. Godsmack is a guaranteed energy-booster anytime.

And with that introduction, we get to their 2018 album. Before the release, Sully Erna, the band's front-man, stated that they are trying to basically dilute their sound in order to target a larger audience. All the negativity from the critics came to my mind and made me think they were right all along and Godsmack is just the kind of band that would sell-out if need be.

But then they released a video for “Bulletproof”. While the sound was indeed more accessible, I found the video to actually be a parody of the idea of selling out. Then the album came out and I was ashamed I ever doubted them. At less than 40 minutes, “When legends rise” is packed with intimacy and positivity. The lyrics are more personal and self-conscious. Sully is more emotional and his voice and melody work off each other for double the impact. Shannon Larkin is amazing as usual, his drumming being more like a second voice than just the backbone of the music.

The album was a great running companion, with energy-boosters like the title track or “Bulletproof”, the introspective “Someday” and even a ballad like I haven't heard in a long time, complete with violins (“Under your scars”).

Twenty one pilots - Trench

I had heard of Twenty one pilots before, but swiftly categorised them as “not my kind of music”. Then, a few years ago, being bored, I clicked on some “rock” hits playlist on Google's streaming service. And after a few songs I'm being served “Stressed out”, which doesn't sound like rock at all. But listening to it my thoughts were “I can relate to this”. Also, I think if I had been born 15 years later than I actually was and this was playing on MTV, it would actually be the kind of music I would listen to.

So, daringly, I started to listen to more Twenty one pilots and even reading more about them. I found songs like “Lane boy” or “Migraine” instantly fascinating. This wasn't rock music, but it also wasn't mainstream pop music. It had something to say. It had lots to say, in fact.

However, since this is not the kind of music I listen to normally, the first reaction to “Trench” was that maybe the album is also not for me. I was looking for another song as original and captivating as the ones I mentioned and did not find one at first. But on subsequent listens, I quickly fell in love with the album. It simply absorbed me. The deeper I immersed into it, the more fascinated I was. Twenty one pilots - or rather Tyler Joseph, the main man behind the duo - has created a rich and diverse musical and lyrical vocabulary to evoke the intricacies of the mind. From fast rapping, to angry screams, and a vast range of singing styles in between, Tyler shifts through genres with great ease. Even Josh Dun's drumming is more elaborated and interesting. And above all that, “Trench” has so much backstory that it would make a symphonic power metal band jealous. It sets a relentless introspective mood, that leaks with optimism should you listen carefully. It praises, but it also condemns.

Albums I was thrilled by

Dee Snider - For the love of metal

This came out of nowhere. Dee Snider is, of course, the front-man of Twisted Sister, a crazy band known especially for “We're not gonna take it” or “I wanna rock” - fun, blood-pumping songs, sung by a guy with curly blonde hair, who liked to dress like a woman and use lots of makeup.

I didn't expect the same guy would come out in his '60s with a straightforward heavy metal album, showing the young kids how it's done. The tracks are full of energy and in-your-face lyrics, with a dash of quirky '80s style humour: “I gave you yesterday / You can keep it / Because today is mine”. “For the love of metal” is exactly what it says: a tribute from one of the old ones, offered with love and passion. A great listen any moment of any day.

Ghost - Prequelle

Until now I just thought that Ghost is another one of those bands with makeup and masks that sing some sort of parody metal. I had the chance to see them live four or five years ago, but passed it due to this preconception.

Well, I don't know if they weren't as I described, but “Prequelle” shows a very serious and mature band. Sure, the whole shtick is putting occult lyrics and imagery over melodic pop metal, but they certainly don't take their job lightly. The song-writing is solid, with compositions that have a natural structure entwined with the musical and lyrical message.

“Rats” is a standout hit, and “Dance Macabre” could easily be played on radio and no one would find it strange. I'm just disappointed they didn't consider going to Eurovision with any one of these two. And there are two wonderful instrumentals on the album, just to enforce the idea that this is no funny business, while songs like “Pro Memoria” go into the philosophical. There's lots of texture in the music, but it is also easy to listen to and instantly contagious.

Judas Priest - Firepower

I admit. I'm not really a fan of Judas Priest, and “Firepower” is the first full album I've listened to from the band. It's exactly what it needs to be, straightforward heavy metal, from the grandfathers of the genre. You could say it's a textbook heavy metal album, but that would mean that any disciple band could copy it. And that's where the greatness comes from, that they make it all look so natural.

Thrawsunblat - Great Brunswick Forrest

Thrawsunblat is an offshoot of Canadian Juno Award winners Woods of Ypres. (one of my favourite bands, of which I have to talk at length some other time) They have combined black and doom metal with folk music to paint a naturalistic, mythical world, inspired by the vast landscapes of Canada. With “Great Brunswick Forrest” they have gone acoustic. Yet the Thrawsunblat visceral energy is still there, with signature guitars and drumming from Joel Violette and Rae Amitay, which have both been in Woods of Ypres for the legendary last album. The strange lyrics and vocals add to the eerie feel that distinguishes Thrawsunblat's music.

Haken - Vector

Though I've seen the “Affinity” album pop up here and there, I only gave the band attention this year, when I also got a chance to see them live at Artmania Festival.

I'm a big fan of King Crimson, so you could say I like progressive rock. Progressive metal? Not so much. I find that these kinds of bands usually focus too much on the technical side and forget to convey feeling. Haken, on the other hand, have deep roots in all things progressive, and assemble it in a thoroughly enjoyable package. It's fun, it's quirky, it's angry, it's full of energy.

But I needed a few listens to really get into “Vector”, which, even though it's three quarters of an hour long, with only 7 tracks, it's more of an EP for a band like Haken. The problem was that it felt a bit generic, and it fell into the technical trap I mentioned. I could listen to the melody, but not really get into it. But songs like “Puzzle Box”, “The Good Doctor” or “A cell divides”, eventually turn out to be very fun. I now think the real issue was that there are no obvious standouts like “The Architect” or “Cockroach King”.

Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit

This is another band that I saw at Artmania Festival, but which I had heard nothing about before. They were totally mesmerising. And only afterwards I found out that they made quite a big hype at other festivals around the world.

The band is actually the project of Manuel Gagneux, and it started after he challenged 4chan to propose two musical genres two blend into a song. They unapologetically proposed “nigger music” (Manuel being half-Afro-American in descent) and black metal. The result is quite unique, and I would compare Zeal & Ardor to a modern Burzum: a raw take to music, picking up different influences and cutting them down to suit creative needs. Distorted black metal riffs, growls and screams, contrast with gospel choir-like chants and incantations, all creating an eerie atmosphere, full of occult symbolism and paying tribute to all the values that guided pioneers of said musical genres. Some songs even tend towards R&B, soul and blues - that is before the screaming and distortion kicks in.

However, this being the first full-length album of the band, after an EP released in 2017, it has a rough quality to it, a feeling that with more maturity it can evolve to something actually brilliant, rather than just a shocking novelty. Because novelty has the characteristic that it runs out eventually.

Albums I enjoyed, but was not impressed by

Beyond the Black - Heart of the Hurricane

Nightwish was one of the first bands I liked when I started listening to music. But since then, it was the only female-fronted symphonic metal band that I really liked. I did not care for Within Temptation, Epica and not even post-Tarja Nightwish. Until last year when I was captivated by just such a band at the Artmania Festival. Beyond the Black sounded fresh and Jennifer Haben's voice was not only great, but it had a certain unique slight crispiness to it, that set it out from all the sopranos in the genre.

After listening to their discography (just two albums at that time) it was hard to get songs like “In the shadows”, “Lost in forever” or “Forget my name” out of my head. With 2018's release I think they tried to be more ambitious while also reaching for a larger audience. This included having the second male voice be cleaner, which sounds pretty irritating. The problem actually is that there are no hits and I can't say that any of the 15 songs (no "bonus tracks" or covers) standout like the titles I just mentioned. No moments to give Jennifer a chance to really shine - except maybe the mellow “Breeze”.

But on subsequent listens, the album got under my skin with the band's natural force lurking in the details. I found the same freshness in the song writing, the music being richer then ever, with meandering symphonies, powerful choirs and all that.

Khemmis - Desolation

I stumbled over this band while randomly listening to stuff on Google's music streaming service. Originally starting as a doom metal band, they blend melodic metal harmonies into their music, creating a distinctive sound of their own. Their third album, released this year, is even further departed from doom. “Isolation” has a very catchy tune and it is clearly made for a larger audience, but it is quite different from the rest of the album. While still pretty solid, I liked ”Hunted”, their previous release, more.

Powerwolf - Sacrament of Sin

I simply ignored Powerwolf until I saw them on Wacken live stream in 2017. Mid-day, in front of a full house, the atmosphere they created was simply electrifying. You could just see the energy running through the whole crowd.

But listening to their studio recordings, I couldn't feel the energy as much. “Sacrament of sin” is just another incarnation of Powerwolf's clerical choir-like power metal, with amusing, satirical lyrics. They are at a point where the compositions come out naturally, but are all basically interchangeable. Fun to listen at anytime, though.

Nanowar of Steel - Stairway to Valhalla

Being a Manowar fan, I have become immune to all the jokes made about the band. The jokers just don't get it and never will, and I don't care. Therefore, I completely scoffed at Nanowar (before Steel) some 10-15 years ago. I didn't find them funny at all, and it didn't seem like they could even play their instruments properly.

Well, I don't know what they did in the meantime, but “Stairway to Valhalla” sounds quite good actually. So good, that at some points you wouldn't know it's a parody. Well, partly to blame is the Italian accent which doesn't make the lyrics very understandable, which is crucial when you tell a joke.

But there are times where I found myself unable to resist laughing, on songs like “The call of Ctulhu” (an actual telephone call, where the dial tone resembles cartoonish gargle noises of a would-be Lovecraftian creature), “Hail to Lichtenstein”, or “The Quest for Carrefour”. Also, while parodying power metal bands, you get the feel that they actually understand the genre, and are not just blindly mocking it.

Therapy? - Cleave

Fun collection of songs. Didn't listen to it much. Doubt it will make a deeper impression. But wouldn't mind listening to it once in a while.

Disappointments

Riot V - Armor of light

I've been quite oblivious of the legendary American outfit called Riot. I've only heard of them after the death of the band's founder and leader, Mark Reale. For some reason the members decided to continue under the name Riot V, with the amazing voice of Todd Michael Hall. “Unleash the Fire” was the first album they released in this formation and it was well received. I liked it, too. It had a great feel and emotion to it, and I could even sense the great musical tribute they payed to Mark Reale's legacy, without having known anything about him or the band's history.

So I much anticipated the next Riot V release, which came in 2018. Unfortunately, “Armor of light” is lacking all that I liked about “Unleash the Fire”. I gave it a few listens throughout the year, but the songs just would not stick. It's just a generic metal album, with nothing to give.

Grave Digger - The Living Dead

Grave Digger is an old German heavy metal band, with one of the weirdest voices in the genre. I'm sure that anybody with Chris Boltendahl's voice would not even consider a singing career. Yet he did. In any case, the band puts out material with great frequency, about an album every two years. Some of it is great, some not. “The Living Dead“ is not. In fact it's one of their blandest in recent years. Usually they would have at least a couple of standout songs. But there are none on this album. They tried something with the polka metal style of “Zombie Dance”, but I've seen much better parodies than this. (see Nanowar of Steel above)

Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog

First listen: sounds good, will have to give it some more listens.

Time passes.

Second listen: sounds good, will have to give it some more listens.

More and more time passed. Gave it some more listens. While at that moment I liked parts of the album, at this moment I can barely remember anything about it.

At one point, while listening to random stuff, a song from “Black gives way to blue” kicked in and it immediately grabbed by attention. And that is not really an amazing album. I like it, but it's not something I listen to often. “Rainier Fog” seems like something I forget the instant I finish it.

Romanian albums

Sanctuar - Simfonia Îngerilor

Sanctuar is a local band that was just getting started when I started going to metal concerts. I'm quite fond of them. They don't release music very often, and they are just on their third album, despite their over 15 years of history. After a great first album, came a second not so great one, and this third one is... also not that good, unfortunately. It seems the current band members are not as skilled as the original ones, and “Simfonia Îngerilor” is not only generic heavy metal, but also quite boring with only few interesting moments.

Trooper - Ștefan cel Mare - Poemele Moldovei

This is the second attempt at an epic story album from one of the most successful metal/hard-rock Romanian bands to be formed after 1989. They didn't repeat the more egregious mistakes they made with “Poemele Valahiei”, but “Poemele Moldovei” is still not great. Most of the songs seem to try too hard to just be a narrative, with only a couple of them able to be outright good songs on their own. There's just nothing that exciting for me there.

Luna Amară - Nord

The “Pietre în alb” album received excellent feedback, coming on top of an already well established discography. Their subsequent release, “Aproape” - more of an EP really - took a sideways step, being a collection of acoustic songs, complete with a string quartet, so a more regular album was to be expected.

I didn't find “Nord” up to par with their previous albums. I don't see a clear direction for the band's music, other than maybe going for a larger audience with a more digestible sound, and all songs being sung in Romanian. To me it just feels like an album from a relatively new band, not from one that has reached the peak of its creative output.

I found it hard to be excited, especially when a song like “Focuri” sounds like an amateurish venture into hip-hop, and one of the singles, “Nu știu, nu iau, nu sunt” has a generic filler quality to it, rather than being a standout on the album.

However, repeated listens have revealed a deeper emotion of the material, with more heartfelt - though not really subtle - lyrics, the most explicit examples being “Respiră un început” or “Om”. Songs like “Insomnii” and “Tăcerea” have interesting, catchy melodies. All in all, “Nord” feels like a small, unpolished gem. Maybe my expectations were a bit higher.

Albums I missed

Obviously, I don't listen to even a fraction of music that an actual critic listens, too. So I've noted some albums that I saw recommended by credible sources:

• Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology
• 1914 - The blind leading the blind
• Suede - The Blue Hour
• Altars of Grief - Iris

Looking forward to 2019

Two bands I follow should release new albums in the first months of 2019, and have already released a single each, which have gotten me very excited.

Myrath promises to thrill with some more overly intricate symphonic Arabian metal, and, it seems, with a story behind the album:

Tobias Sammet is a maniac composer, who seems to never tire from putting out great epic music, making well established vocalists shine once more. Avantasia, which originally seemed a one-time project, is now on the eighth album, and it promises to be at least just as amazing as the previous ones:

Also, in Romania, Methadone Skies should also be releasing a new album and I'm very curious what they have been cooking up.