MY WORLD & METAL

Although originally envisioned by Martijn Westerholt as a musical project featuring a host of guest musicians, due to the high demand for live performances a real band was formed. This lead to the Roadrunner release of Delain's debut album 'Lucidity' in 2006. The group of musicians quickly transformed into a solid rocking force. Now Delain is nothing less than a real band. A versatile band with an impressive new album called April Rain.



The listener is immediately drawn in by sweet, waterdrop-like pianosounds. Then the rest of the band kicks in and the drops form a ferociously swirling river of sound, during which a heavy guitar riff mercilessly crushes. In little under a minute April Rain – the title track - has shown us a few of the many different faces of Delain. And at that point we haven't even heard singer Charlotte Wessels yet. "The album opening title track is one of the songs on the new album I'm most proud of", says Martijn Westerholt, keyboardist and Delain's main composer. "To me it's the ultimate example to show where Delain currently stands and how versatile we have become as a band."


Westerholt is right. The sound on April Rain is versatile indeed, with various musical influences. But the album is very coherent at the same time. The debut Lucidity was characterised by the many guest musicians. This time Delain is primarily Charlotte Wessels on vocals, Martijn Westerholt on keyboards, Ewout Pieters on guitar, Rob van der Loo on bass and Sander Zoer on drums. "Between the five of us, there's everything we need as a band, so there was no use for a lot of musical guests. The grunts in Virtue And Vice, for instance, are provided by our guitarist Ronald Landa and he did a wonderful job", says Westerholt. "There is one exception though. Working with Marko Hielata of Nightwish on Lucidity felt so good, that we also invited him for April Rain. His vocals can be heard on two tracks." A little less audible are the contributions that came from cellist Maria Ahn of the Ahn Trio. "Our producer Oliver Phillips pointed us in her direction", says Charlotte Wessels. "Maria has done a fantastic job. Adding a real cello instead of strings from a computer adds a lot of value to our songs."


Aside from the aforementioned collaborations, April Rain is one-hundred-percent Delain. From the breathtaking opener, to the epic closing track 'Nothing Left'. And they'll leave you breathless. Westerholt: "The extensive touring and playing the past two years has really brought us together personally and musically. Delain is a band now, instead of a project. A tight force that works together. We complement each other and that strengthens our sound." Wessels feels that the whirlwind beginnings of Delain contributed to the strong relationship. "We had an intense and very short time to rehearse before our first gig. We were all in it together and we almost immediately forged a bond. Those early rehearsals where the platform for Delain as we now know it." Looking at the credits on the April Rain album, it's evident that Delain is no longer 'the band of Martijn Westerholt'. The other members and especially Charlotte Wessels have played a major part in the creation of April Rain. Wessels: "Work on Lucidity was fantastic, but it was a bit of a fill exercise as the majority of the songs were already there. On April Rain my involvement was much bigger. Therefore it really feels as 'my' album. Even more so than our debut."


While remaining responsible for the overall Delain sound, Westerholt has given the band members the freedom to contribute. "Now that the band can draw from multiple musical sources, Delain has become a more diverse sounding unit", says Westerholt. This also means that there is even room on April Rain for songs in which he almost had no hand in. Such as On The Other Side. "A very personal song that means a lot to me", according to author Charlotte Wessels. "This song qualifies as 'my little baby' on the album and reflects on a difficult period that I went through." Westerholt: "And therefore, it is featured on April Rain. I have an enormous amount of respect for Charlotte and I feel that when a song is so important for one of the band members it should be on a Delain album. Originally Delain was 'my' project, but now Charlotte and the other band members are just as much Delain as myself."


To promote April Rain, Delain will be embarking on a massive tour. It is quite difficult to imagine that only a few years ago Martijn Westerholt was forced to leave Within Temptation because Pfeiffer's disease made it impossible for him to tour. "It may sound like a cliché, but it's the music that really gives me a massive amount of energy. Mind you, touring still is quite challenging for me, but at the same time I really get a health kick out of it. So over the coming months I'd love to play as many places as possible, especially those where Delain has not played before." All the while the band is already working on album number three. Westerholt: "The moment we were done with this one, we all started talking about the next. We have only just started as a band and at this point in our career there is a constant flow of ideas that we want to explore. We don't want that source to dry up, so the writing continues. If it were up to me, Delain will be broadening all musical boundaries and we're curious to see how far this band can take us. An exciting challenge, which will be great fun!"



Newest DELAIN News...
 
We would like to introduce to you with pride our new fulltime Delain-member, Otto ‘the baron’ Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (Detonation), who will replace Rob on the bass. We are very happy to welcome Otto to the Delain family. Starting from our upcoming UK tour, he will join Delain live on stage. We will update our member profiles soon. Until then, you can get to know Otto by visiting his myspace.



We would like to thank Rob for his years of dedication, musical craftmanship and the good times we had throughout the years. Rob’s official last show with delain will be at the Mezz in Breda (08-04-2010), we’ll make this show one hell of a party in his honour!

Nightwish


A Gothic metal band from Finland. A product from Nuclear Blast Productions. You guys gotta see their keyboard player, Toumas. Damn Awesome man! Full of symphony and melody. I also love the drummer. The only thing is that the vocal singing is not that 'click' with me. I prefer vocal like Leave's Eyes and Epica better. But still, once you listen to this band's song you will not bother to get out of your chair. This DVD contains 18 live songs:


1)Dark Chest of Wonders
2) Planet Hell
3)Ever Dream
4)The Kinslayer
5)Phantom of the Opera
6)The Siren
7)Sleeping Sun
8)High Hopes
9)Bless the Child
10)Wishmaster
11)Slaying the Dreamer
12)Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
13)Nemo
14)Ghost Love Score
15)Stone People
16)Creek Mary's Blood
17)Over The Hills And Far Away
18)Wish I Had An Angel


Bonus Material:

Documentary "A Day Before Tomorrow" & Photo Gallery



After Forever


Another Gothic Metal band from Holland. I just bought this DVD last two weeks. Their songs and performances are just ok for me. I would choose Nightwish over After Forever. Sorry After Forever fans, no offence. However i love their drummer. This is an old DVD as you can see its in 2004, well just have to deal with it. Its not easy to get metal albums even DVD in a country full of censorship like Brunei. Pretty sucks! Well, this DVD contains 12 songs and 4 video clips altogether:


1) Childhood In Minor
2) Beautiful Emptiness
3) Between Love and Fire
4) Sins of Idealism
5) My Bledge of Allegiance #1
6) Monolith of Doubt
7) The Evil That Men Do (This is my favourite song in this DVD)
8) Eccentric
9) Follow In The Cry
10) through Square Eyes
11) Digital Deceit
12) Life's Vortex

Videoclips:

Emphasis
My Choice
Digital Deceit
Being Everyone

So Gothic lovers, grab one to add into your Gothic Metal album collections.




Helloween: Live on 3 Continents

Power Metal band from Germany. Those who are new to metal scene. You guys gotta grab this DVD. I mean, this guys aged but their musics and energy are still fu**ing fresh. Songs like Power, I Want Out and Keeper of the Seven Keys will put your head off!! I've heard about this band 10 years ago and still their enormous, contagious music vibrates in my mind and anyone who listen to them. This awesome 2 Discs Live DVD contains 17 live songs and some other bonus materials:

DVD 1

1) Intro
2) The King For A 1000 Years
3) Eagle Fly Free
4) Hell Was Made In Heavan (awesome song)
5) Keeper of The Seven Keys
6) A Tale That Wasn't Right
7) Drum Solo (This part is very funny when big drum vs small drum..Lol)
8) Mr. Torture
9) If I Could Fly
10) Guitar Solo
11) Power (definitely my all-time favourite)
12) Future World
13) The Invisible Man
14) Mrs. God
15) I Want Out
16) Dr. Stein
17) Outro

DVD 2

1) Occasion Avenue (Tokyo, Bonus)
2) Helloween (Master of Rock Festival, Bonus)
3) Roadmovie
4) Interviews
5) Mrs. God (Video Clip)
6) Light The Universe (Video Clip)





Armageddon Over Wacken (Live 2004)

One day definitely i will go to Germany to this WORLD FU**ING BEST AND CRAZIEST HEAVY METAL FESTIVAL in Germany!!!!!! This DVD is dedicated to all metal fans out there with Wacken 15th anniversary. It has more than 50 songs being sung by well-known heavy metal bands and some new uprising bands. Im too lazy to type all of the tracks, just get your ass out of your chair and get this DVD, will ya. Your tiny ears will be served by bands such as DIO, Bal-Sagoth, Mayhem, Orphanage, Cannibal Corpse, Doro, Children of Bodom, Mystic Prophecy, Anthrax, Nevermore, Mnemic and much much more!! You could also have an insight of how Wacken looks like, the festivals, interviews, the fans and their crazy behaviours, and much much more crazy heavy metal stuffs that will make you bang your head. I can guarantee you metalheads, after watching this DVD you would definitely want to book a flight tiket to Germany to be part of this awesome festival!! METAL!!!!





Metal Documentary [4 in 1- TV Rip]

This is a very very very old DVD. I dont think so you can get this anywhere in your local metal shop. It was never produce anymore. I was very very lucky to get on hold of this. This DVD promises you with an insight metal sub-genres, the roots, history and influences that gives you what you hear on today's metal bands mostly. This DVD contains:




1) 666 At Calling Death
2) Black Metal Documentary
3) Thrash Metal DOcumentary
4) 80's Heavy Metal




Get Thrashed


The GET THRASHED journey begins in the early 80s, where Metallica and several other bands laid the groundwork for what would become a lasting impression on the face of heavy metal music. These bands helped ignite local scenes in Los Angeles, the Bay area of California and New York City, which helped fuel a worldwide thrash metal movement. By the dawn of the 1990’s, thrash bands had gone from playing backyard barbeque parties to headlining arenas and Metallica were on their way to becoming one of the biggest metal acts of all time. But as legions of headbanging, stage diving and moshing metalheads were flocking to see their favorite bands, the tides had begun to change. In the early 1990’s, a changing musical landscape sent thrash spiraling back into the underground. Some of the musicians passed away, some returned to their day jobs and some bands broke up. While the music lived on, the scene was forever changed.


Get Thrashed traces the rise, fall and impact of thrash metal; from its early years, through its influence on grunge, nu metal and today’s heavy metal scene. It is the story of the heaviest, hardest music of the 80s and early 90s as told by the bands who lived it, the fans and bands that grew up on it and by the artists that carry the “thrash metal” flag today. The documentary throws new light on an overlooked, yet incredible music scene and how it went from a simple rumbling in the underground to a loud, obnoxious and constant roar in the (almost) mainstream.

Love Metal- New album out April. An essay on Metallurgy or was it alchemy?


Three albums into their career, with healthy combined sales of 2 million, HIM felt it was the right time to define a couple of things. Define HIM – the band. Define the music, already commonly known as Love Metal. And, last but not least, figure of the deeper meanings and the mighty Heartagram!

You hold the results in your hands, compact form of “Love Metal”. One and a half year worth of exploration and soul searching, as well as the time-honored tradition of ‘working one’s ass off’, has gone into these ten songs.


”There we were. Cas a hopeless Slayer addict and Burton completely hooked on Tchaikovsky. Mige getting high on Brian Eno and Linde tripping on Jimi Hendrix on regular basis. Me, I was curing my hangovers with Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. The ‘me’ being Valo, vocals and songs. Cas on drums, Burton on keyboards, Mige on Bass, Lide on Guitar. Collectively they are known as HIM.


“We had no idea where it would lead us in the end. Whether it would turn out to be silly psychedelic music or the meanest motherfucker of metal known to man,” Valo grins. “But it felt really good. We just incorporated all the elements that came naturally and took it from there. Wth pretty mediocre success, of course…”

The making of ‘Love Metal’ was a two dimensional thing. The album was produced and recorded in Helsinki by Huli Hulesmaa. Producer of the very first HIM album back in 1997. Hulesma is noted for his work with mostly pretty uncompromising metal bands (Sentenced, Moonspell, Amorphis, Theatre of Tragedy…), and easygoing as he might be on the outside, in certain respects he run his tight regime.

The second dimension came about through a transatlantic move. Next stop was Scream Studios, Los Angeles. Birthplace of Nirvana’s “Nevermind”. Faith No More’s “The Real Thing” and countless other latter-day classics. The album was mixed there by Tim Palmer whose work especially with U2, caught Valo’s attention. Light and darkness clashing. Complement each other beautifully. The end result is a vibrant concoction of in-your-face riffs, heavy beats and sweet soulful melodies.

Heartagram – Harder than titanium, softer than pure gold, quicker than silver. Ted hot or cold as steel. This is Love Metal.

The third millennium has proved that the cosy days of cult status are a thing of the past for HIM. Join Me, the first single off the band’s second album Razorblade Romance, was released in Finland and Germany in November 1999. Appearing also on the soundtrack of German Movie “The 13th floor”, a production of Independence Day / Godzilla – director number 1# in the single charts in both countries.


In January 2000 the album Razorblade Romance went straight into number #1 in the album charts both in Germany and Finland. Two months after the release the first single Join Me has sold more than 500 thousand copies, achieved gold status in Germany and has became the best selling Finnish CD single of all-time. In Finland, the single went platinum (20 000) in just two weeks.


Razorblade Romance was recorded at Rockfield Studios, the birthplace of such classics as Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Oasis’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory and, as the band are keen to point out, the debut album of Black Sabbath. Razorblade Romance was produce by John Fryer who has previously worked with White Zombie, Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode.

Next Jamming Session Tribute to His Infernal Majesty [H.I.M] will Be Held On Saturday, 20th March 2010 8pm -10.30pm. Total of 6 Songs: And Love Said No, Join Me, Funeral Of Hearts, Buried Alove By Love, Rip Out The Wings Of The Butterfly and Killing Loneliness~ Jamming Session Will Take Place At Misfits Recording Studio, Sengkarai, Tutong. See You There~Keep Rockin!!!!

Let's take you on a tour to HIM and back dwell in the past, look in to a future. See where it all got started and read where it's heading to. Know the history.


There he was, working behind the counter of his father's Sex Shop. It was all right for the time being, but the boy with Angel's face and devilish smile had a dream. Disillusioned with the music he heard around him, he wanted something more. The music was lacking in soul and imagination. He wanted something that could move you, bring you to the verge of tears, leave a mark on you. And he fulfilled his dream.

Ville Hermanni Valo formed HIM in the summer 1995, gathering around him some old friends who shared his vision of a band of rock. Ville himself calls "Love Metal". Depeche Mode meets Dimmu Borgir in a David Lynch Movie....

"You're so close! Love Metal is music that includes elements of pop, metal, feelings that have before the first touch, before the first kiss. Love Metal is like the movie poster Gone With The Wind"

No wonder than that HIM has chosen to cover Chris Isaak's Wicked Game. The HIM vision has layers of hard-edged guitars on it but the soul-searching inner qualities of that song are left intact.


"I could relate to the mood in that song, it contains that same kind of melancholy feeling that you can find in our music. After all, we have much more in common with a guy like Chris Isaak than any testosterone-heavy metal band. I hat joyful music! For you is my 'headbanging anthem', if you know what i mean? When Love and Death Embrace on the other hand is my version of all those cheesy 80's pop ballads."


Ville Hermanni Valo-half rock front man andhalf suffering poet. Come on stage with a bottle of red wine in one hand and a ciggarette on the other, a Jim Morrisonesque figure with deeply emotional voice, he instantly demands your attention. His mother's Hungarian ancestors are responsible for his dark looks and that drop of Dracula's Blood that he has in his system. HIM stands for His Infernal Majesty.


'It stands for entirely of my reputation of being a truly infernal ladies man, totally hopeless. I get burned time after time again. His Infernal Majesty has nothing whatsoever to do with any kind of religious beliefs or ideologies - just in our context 666 has nothing to do with the number of the beast. When i read about those people that burned historical Finnish Churches and who names us along with Black Sabbath and Dimmu Borgir as being their main source of inspiration, i was deeply offended!


HIM's debut album is entitiled Greatest Love songs vol.666 and it has a track on it called You Sweet Six Six Six. For Ville and HIM, 666 is all about contradictions, the good and the evil in love. Love that's larger than life and yet very close to death, the never-ending duel between the carnal and the pure, spiritual sides.

"666 is something you're possessed with something you just have to get although you know it will destroy you in the end. Is' something sweet but it has a bitter aftertaste, like Belgian beer or something, ha-ha..."


Greatest Lovesongs vol.666 contains 9 songs of which seven are originals written by Ville Valo. A second cover version is a stunning, slowed down reading of a Blue Oyster Cult's mid-70's classic (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

That androgynous figure on the cover of Greatest Lovesongs vol.666, burning in the fires of hell and staring into nowhere, that is Ville Valo. A guy who started his musical career learning the bass entirely because of Gene Simmons's pyrotechnics and whom performing is a kind of mental masturbation. The Sex Shop boy who with his band HIM has just delivered one of the most impressive debut albums of the 90's.

More on HIM to come...

Early Days:


Cannibal Corpse formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988. The lineup was vocalist Chris Barnes, guitarists Bob Rusay and Jack Owen, bassist Alex Webster, and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. They were quickly signed by Metal Blade Records and released their debut album Eaten Back To Life in 1990.
Underground Popularity:

Cannibal Corpse became one of the most influential death metal bands and very popular in the extreme metal scene. There have been a few lineup changes, most notably the exit of Barnes in 1996. He was replaced by George "Corpsegrinder" Fischer. Original member Jack Owen also left the band in 2004 and was replaced by Rob Barrett, who was with the band from 1994 to 1997.


Current Members:

Current band members with their side projects/former bands listed in parenthesis:

George "Corpse Grinder" Fischer - Vocals (Monstrosity, Paths Of Possession)
Pat O'Brien - Guitar (Ceremony, Chastain, Monstrosity, Nevermore)
Alex Webster - Bass (Alas)
Paul Mazurkiewicz - Drums (Tirant Sin)

Former Band Members:

Chris Barnes - Vocals (1989-1995)
Bob Rusay - Guitar (1989-1993)
Jack Owen - Guitar (1989-2004)
Rob Barrett - Guitar (1994-1997)
Discography:

1990 Eaten Back To Life (Metal Blade)
1991 Butchered At Birth (Metal Blade)
1992 Tomb Of The Mutilated (Metal Blade)
1993 Hammer Smashed Face EP (Metal Blade)
1994 The Bleeding (Metal Blade)
1996 Vile (Metal Blade)
1998 Gallery Of Suicide (Metal Blade)
1999 Bloodthirst (Metal Blade)
2002 Gore Obsessed (Metal Blade)
2004 The Wretched Spawn (Metal Blade)
2006 Kill (Metal Blade)
2009 Evisceration Plague (Metal Blade)

Essential Album:

Butchered At Birth

When selecting your favorite Cannibal Corpse album, a lot has to do with your preference of vocalists. George "Corpsegrinder" Fischer does a great job with the band, and has since he joined back in 1996. But I'm an old-school kind of guy, and give the nod to this album, which was recorded in the Chris Barnes era, circa 1991. It was the group's second full-length, and is a brutal exhibition of death metal.

Early Days:


The UK band Cradle Of Filth was founded in 1991 by guitarist Paul Ryan, bassist Jon Richard, drummer Darren White and vocalist Daniel Davey, who called himself Dani Filth. After beginning as a death metal band, they quickly evolved into black metal. They soon recruited second guitarist Robin Eaglestone. They recorded some demos.

Lineup Changes:

By the time of their 1994 debut album, several lineup changes had occured, including the addition of guitarist Paul Allender, Paul's brother Benjamin Ryan on keyboards and drummer Nicholas Barker. Eaglestone also switched instruments from guitar to bass. There were numerous other lineup changes over the years, but it didn't affect the success of the band. They continued to popularize symphonic black metal.

Major Label:

In 2003 Cradle Of Filth signed to major label Sony for the release Damnation And A Day that included an orchestra and a choir. In 2004 they moved to Roadrunner Records for Nymphetamine. They continue to be one of the most controversial and successful black metal bands.

Current Cradle Of Filth Members:
Dani Filth - Vocals (Feast On Excrement, The Lemon Grove Kids, Obsidian, PDA)
Paul Allender - Guitar (The Blood Divine)
Charles Hedger - Guitar
Dave Pybus - Bass (Anathema, Dreambreed)
Martin Skaroupka - Drums

Former Members:

Paul Ryan - Guitar (1991-1994)
Stuart Anstis - Guitar (1994-1999)
Tishi Mehta - Guitar (1994)
Bryan Hipp - Guitar (1994-1995)
Gian Pyres - Guitar (1996-2002)
Jeff Acres - Guitar (1997-1998)
James McIlroy - Guitar (2004-2005)
Jon Kennedy - Bass (1991-92)
Robin "Graves" Eaglestone - Bass (1992-2002) Adrian Erlandsson - Drums (1999-2006)
Damien Gregory - Keyboards (1994-1997)
Benjamin Ryan - Keyboards (1992-1994)
Lector Smith - Keyboards (1997-1999)
William A. Sarginson (Was) - Keyboards (1999-2000)
Martin Powell - Keyboards (2000-2005)
Jon Richard - Bass (1991-1992)
Robin Eaglestone - Bass (1992-2001)
Darren J. White - Drums (1991-1992)
Nicholas Barker - Drums (1992-1999)
Dave Hirschheimer - Drums (1999)


Cradle Of Filth Discography:
1994 The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh (Cacophonous)
1996 Dusk And Her Embrace (Music For Nations)
1998 Cruelty And The Beast (Music For Nations)
2000 Midian (Music For Nations)
2001 Bitter Suites To Succubi (AbraCadaver)
2002 Lovecraft & Witch Hearts (Music For Nations)
2002 Live Bait For The Dead (live) (Snapper)
2003 Damnation And A Day (Sony Music)
2004 Nymphetamine (Roadrunner)
2006 Thornography (Roadrunner)
2008 Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder (Roadrunner)

Essential Cradle Of Filth Album:
Dusk And Her Embrace

Cradle Of Filth's second album has the unique combination of being both extreme and melodic. There's no doubt this is black metal, but many of the songs are really catchy and memorable. Melodic brutality is hard to find, but they did it on this album.