Dirty Shirt is a metal band from Romania.
They have recently come to my attention thanks to their album Get Your Dose Now!, thanks to the radio emission Noise Pollution.
This album blends Nu Metal with Folk Metal.
I have to say this works quite well.
I do not know much about Romanian folk music, but it definitely appears on Get Your Dose Now!.
The folk aspect is well integrated with the metal part.
Folk Metal is not new, but it still amazes me how well folk and metal can blend together.
This is a very lively album.
I haven't paid that much attention to the lyrics.
However, I understand it's full of humour.
From the cover art to the album title, it's clear that they're talking about a burning topic : the Covid-19 pandemic.
While I may have missed some subtelty, I think it's quite clear that they incite people to get vaccinated, which is a positive message.
The way it's done is still light and fun and I'm happy with it !
Frozen Night & Prince Whateverer - Lunar Eclipse III
I will start today's blogpost with some symphonic metal.
This one begins quite quietly, with a sort of astral ambience.
Quite naturally, the metal part emerges, with a melodic guitar taking the lead.
The vocal part follows with the beautiful voice of Holly Frances Royle.
After this developement, the song tones down a bit.
It's time for some violin by Andra Stefan.
Over all, this song is a stellar atmospheric one.
The guitar helps reinforcing the "epic" side of it, while the orchestration and singing creates the more ethereal aspect.
You can purchase this song on Bandcamp or listen to it on Youtube.
Jyc Row - Sun of the Night VIP
Jyc Row has released a new version of Sun of the Night.
The VIP stands indeed for Variation In Production.
It still features Felicia Fererre as the singer, but adds a cello part by Yoed Nir, and has overall a better polish.
It's a very regal and epic song, fitting for her majesty Daybreaker (the queen whom the song is about).
Jyc Row is mostly an epic orchestral composer, and this song is a prime example of what he can achieve.
The cello solo is amazing and adds a lot to this already great song.
Get it on Soundcloud for free,
listen to it on Youtube or
purchase it on Bandcamp
Eccentrifuge - Cadence's Heart
To end this article on a quieter note, here is Eccentrifuge's Cadence's Heart.
In this version (from the "repack"), there are some vocals added.
It starts with them, which creates a smooth layer on which to add the instruments.
The instrumentation is very calm with quiet pizzicati, some harp, some piano, a bunch of wind instruments.
The song then slowly develops to a more percussive and punchier finale.
It's overall a very peaceful song, and both this version and the instrumental one are great.
You can purchase it on Bandcamp or listen to it on Youtube.
I've discovered recently Екклесиаст (Ecclesiastes in english) by pure chance, with their album Холод (Cold in English).
They're a russian death/doom band from Nizhny Novgorod.
As it is a small band, there aren't many information available on the web about them.
The band was founded in 1994, released their last album in 2008 and is (according to Metal Archives still active though.
It seems they are a christian metal band, as their name suggest.
However, I haven't tried translating the lyrics and I do not know how much it is part of their music.
Talking to the music, this album features both some accoustic and clean vocals (from the main singer, Alexandr Senin and a guest, Luba Medvedeva), and some raw distorted electric guitar with growls.
I find it always interesting to have both on one album, as it helps change the pace and the sound.
Микрокосм is teh fastest song here, which surprised me after a very doomy beginning.
The whole album is interesting, and the influences are diverse.
However, this isn't enough to make this band stand out much.
They are not helped by the fact that although the production is correct, it is not exceptionnal.
Overall, even though you may prefer more established doom bands, this album is enjoyable, and I'm happy to have stumbled on it.
The album was reedited in December 2020 and is available at the label's online shop : Solitude Prod..
Both the old version that I listened to and the new mix are available on the group's Bandcamp page.
Gallowbraid is a one-person band by Jake Rogers, who also plays in Caladan Brood and Visigoth.
It has released only one album, in 2010, but it is an interesting one.
Ashen Eidolon is a melodic/atmospheric black metal album.
The first track, and the one giving the name to the album, is probably the most iconic.
It starts directly into the heavy rhythmic guitars.
No time is lost for adelicate introduction, but it just gives more space to develop the rest of the song.
It's really long and the melody stays in mind.
Then there is a break with Autumn I, which is acoustic and more calm, before going back to the more "black metal" sound with the rest of the album.
To me, listening to this album transports me along with the rhythm and melody, and it's a wonderful experience.
Interestingly, the song Stone of Remembrance features the type of voice which can be heard in Caladan Brood songs.
It must also be noted that, similarly to Caladan Brood album arts, the one for Ashen Eidolon features a lot of nature, going well with the atmospheric tone.
Vayle Mystery - Doomsday & This is Gallifrey
I don't know Vayle Mystery very much, except for Doomsday and This Is Gallifrey, two musics from Doctor Who.
Doctor Who soundtrack, while not being my favourite one (works from John Williams or Joe Hisaishi still keeps a high position in my heart), has some great themes.
And the guitar and instrumentation work done by Vayle does wonder.
It's a true instrumental piece, loaded with feelings.
And I didn't need to watch the serie to feel the tension in Doomsday, coming to a climax, and then the hope in This Is Gallifrey.
Download links are in the Youtube video description.
Be'Lakor - An Ember's Arc
Be'Lakor is a melodic death metal band which released their first album in 2007.
The name comes from the Daemon Prince of Chaos also known as the Harbinger, from Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
An Ember's Arc begins with an accoustic intro, setting up quite a rapid pace.
It is followed by some more melodic death metal in the middle, with a calm break in the middle.
This is a fine piece, which, without being atmospheric metal itself, will still give such a vibe.
Mamiko Noto - Karinui
This is a very calm and soothing song from the anime Jigoku Shoujo (Hell Girl in english), sung by Mamiko Noto (能登 麻美子), who is also a voice actress in Jigoku Shoujo.
The song is composed by Masara Nishida and the lyrics written by Hitomi Mieno.
I don't know the anime at all, this is one of those, which I know only from songs I listen.
I really enjoy the tranquility of this song.
Timeless Departure is an album by death metal band Skyfire released in 2001.
It features some symphonic elements, which will probably remind you of some black metal groups.
This makes the record particularly interesting to me, by giving it a sense of huge scale not often heard in death metal.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any official buying link for this album.
However, the group has a Bandcamp page with their latest release, Liberation in Death.