by Kev Rowland | Jul 8, 2018 | Reviews
Somerville has written and recorded with bands such as After Forever, Edguy, Kamelot, Epica, Avantasia, and Mayan, and this is her second release as Trillium. ‘Alloy’ was released in 2011 when it was credited to just Trillium, so it appears that there are views somewhere that she needs to be pushed more to the fore, yet keep a link to the last album. Either way, whenever I see a band name extended with the name of a member I do ask, why bother? Anyway, there is no doubt that Amanda has an amazing voice, and it is no surprise that she has appeared on other people’s albums as well. She is a strong alto, which allows her to go sing in a slightly lower register than many other female singers, with power and control, yet still hit higher notes when the need arises without going to the very heights of sopranos.
It may have been seven years since her last solo album, but as well as being in demand in the symphonic metal world she has also got married and had a baby, so life has been rather full on. Musically this is a symphonic metal album, which to be honest doesn’t really stand out too much from many of the other albums around, but what makes the real difference are Amanda’s vocals which are direct, and contain such incredible power that it cuts through like a hot knife. The album has been designed as a vehicle for her voice, so even though the songs aren’t as rich and as expressive as I would wish them to be, the album is still far superior to what it would be with many other singers. Perhaps her forte does lie with other bands, such as the mighty Kamelot or Epica, but fans of the genre should still try and hear this at least.
6/10
Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Jun 27, 2018 | New Releases, Reviews
According to the EPK I am looking at, these guys were formed in 2006, but surely that can’t be correct as not only have they not yet released an album (there have various EP’s over the years), but they’re not signed either, and that definitely doesn’t make any sense at all. Frontwoman Meka is obviously a force of nature, and it is no surprise to see that they have supported bands as diverse as Mastodon, Gojira, The Offspring, Limp Bizkit, Otep and In Flames. Inspired by Metallica, Joan Jett, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Ghost, guitarist Bobby Keller describes Meka Nism’s sound as “powerful, metallic, aggressive, melodic, and in your face.”
There are times when one thinks the riffs are going to turn into some down-tuned monster, but while it is still a beast to be reckoned with they instead turn it into another direction altogether. They are incredibly melodic, incredibly diverse and dynamic, but when the time is right to put the hammer down then they will do that with some force as well. Fans of Lacuna Coil, Arch Enemy and Epica should seek these guys out. It surely can only be a small matter of time until they get picked up by a major and get the album out that they so richly deserve.
by Kev Rowland
by Nick | Sep 28, 2016 | News
To support EPICA on their upcoming tours bringing you their brand new album “The Holographic Principle”, Roland will provide Epica with instruments and other gear which the band will use live on stage and on future studio recordings. Keyboard player Coen Janssen will produce his synth sounds, arrangements and embellishments from the Roland FA-08 Music Workstation, which already appears in the videos for “Universal Death Squad” and “Edge of the Blade”. Guitar players Mark Jansen, Isaac Delahaye and drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek will also be incorporating Roland gear into their setup.
With this partnership, Roland aims to reach out to all metal artists, in order to forge a solid base for more future collaborations in the world of metal. Other projects will be announced as they develop.
