My latest reviews of the myriad of tunes that I listen to these days. I hate to see them go, but one must.
Therion: Live in Miskolc
This is Therion so you know you are in for one heavy, symphonic, operatic, metal treat. In this particular effort the band pays tribute to some of the music that inspired them like Wagner, Dvorak, Saint Saens, Verdi, and Mozart. They toss in a few of their own to make things interesting for the obviously enthralled audience.
Now the members of this band certainly have the appropriate abilities to deliver the music they are performing. Often it is said that if Wagner were alive today he would be producing heavy metal, and with the likes of Therion you can see that is highly likely. Its heavy as hell, epic and immense with its use of all that the human voice and intrumentation they have to offer. You might call this a stopgap until their next original release. It might be a stop-gap, but it's surelyl not any subpar release by any estimation.
I confess that I am unable to get enough of this band. They combine my loves of opera and metal all in one place. Therion are musical geniuses, there is no doubt about that, with only Opeth matching in this sort of genre. When they do a show with a full symphony and the full contingent of singers, there is nothing quite like it. Normally they are amazing in concert, in this sort of setting they are quite frankly stunning.
Painkiller Hotel: Blackroses
This bunch play a sort of post-grunge combined with a touch of country and a bit touch of Black Crowes. I have to admit to not necessarily warming to this release at first. However, multiple listens have made sure this release has gotten under my skin and I have discovered why the guitarist from Three Doors Down signed this lot. There is something terribly endearing and catchy about them. They rather remind me of a few of the bands in the 90s that people have forgotten like the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies and others of that ilk. It's a bit like a combination of all those forms of mellow rock, but without the tweeness or navel-gazing that pervades the modern version. As I said this release is endearing and will get to you if you let it. The fact the lead singer does not have even the slightest whiney tone to his voice helps a great deal. The songwriting is there as well. Expect this lot to be huge soon, they have the MOR sound down pat, but they does not mean that there is not something there for the rocker in all. Tamer rocker does not have to mean lame.
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