[Review] Lacuna Coil - Broken Crown Halo

 

 

I was so thrilled when Cristina Scabbia announced in her Instagram in the end of 2013 that Lacuna Coil will release their 7th album called Broken Crown Halo at the early year of 2014. IMO, overall this album is better than their last album Dark Adrenaline (2012), except of course the tracks "Give Me Something More", "Kill The Light" and the super sweet cover song of R.E.M "Losing My Religion", always be my fave ones of Dark Adrenaline album. But in the Broken Crown Halo, they dare to add some new atmospheres of a darker, bolder and more powerful music, packed with honest lyrics. I feel some new Lacuna Coil who still keep their 'signature' style of musicality.

 

Try listening to "Die & Rise", "I Burn In You", "Victims" and "One Cold Day". I particularly love "Zombie", "Die & Rise" and "One Cold Day". The piano in the track One Cold Day is somewhat soul-sucking, mind-blowing and surreal at the same time. And in Die & Rise, I looove love love when Scabbia sings her mother tongue lines,

Risorgero in ogni momento poiche
So che in vita si tramutera

 

(Damn! So sexy!)

 

I hope their next album will have the same kind of hardness and softness in their music simultaneously. And seriously, they need to sing a full gothic metal song in Italian language. I dig it <3

Would rate 8 out of 10 for Broken Crown Halo. Good job, guys! Ti amo non importa cosa ;)

G.

[Cover Song] Delirium - Epica Cover

I just love this song. Nuff said :)

Btw, thank you thank you thank you for those who had come to the gig "And Metal For All" held by Bijikopi Records last Sunday night in Bulungan. GELAP appreciates you guys A LOT!! ^^

G.


****


CREDITS
Song originally from Epica
Titled: Delirium
Instrumental song: http://youtu.be/HkLU5VGJ1xA
Vox: Iwed
Back vox (except the choir): Iwed

***

LYRICS

Black was the night when I did surrender
I did give in to my weakening sight
Now that I'm empty my dreams once were many
Soul's bitter cry to unleash th divine

When you think there's no way out
And all you see collides
Hope will in the end chase all your fears away

Fighting the source was not recommended
Trails of a wish were the hope to survive
skins full ablazing release crystal gazing
All of it led to a deeper demise

When you think there's no way out
And no one comprehends
Hope will show your smile again

What I left behind
Another night
Of weary dreams, unravelling
What's been left behind
Another time
Where days of late are far away
Far away

Losing my reasons,
No lies to believe in
Left the obscure to
The means of escape

Core has been shaken,
There is no more pain to break me
Time has commenced and I long to awake

When you think there's no way out
Leave everything behind
You can live your life anew

Dark days behind me
Won't ever break me now

All that I left behind
Another night
Of weary dreams, unravelling
What's been left behind
Another time
Where days of late are far away

Far away

Just another night
In another time

[Music] My cover songs.

I forgot to post some of my cover songs here! How could I? LOL

Here they are. From 30 Seconds To Mars, No Doubt and Tori Amos.

Oh yeah I also make a cover song duet with my friend Ira. Please hear it here.

All my cover songs are also in my Soundcloud page ;)

Have a nice Monday, lovebugs

Wassalam,

G.

[Daily post] Hey, you...

Pashmina by @ZirraaOlshop

Bright on...

Shine on.

[Cover Song] Carolyna - Melanie C

Yelloow!

I have written in my Twitter timeline that someday I'll be doing Melanie C cover song. And amazingly I found this amazing Youtube account that has uploaded his guitar cover for this song [Credits are below]. Frankly speaking I love Mel C so much! Nobody here might have known that I used to be the Spice Girls' biggest fan back then at 1996 - 2000 and I particularly adore Mel C. She's just the real singer for me. And yes, she proves it! She might be the only Spice that achieves success in her solo career life. Love her <3

G.

Credits:
Original song: Carolyna by Melanie C
Guitar cover: Link
Vocal: Iwed
Backing vocal: Iwed
Soundcloud Version: Link

[Cover Song] Paramore - Decode

Salam 'alaikum!

I can't get enough of Paramore.

Friends of mine have been requesting me to do Paramore cover song, in which I don't mind at all. I just do it one at a time :) Another request is to do the cover song recorded in a video instead of audio. Well, to be honest I've been thinking of that. Since my husband @budie-deathlust has sold his Jackson guitar, I don't have any acoustic duet sparing for a while till he buys a new guitar. But I actually have another name in mind. Just told him bout the idea, he said okay and now we just have to compromise with the time management for doing the cover song video.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this. Will put the credit below :)

Wassalam,
G.

*****

CREDIT:
Original song: Decode from Paramore
Guitar acoustic: Link
Lead singer: Iwed
Backing vocal: Iwed
Soundcloud Version: Link

[Cover Song] Iwed Goddess - Monster [Paramore Cover]

Salam 'alaiku. I'm baaaack!

This is another cover song that I just did this morning while warming up my voice. I seriously think I should buy a proper non built-in mic for recording. I think I'm gonna buy it next month.

Anywaaay, I hope - with all its jaded outcome sound and all - you can still enjoy this.

Credit below :)

Original Song: Monster by Paramore
Guitar acoustic: Link
Lead vocal: Iwed
Backing vocal: Iwed
Soundcloud version: Link

Youtube version: Link


Wassalam,
G.

[Cover Song] Somewhere - Within Temptation. Dedicated to Gaza

Salam 'alaikum,

Most of TV channels now are broadcasting news about the genocide Israel has been doing upon Gaza civilians. As their muslim sisters & brothers don't we feel as much hurt as they do? Does your feeling got crushed by seeing those assaults and catastrophes Israelis do to The Palestinians?

As much as I want to go there to help my brothers & sisters as much as I can with my own bare hands, but I can't. All I can do now is just pray for them. Pray, every time! Pray for Gaza everytime you pray for yourself, your parents, your children. Pray. They deserve to be remembered as much as you remember your own family. And Donate!

Donate anything you have for them, even if it's just a little. Show them you care.

This cover song I made is just one tiny little thing I can do now for now to remember Gaza, besides praying & donating. It may valueless for their struggle now, but I hope this song can help you remember about them, and act something to help them bear the pain.

#PrayForGaza
#GazaUnderAttack
#FreePalestine
#ITJPeduliGaza

Wassalam,
G.

PS: You can hear this cover song as well in my Soundcloud account :)

***
Original Song: Somewhere by Within Temptation
Piano Instrumental cover: http://youtu.be/lIN67Al05yY
Soprano: Iwed
Alto: Iwed

[Cover Song] Adele - Someone Like You

Salam 'alaikum,

Who doesn't love Adele. Frankly speaking the first time I listened to her songs, I didn't quite enjoying her type of vocal. But then when I listened to this track, it got me, deeply. Her voice in this song is amazingly beautiful I can't figure out how she can sing like that. Too beautiful!

This cover song won't be as good as Adele's but I hope you can still enjoy it. :)

Wassalam,
G.

PS: You can hear this song as well in my Soundcloud account :)

[Daily Style] Bubbles!!

Me with Melody Maker's new album "Introduction to The Unfamiliar" [Hijab by @ZirraaOlshop]

Salam 'alaikum!

Have you heard about the newest album of Melody Maker? If haven't, you might wanna go check their music in their new album "Introduction to The Unfamiliar". They are initially a black metal band [If I'm not mistaken], but in this album it looks like they've changed their genre to a bit more like Metalcore with a bit techno touch in it. Fresh!

MM will have their album release party at Bulungan on Nov 24, 2012. If you wanna know more about this talented band, just be there. And follow their Twitter as well @MelodyMakerBand.

Have a great Tuesday all ^^

Wassalam,

G.

The Agonist - Lullabies For The Dormant Mind [2009].

“Lullabies for the Dormant Mind” is the sophomore release from Century Media metalcore band The Agonist. It’s quite clear from their sound that they hail from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Okay, frankly I listen more of Hardcore than Metalcore, and I have no idea of noticeable Metalcore bands abroad. Till one day I was introduced to this band led by a woman. Lullabies for the Dormant Mind, the album called. It is released early this year and is the second album of this Canadian Metalcore band.

The vocalist, Miss Alyssa White-Gluz... hmm, okay she’s pretty, hot and she can sing. A rare combination we can find. Down to their music, well... I really can’t say whether those are good metalcore songs or not, but I think the songs themselves sound quite interesting and impressive. I rarely found a chick who can sing and growl, and both are done quite well. Referring to some album reviews I read in webs, I found this album has nothing new to offer. Based on some opinions, the previous album Once Only Imagine [2007] is even worse quality than this one. And really, I don’t know in what side they think this album is straightly average because for me this album is okay. Aside from reality that I’m quite impress to find such vocal type.

One of opinions that smashes this album the hardest is from this site that says,

“After Only Once Imagined I did not have very high hopes for this band. They were boring and unoriginal metalcore and had very one-dimensional vocals. The only appeal was that the singer was a chick and a hot one at that (still the only reason I think Lacuna Coil has fans). As you can imagine, a fiery personality such as Alyssa would want to avoid this, and make sure that people know she has chops. She made herself quite clear throughout Lullabies for the Dormant Mind, and brought more of an arsenal than last time. Many of the songs are more progressive death metal, and black metal sounding than the tired metalcore sound they had last time. This is not, however, to say that the approach they have taken has changed all that much. It is still quite clearly the same band.”

But well, your opinion might different or extremely the opposite one, depends on how you see or value Metalcore music. I’m on the grey area, I see this album is okay, I see the music quality is average, and I see the vocalist is quite promising. But if someone asked me whether I fancy this album or not, I would say that even Scabbia isn’t able to growl, but at least she can write lyrics that stab, something that Miss Gluz has failed to do it, here in this album.

~ G ~

Ambeon - fate of A Dreamer

When Astrid had agreed to work along with Arjen's new 'ambeon' project, he send her all kinds of current work in progress mixes. Each time he finished something he sent them over to Astrid. Originally it was meant that Astrid wrote some lyrics and singingpaterns on those 'old' Ayreon songs which Arjen completely revamped. In the end most songs are completely unrecogizable. These songs would originally form the new album along with some guest performers. But when Arjen heared Astrid's voice he promptly got the idea that she would simply sing along with some numbers which wouldn't been written by Astrid. But as the work progressed very smoothly it changed and Astrid did all the lyrics and melodies herself. After all it all was quite a challenge but Astrid is proud of herself and satisfied with the endresult.

Astrid van der Veen:	Vocals and backing vocals
Arjen Lucassen:	Acoustic and electric guitars, analog keyboards, samples and weird noises
Stephen Aestregt:	Acoustics and electronic drums and percussion
Walter Latupeirissa:	Bass- and fretless bass guitar
John McManus:	Low Flute and Uillean Pipes on 1,3 and 7
Pat McManus:	Fiddle on 3 and 7
Erik Norlander:	Additional synths on 8 and 9, voice of news reporter on 9
Lana Lane:	Reversed backing vocals on 3 and 9

Recorded, Produced and mixed at the 'Electric Castle', by Arjen. Music written by Arjen. Lyrics and story written by Astrid. Originally released in 2001 by Transmission Records (TM-030)

1		Estranged
2		Ashes
3		High
4		Cold Metal
5		Fate
6		Sick Ceremony
7		A Lost Message
8		Surreal
9		Sweet Little Brother
10		Dreamer

[taken from http://astridvanderveen.nl]

__________________________________

About Ambeon: [taken from http://www.ayreon.com/ambeon/am_index.html]

Ambeon is mysterious and ambient side project of Arjen Anthony Lucassen featuring Astrid van der Veen, a young and very talented female vocalist.

In 2001 the album Fate of a Dreamer was released, when Astrid was only 14 years old. The single 'Cold Metal' was released with a few bonus tracks, and the song was also featured on a Dutch compilation sampler for Gothic music called 'Into Temptation'. The album Fate of a Dreamer is currently out of print.

Although Arjen and Astrid are still in contact with each other, there are no plans yet to make a follow up to their debut album.

Astrid is currently in theEndorphins. For more information on this band and on Astrid, please check their site.

Astrid released a solo album called "Seemless Borderline" in 2005. You can order this album, as well as pre-order a re-issue of Astrid's first solo album "Beautiful Red" at theEndorphins website, then go to the Merch section for information on how to order.

__________________________________

About The Album:

Amazing....!!! I fell in love in the first hearing!! This album succeeded in taking my breath away. So dark, so creative and so unique. Particularly I love the "Cold Metal" song [Me & Rinsdark could sing that song again and again and again and again...] and we've made decision that one day our band [GELAP] must bring this song on stage. Astrid brings out her best vocal. She has a unique - kinda flighty - voice that i'm quite sure no one can ever copy it. I also love the "Surreal" and "Ashes" songs [Ashes, the song-title with my band, yay! hahaha...]. Those two songs are also amazing and have a great power of dark-weirdo atmosphere.

Really, u should hear this album, especially for those who like to catch the atmosphere of one's song. u can download their songs HERE.

...Be breathless...

~iwed~

Lacrymosa.For.The.Shadow.Whom.Soon.Will.Be.My.Memory.Only

A song for the shadow...Soon you'll be just a memory...

Lacrymosa.By.Evanescence

Out on your own
cold and alone again
can this be what you really wanted, baby?

Blame it on me
set your guilt free
nothing can hold you back now

Now that you're gone
I feel like myself again
grieving the things I can't repair and willing

to let you blame it on me
and set your guilt free
I don't want to pull you back now love

I can't change who I am
not this time, I wont lie to keep you near me
and in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up
my love wasn't enough

and you can blame it on me
just set your guilt free, honey
I don't want to pull you back now love