Iron Maiden's Steve Harris

You have to admire the geezer who placed Avenged Sevenfold on the Twickers bill with headlining brit-rock gods Iron Maiden. For a start you have got the whole book of Revelations thing going on... “The Number of the Beast” versus “The Beast and the Harlot”. Then you have got the twin-lead guitar sounds of Gates/Vengeance versus Smith/Murray. Finally you get the blatant hero worship of Shadows & co for Dickenson & co that warms the very cockles of your sad old heart. “Maiden are by far the best live band in the world and their music is timeless” says Shadows, as AX7 prepares to cover the song ‘Flash of the Blade’ for Kerrang’s “Maiden Heaven” as a free tribute album [available Kerrang! Issue 1219]. Butf you think the similarities end there then just give the track ‘M.I.A’ off of the City of Evil album a woosh. Yes, the track has a bit of Wishbone Ash about it [is that why they played the Wishbone track Warrior off Argus on the tape during the interval at Twickenham?] and even a bit of Pink Floyd about it... but M.I.A. is, in essence, a very nicely turned piece of homage artwork dedicated by those skull-winged songsters to their favourite sounds i.e. the sounds of Maiden. Just listen to those Nicko McBrain tom-toms thumping - oops - no it was the Rev.

And so onto Maiden who (almost) filled the Twickenham RFU stadium [capacity 82,000] and admitted, on stage, that they were playing to the biggest crowd (in the UK) that they ever have. In fact, the East London Boys (OK, I know Bruce is from Nottingham) were keen to underline that 2008 is the biggest year for Iron Maiden yet. Yes, they have been ‘on the road’ for 25 years but they have now reached stellar proportions (although they promise they have not reached their zenith) claiming to be not only the biggest ‘metal’ band in the world but to be actually the biggest band in the world. And how many, in this millenium, can claim to travel to their venues in their own custom Boeing 757 ‘ed force one’ and play such grand stadiums? I would still like to say, on record, that Led Zep are probably still the worlds biggest band- but I have to admit that Maiden are more flamboyant and certainly more energetic. I cannot imagine Robert Plant jumping, running and wisecracking his way through a 69 date tour (Twickers was the 49th night of the tour and the Maiden boys were as fresh and presumptious as pair of Daisy Dukes box-fresh knickers ). Sorry Rob.

Lauren Harris band- old gent on left

Well what did you get for your fifty pounds sterling? (By the way, I met several fans who had travelled for 5 or more hours to get to the Maiden concert and the general feeling was that you needed to spend about £230 per head to enjoy the day).Well the concert started nicely with the Lauren Harris band -Lauren is the daughter of Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris. I saw Lauren Harris on a smaller stage at last years Hard Rock Hell (Minehead) and I was quite impressed. Her band has toured with the Led Zep-esque Ulster group ‘The Answer’ and also with the Dutch goth-rockers ‘Within Temptation’ (about whom I shall come onto in a moment) and the band comes across as a gutsy and polished pub rock outfit. At Hard Rock Hell I was kinda surprised at how old Lauern’s team-mates were and especially Mr Tom McWilliams, the drummer, who has played with ‘Glorious’ Estafan back in the ‘90’s and is a multi-grammy winner in his own right. These ‘old geezers’ could certainly knock ‘em out and gave the band a slightly more experienced persona than they might otherwise have managed to achieve if they were a bunch of student musos. My only general moan, at the Iron Maiden show, was the tight-fisted attitude of the Twickenham promoter who decided that the support acts couldn’t have the use of the stage-side TV monitor screens. Now I know that Maiden deserved to have the biggest soundz, the biggest lightz and the biggest buzz but who decided that the punters in the 82,000 seater only need to see ant-size musicians on the stage prior to the big act? In a sports stadium, when the football is being played, all the spectators have an equal chance of catching some action close up because they are all equi-distant from the pitch-side action. But when the stadium is turned into an event arena and the stage is up one end, almost every one of the spectators ‘misses out’ on the intricate moments. That is why they invented big TV screens. So we, the lowly punters, can kind of match up the ant-antics onstage with the human drama via the telly-viewer. And with a group like Lauren Harris who, to be honest, are more-or-less a fancy pub-rock outfit, it was always going to be that they seemed lost in that size arena without the use of the screens. It was a shame. And it was a tight-fisted oversight.

Sharon den Adel- Within Temptation

And so onto Within Temptation. These are a dutch symphonic rock group who share a similar sound to Evenescence or Nightwish. Sharon den Adel - Vocals- is amply supported by experienced rock guitarist Ruud Jolie (who admits that Iron Maiden is his main influence- and thus the connection) and her long-time boyf, Robert Westerholt. The groups harmonies and symphonic mastery were not helped by the stadium acoustics which were, to say the least, sporadically awful. There was a nasty wind blowing into the East Stand and this helped to give the aural illusion that the spectators were a few crucial seconds behind the events on stage. This is the kind of problem you always get with any out-door event. My tip is to see Within Temptation in a purpose built venue with proper acoustics to get the real sound. But all-in-all Within Temptation were a triumph especially because the mezzo-soprano skills of Sharon den Adel managed to cut through the air and the blacker more gothier riffs were picked up by the crowd who clapped and thumped along with vigour. And it was genuinely nice to see so many younger. delicate and more indie-emo orientated fans, who had only come to see their heroes Within Temptation, mixing it large with the big, burly hell-raising bruisers who make up the majority of the Maiden fan-base.

The Somewhere Back In Time set itself was a satisfying confection of everything we love and admire about Maiden. The event is nicely packaged to include the best of years 1980-1989 (Aces High, The Trooper, The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Can I Play With Madness) but there were also some moments of sheer brilliance and exhilaration and, for me, the high point both visually and musically was the Steve Harris penned number “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (with words by Samuel Taylor Coleridge) from the fifth Maiden album ‘Powerslave’. This was sumptuously staged and was an emotionally powerful piece of music. Obviously, we had the big screens running for the big band. The whole stage was used, with various backdrops and crowd-pleasing animatronics, lots of lights, fog, banner waving and all manner of fizzes, whooshes and bangs. It was hard rock luxury.

Pompous? Yes. Overplayed? Yes. Majestic? Yes.
But what the hell, that is what stadium rock is all about.

Avenged Sevenfold's M Shadows

http://www.myspace.com/laurenharrisuk
http://www.myspace.com/withintemptation
http://www.myspace.com/avengedsevenfold
http://www.ironmaiden.com/

Check out ADPONTES for all your reviews, articles, gig-guides and news

Primeiro o da banda mais velhinha, que não toca mais, Genesis com Mama

A banda de rock industrial Fear Factory com Linchpin

The Parlor Mob, quinteto de New Jersey que faz folk rock com uma levada hard e muitas influências dos anos 70, banda da nova safra, que faz um som bem legal com Can´t Keep No Good Boy Down

E para fechar, música nova do Nightwish com The Islander

1. Yksi levy, joka muutti elämääsi
Voisi se olla jokin Madonnankin levytyksistä, mutta tällä kertaa kuitenkin Kiss - Dressed To Kill. Se soittamisen ilo ja kaipaus pois New Yorkin nuhjuisilta kaduilta paistaa niin läpi, että se on lähes koskettavaa.

2. Yksi levy, jonka olet kuunnellut useammin kuin kerran
Kaikki levyni ovat moneen kertaan kuunneltuja, koska hankin levyjä harkitusti. Mutta eniten kuuntelussa on varmaankin ollut Madonnan True Blue. Omistin vielä jokin aika sitten kasettiversionkin siitä, mutta sen totesin sitten puhkikuunnelluksi ja heitin roskiin.

3. Yksi levy, jonka tahtoisit mukaasi autiolle saarelle
Jotain Suomalaista... Ja ehkäpä ei mitään musiikkia, vaan vaikkapa äänitteitä Knalli ja sateenvarjo-kuunnelmasarjasta.

4. Yksi levy, joka teki sinusta hupakon Onko Sellaista? ;) Ehkäpä eräs Billie Holidayn kokoelma levy yhditettynä tietoisuuteen Holidayn draagisesta elämästä teki minusta hupakon. Pidän levystä oikein paljon.

5. Yksi levy, joka sai sinut puhkeamaan kyyneliin
W.a.s.p. - The Crimson Idol. Niin siirappimaista, mutta ytimiin uppoavaa. Ajassa pari vuotta taakse päin minulla oli vaikea hetki elämässä ja kerran yhtenä iltana yksinäisyydessäni itkin täysillä levyn kahdeksannen kappaleen, The Idolin tahtiin. Jälkeen päin se on naurattanut minua kovasti.

6. Yksi levy, jonka toivoisit tulleen tallennetuksi
En oikein käsitä kysymystä, mutta jotkin julkaisematta jääneet biisit ja demot Madonnalta ja Kissiltä voitaisi tallentaa/ levyttää. Tai mikä estäisi lisäämästä julkaisemattomia mukaan vaikkapa kokoelma levyihin.

7. Yksi levy, josta toivot, ettei sitä olisi koskaan levytetty

Nyt juuri ei tule mitään muuta mieleeni kuin Nightwishin, Dark Passion Play. Perustelen sen sillä, että en pidä bändin laulajan, Anette Olzonin äänestä. Vaikka en kaipaa sen puoleen Turustakaan takaisin.

8. Yksi levy, jota kuuntelet paraikaa




Just nyt en kuuntele mitään, mutta kuuntelussa on ollut pidemmän aikaa Madonnan Hard Candy. (Onpa yllättävää). :)


9. Yksi kevy, jonka olet aikonut kuunnella



Christina Aguileran viimeisimmän levyn.

Nightwish: Elvenpath

(In the sheltering shade of the forest
Calling calming silence
Accompanied only by the full moon
The howling of a night wolf
And the path under my bare feet...
...The Elvenpath)

Hearing music from the deepest forest
Songs as a seduction of sirens
The elf-folk is calling me

Tapio, Bear-king, Ruler of the forest
Mielikki, Bluecloak, Healer of the ill and sad
Open the gate and let me follow the uncurving path

The way to the lands
Where as a hero I stand
The path where Beauty met the Beast
Elvenpath
It's the honesty of these worlds
Ruled by magic and mighty swords
That makes my soul long for the past
Elvenpath

The moonwitch took me to a ride on a broomstick
Introduced me to her old friend home gnome
Told me to keep the sauna warm for him

At the grove I met the rest - the folk of my fantasies
Bilbo, Sparhawk, goblins and pixies
Snowman, Willow, trolls and the seven dwarves
The path goes forever on

The way to the lands
Where as a hero I stand
The path where Beauty met the Beast
Elvenpath
It's the honesty of these worlds
Ruled by magic and mighty swords
That makes my soul long for the past
Elvenpath

(Long ago,
In the early years of the second age,
The great elven-smiths forged the Rings of Power.)

As I return to my room
And as sleep takes me by my hand
Madrigals from the woods
Carry me to neverland
In this spellbound night
The world's an elvish sight
In this spellbound night
The world's an elvish sight

(But then the dark lord learned the craft of ring-making,
And made the Master Ring.)

Os Nightwish efectuaram um concerto no dia 26 de Junho em Helsinquia na Finlândia e a banda disponibilizou os vídeos das músicas "Slaying the Dreamer" e "7 Days to the Wolves" tocadas no concerto. Amboas os vídeos podem ser vistos em baixo ;)

"Slaying the Dreamer"

"7 Days to the Wolves"

Καταρχήν δε μπορώ αυτό το mainstream ρεύμα του αντι-mainstream. Πραγματικά δε θεωρώ τίποτα πιο ηλίθιο από το να απορρίπτεις μια μουσική επειδή απλά και μόνο είναι εμπορική ή επειδή την ακούνε άνθρωποι που δε γουστάρεις-συμπαθείς- ταιριάζεις. Είμαι σίγουρος ότι όταν είχαν πρωτοβγάλει οι Evanescence το Fallen o γαμάω-ροκάς γούσταρε μέχρι που πούλησε 14 εκατομμύρια δίσκους κι έτσι άμα το άκουγε ο γαμάω-ροκάς δε θα ξεχώριζε από τη μάζα. Και όλα αυτά τα λέω όχι γιατί μου αρέσουν σα μπάντα. Το αντίθετο. Αν και η φωνή της Amy Lee είναι εκπληκτική, η μπάντα δε μου λέει και πολλά. Αλλά αν μου έλεγε δε θα είχα πρόβλημα να το πω, επειδή τους ακούνε τα πιτσιρίκια. Έχω βαρεθεί αυτή την greek-καμάκι ερώτηση " τι μουσική ακούς?" κάτι αντίστοιχό με το "τι ζώδιο είσαι?".

Η μουσική πηγάζει από τη κοινωνία, από την εξέλιξη της. Δε μπορεί να γουστάρεις απλά μια μουσική που γράφτηκε πριν 30 χρόνια και να μη σου αρέσει τίποτα καινούριο. Κάτι δε πηγαίνει καλά τότε. Η μουσική δεν έχει όρια. Οι προσωπικότητες των ανθρώπων έχουν όρια, και αυτοί προβάλλουν τους περιορισμούς της προσωπικότητας τους στη μουσική που ακούνε έχοντας την απαίτηση αυτός ο περιορισμός να είναι κοινωνικά αποδεκτός και η αλήθεια είναι πως πολλές φορές γίνεται κατεστημένο.

Η μουσική είναι ήχος και για να την ακούσεις χρειάζεσαι ανοιχτά αυτιά!

Πήγα στη συναυλία του Mark Knopfler στο Λυκαβηττό (ναι το πρόλαβα ανοιχτό!). Βγήκε ο τύπος, έπαιξε τα κομμάτια του, τις κομματάρες των dire straits,για μια ώρα, έκανε και ένα ανκορ και μη τον είδατε, καληνύχτα πριν προλάβεις να το καταλάβεις. Ήταν όμως όμορφα. ΉΞερες τι πας να δεις και τι να περιμένεις. Αν περίμενα να δω τον ίδιο άνθρωπο που τραγούδαγε και ζούσε τον ύμνο Heavy Fuel, θα ήμουν αφελής. Όμως ήταν μια πολύ όμορφη εικόνα από μια άλλη εποχή. Στο κοινό έβλεπες 50αρηδες, 60αρηδες με γκρι μαλλιά, καλόντυμένους με τη Mercedes απέξω και τους φανταζόσουν 20-25 χρονών με μακριά κοτλέ καμπάνα, μαλλιά και μούσια να ακούνε το solo του Sultans of Swing και να παίζουν με τα δάχτυλα κιθάρα στον αέρα.

Πήγα στη συναυλία του Μάλαμα στο θέατρο Βράχων και είδα έναν τραγουδιστή που έδινε τα πάντα πάνω στη σκηνή και το διασκέδαζε. Ε εντάξει, είχε πιει λίγο παραπάνω ως συνήθως και αυτό βοηθούσε. Είδα ένα τρελαμένο κοινό από νέους και μεγαλύτερους, να ακούνε μια μουσική που δε τους επέβαλε κανείς αλλά την ανακαλύψαν μόνοι τους. Όλοι με μπουκάλια τσίπουρο να χορεύουν και να τραγουδάνε. Μια μουσική, τόσο κοντά στη παράδοση και τη κουλτούρα της χώρας μας.

Και μιας και μιλάμε για μουσική και βαρέθηκα να γράφω πάρτε ένα video με Paco de Luccia, John Mclaughlin και Al Di Meola τους τρεις καλύτερους κιθαρίστες του κόσμου ( προσωπική άποψη) μαζί στη σκηνή. Έτσι να δείξω και πόσο κουλτουριάρης είμαι εκτός των άλλων.

Paco de Luccia αριστερά όπως κοιτάμε, Al Di Meola στο κέντρο και John Mclaughlin ο δεξιά. Κάτι παίζουν τα παιδιά δε νομίζετε?

El viento sopla con fuerza,

su cabello despeinado

no deja ver el horizonte gris,

no ve el navío luchando por salir,

por llegar hasta la costa

y vencer, por una vez, a la marea.

Él observa la luz,

el faro que obrará el milagro

de guiarlo hasta ella,

donde el agua helada

no acuchillará sus dedos,

donde la sal y la lluvia

no cuartean su cuerpo,

donde sus cálidos brazos,

sus labios, sus besos

harán que las montañas de agua

se conviertan en una balsa.

Sólo para volver a ser realidad,

para dejar, por un instante,

relegado el recuerdo.

Já foi há dois dias mas eu, como habitualmente, só o descobri com atraso!

Diablo 3 é uma realidade. A sequela para um dos RPGs mais bem-sucedidos de sempre está confirmada, e o vídeo de apresentação, como sucedeu anteriormente com o StarCraft 2, deixou toda a gente de água na boca.

Mas porquê todo o reboliço? Diablo foi um RPG inovador, que misturava uma história épica e os elementos de customização de personagens que hoje são uma coisa básica em qualquer RPG, com uma jogabilidade simples, de apontar e clicar, em ambientes repletos de inimigos. Diablo 2 levou isso mais adiante, e tornou-se num dos jogos mais populares de sempre, ainda hoje com milhares de jogadores online.

Contudo, desde o final da campanha de Diablo 2 que se espera por novidades. O tipo de jogo divertido deixou muita gente à espera de mais, e a história épica e repleta de reviravoltas, fez muita gente imaginar na quantidade de coisas que ainda faltam dizer e nos novos níveis que os jogadores terão para desbravar.

Assim, o Monte Arreat onde se passou o emocionante final de Diablo 2 é agora uma cratera, devastado pela destruição da WorldStone que alimentava o próprio mundo. As maquinações de Baal e dos seus irmãos, Mephisto e o omnipresente Diablo, levaram a esse fim trágico. Passados vinte anos, o caos regressa ao mundo de Sanctuary, e novos heróis terão de lutar para salvar a sua terra. Haverá cinco classes jogáveis. Muito está ainda por desvendar, mas em breve saberemos o que a Blizzard tem em mente para este novo título. Até lá todos esperamos pelas notícias!

Site oficial: http://blizzard.com/diablo3

Apresentação oficial:

Mandylion without a face
deathwish without a prayer
end of hope

Vosso, S7alker.

Gerade mal 1865 Seelen zählt das gemütliche Dörfchen Wacken. Vom 31. Juli bis zum 2. August werden es rund 71.000 mehr sein: Dann geht das legendäre Metal-Festival Wacken Open Air in die 19. Runde. Auch wenn die schwarz gewandeten Metal-Jünger, die dann in Scharen nach Schleswig-Holstein strömen, vielen suspekt erscheinen: Wacken ist nicht nur das weltweit größte Metal-Festival, sondern auch das friedlichste.

FOTO: www.metaltix.com

Die Vorbereitungen für das Wacken Open Air in knapp sechs Wochen laufen auf Hochtouren: Äcker müssen noch gemäht, Bühnen aus dem Boden gestampft und der örtliche Edeka mit Bier aufgerüstet werden, damit die internationale Metal-Gemeinde hier drei Tage lang unter dem Motto „Faster: Harder: Louder“ feiern kann.

Was 1990 mit einem Grüppchen von 800 Besuchern auf einem kleinen Acker bei Wacken begann, wuchs innerhalb weniger Jahre zum größten Metal Festival der Welt mit 72.500 Teilnehmern. Wer in diesem Jahr dabei sein will, musste schnell sein: Seit März ist das Festival restlos ausverkauft, bereits am ersten Verkaufstag wurden den Vorverkaufstellen 6.000 Tickets aus den Händen gerissen.

Die globale Bedeutung dieser Massenveranstaltung wird schon nach einem kurzen Blick auf die Seite www.wacken.com klar. Besucher haben die Wahl zwischen 16 verschiedenen Sprachen, damit auch Metaller aus Italien, Japan oder Russland den Weg ins Land zwischen den Meeren finden. Etwa ein Drittel der Besucher reist mittlerweile aus dem Ausland an, um auf dem 160 Hektar großen Festivalgelände den Shows von knapp 70 Bands zu huldigen. Beim kollektiven Head Banging mit dabei sind dieses Jahr neben der Hardrock–Legende „Iron Maiden“ Bands wie „Hatebreed“, „Nightwish“, „Killswitch Engage“ und „As I Lay Dying“.

Aber auch die Beilage zum musikalischen Hauptgericht ist nicht zu verachten:
Wer zwischendurch mal eine Pause von den rund 120 Dezibel – das entspricht einem startenden Düsenjet - nötig hat, kann im Biergarten entspannt eine kühles Blondes schlürfen, die bundesweit einzigartige Festival–Tageszeitung lesen oder über die weltweit größte Metal–Verkaufsmeile schlendern. Nach den Konzerten geht die Party bis zum Tagesanbruch im „Headbangers Ballroom Zelt“ weiter.

Im März diesen Jahres erhielt das Wacken Open Air den „Live Entertainment Award“ für das Beste Festival des Jahres 2007. Ein Beweis dafür, dass Massenveranstaltungen nicht zwangläufig aus dem Ruder geraten müssen. Denn trotz des riesigen Ansturms kommt es so gut wie nie zu relevanten Sicherheitsproblemen oder Verletzungen.

Auch die Organisation ist beeindruckend: Ein eigener Zug, der „Metal Train“, sammelt von Stuttgart bis Itzehoe Festivalfans auf ihrer Wallfahrt zum Metal-Mekka ein. Auf der Website können sich Fans über die Mitfahrzentrale für Hin- und Rückfahrt zusammentun, ihre private Mobiltoilette buchen, Zeltplätze reservieren, über die Fotos für den festivaleigenen Kalender „Metal Dreamgirls“ abstimmen und sich ihren persönlichen Konzertplan zusammenstellen. Sogar Geldautomaten werden aufgestellt, damit niemandem die Scheine ausgehen.

Nach dem Festival ist vor dem Festival: 362 Tage haben Wackens Bewohner nach dem Spektakel Zeit, sich von den drei lauten Tagen zu erholen, bevor die schwarz gekleideten Metal-Fans erneut wie ein Heuschreckenschwarm über sie herfallen.
Der Großteil der Wackener steht dem Festival sowieso positiv gegenüber, weil die jungen und meist friedlichen Metaller frischen Wind ins Dorf bringen und die Vermietung von Äckern als Zeltplätze die Haushaltskasse deutlich aufbessert.

Einen wunderbaren Einblick in den Zusammenprall dieser beiden Welten gibt der mehrfach ausgezeichnete Dokumentarfilm „Full Metal Village“ (für weitere Infos, bitte hier klicken) der koreanischen Regisseurin Sung-Hyong Cho.

Quelle: © 2004 SH-Nachrichtenagentur

Links
http://www.metaltix.com/

Foto por Paul Harries

Tarja Turunen (ex Nightwish) se presenta el 14 de agosto en el "Estudio 183" de Monterrey, el 16 de agosto en el "Circo Volador" del Distrito Federal, y el 17 de agosto en el "Teatro Estudio Cavaret" de Guadalajara. Viene promocionando su disco "My Winter Storm".

Tarja, quien fuera expulsada de Nightwish en octubre de 2005 (por diferencias con el resto de la banda), emprende su primer gira mundial como solista, y se hace acompañar por músicos muy prestigiados y de excelente calidad como son:

Doug Wimbish - Bajo (Jeff Beck)
Kiko Loureiro - Guitarra (Angra)
Maria Ilmoniemi - Teclados
Mike Terrana - Batería (Masterplan, ex Rage, ex Yngwie Malmsteen)
Max Lilja Cello - (Hevein, ex Apocalyptica)

Con esta formación el "mensaje" para sus excompañeros es claro "no los necesito". Cuando ella es expulsada de la banda, intentaron hacerla quedar como "diva" y usaron esto como pretexto para sacarla de la banda, ahora ella quiere demostrar que todo eso es mentira, y su gira se ha caracterizado por sesiones de autógrafos en muchos de los países en los que ha estado, además de que todos sus conciertos han sido declarados "amigables con las cámaras", es decir, que todo el público esta invitado a llevar sus cámaras fotográficas y tomar cuantas fotos deseen durante todo el concierto.

"Los boletos para su concierto en el Circo Volador ya están a la venta, y tendrán un "precio especial" de $350.- hasta el 31 de julio".

El 15 de mayo en el sitio oficial de Tarja, dieron la oportunidad de descargar por 24 horas y en formato de alta definición el video completo del concierto que dio en Kuusankoski, Finlandia durante la gira Warm Up Concerts 2007.

LUIS PINZÓN

Sleepwalker seducing me...

ohh... i do really rather love nightwish...

Buon ascolto a tutti :)

Joe Satriani - Dia 27 de julho, no Helloch, em Curitiba, 29 no Credicard Hall, em São Paulo, 31 no Rio de Janeiro no palco do Citibank Hall, 1º de agosto em Belo Horizonte, no palco do Chevrolet Hall e encerrando a turnê, Satriani se apresentará no dia 02 de agosto no Centro de Convenções, em Brasília.

Blaze Bayley - o ex-vocalista do Iron Maiden fará turnê no Brasil em Agosto, iniciando dia 13 em Uberlândia, 14 em Belo Horizonte, 15 em Brasília, 16 em Palmas, 17 em Recife, 21 em Teresina, 22 em Fortaleza, 23 em Campinas, 24 em Londrina, 27 em Curitiba, 28 no Rio de Janeiro, 30 em São Paulo e 31 em Pomerode.

Scorpions - A banda toca dia 30/08 no Rio de Janeiro na Apoteose, dia 31/08 em Goiânia no Ginásio Goiania Arena, dia 03/09 em Belém, dia 04/09 em Manaus na Arena Amadeu Teixeira, dia 06/09 em São Paulo no Credicard Hall, doa 07/09 em Recife, 10/09 em Belo Horizonte e 12/09 em Ponta Grossa.

Alan Parsons - 25/9 em Porto Alegre, 26/9 no Rio de Janeiro, 27/9 em São Paulo e 28/9 em Curitiba.

Agnostic Front - A banda faz dois shows no Brasil, o primeiro dia 13/09 em Curitiba (PR) e o último dia 14/09 em São Paulo (SP).

Nine Inch Nails - A banda confirmou 2 datas em Outubro no Brasil, dia 7 em São Paulo e dia 9 em Porto Alegre.

Symphony X - A banda toca em Outubro dia 23 em Salvador, 24 no Recife e 25 em São Paulo.

The Cure - Show em Outubro em SP.

Nightwish - A banda desembarca no Brasil para uma série de shows em Novembro. Dia 4 no Pepsi On Stage (http://www.pepsionstage.com.br) em Porto Alegre (RS), dia 5 no Hellooch (http://www.hellooch.com) em Curitiba (PR), dia 7 e 8 no Via Funchal (http://www.viafunchal.com.br) em São Paulo (SP), dia 10 no Chevrolet Hall (http://www.chevrolethallbh.com.br) em Belo Horizonte (MG), dia 13 na Arena Amadeu Teixeira em Manaus (AM), dia 15 na Arena em Fortaleza (CE), dia 16 no Chevrolet Hall (http://www.chevhall.wcms.com.br) em Recife (PE) e dia 18 no Ginásio Marista em Vila Velha (ES).

Jesus & Mary Chain - A banda ressurgiu das cinzas em 2007 toca dia 08/11 em São Paulo no Festival Planeta Terra.

Queen - Show em grátis em Copacabana em Novembro.

Again a site-inspired post, although I've been thinking about writing this down for a while. Well, here is my top 27 (in no particular order, the numbers are just for fun) - cause who the hell cares about top tens these days?! :P Just a note: these are not the best songs in the world, and also not the ones you absolutely need to hear before you die. These are the songs I enjoy listening to the most at the moment. Also, I don't expect you to like, or even listen to these tracks. I would appreciate it though, if you chose just one song to see what it's like. No biggie, right? Of course, I can't make you...

Oh, and one song per performer. That's a rule. I'm not breaking it.

1, Sonata Arctica - Shamandalie "Nothing is quite as cruel as a child"

Not as hardcore as some of their songs, but definitely the prettiest (in my opinion). I sure took my time realizing just what the title means... Then again, I'm not quite as good at English as I'd like to be. ^^

2, The 69 Eyes - Brandon Lee "What would there be, as the river of sadness turns into sea?"

Chosen for this very line. Oh, yea, and the next one: "Could there be another thousand stories like you and me?" I never cease to be amazed how Jyrki can have such a deep voice. I mean, look at him! :P

3, U2 - Beautiful Day "It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away"

Beautiful song. Enough said. :) Can cheer me up when I'm feeling miserable for whatever reason.

4, Marylin Manson - Lamb of God "Nothing's gonna change the world..."

Such a bitter one, and yet, in a way, it makes me happy. In a very twisted way, and I don't even know why. Great for when you've had enough of all the Christians trying to save your immortal soul from eternal damnation. (just a note: I have nothing against Christianity, but when I die, no part of me will be, like, flying around or bathing in fire. Sorry about that.)

5, KoRn - No one's there "Where are you, my soul is bleeding"

Very strong lyrics, and although I'm generally not too fond of Jonathan Davis' singing, it's quite tolerable. Just kidding, he's great... I guess. :P

6, D'espairs Ray - Gothic "Struggled to get free from the chains..."

This one might look strange at first, especially after my rant on Clever Sleazoid the other day, since this is another English song by a Japanese band. Still, though the words sang are still unintelligible to me, both the singing and the music create an atmosphere that is much more enjoyable.

7, Depeche Mode - Precious "Things get damaged, things get broken"

Umm, not their best song. Still, this is the one I think about (after Enjoy the Silence, which is somewhat overrated, but good nonetheless) if anyone mentions DM. The huge fish in the video helps too. Not that I like fish, just saying.

8, Good Charlotte - Time after time "Caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new"

While I'm not very fond of their new album, I do like their older stuff. This song particularly captured my attention, although I'm not sure why. I don't really listen to it anymore, but I still felt the need to mention it.

(It's getting hard to choose - too many great songs, too little time until I fall asleep in my chair ^^)

9, Dir en Grey - Cage "Kowashita boku wa sado?"

Not my favorite from them (that would be [Kr] Cube), nor the one I've listened to the most recently (Raison d'etre). This was one of the songs that got me into Diru - and I've been obsessed ever since. From different translations I now understand most of the lyrics, and they're rather thoughtful. And the video is both pretty and a little sick - makes for a perfect song. :P

10, Eminem - Mockingbird " I can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laugh"

Now, I don't really listen to any form of rap, but this song means more to me than most of the others. It doesn't describe a hypothetical (is that a word?) situation, but a very real one. I really hate the ending though.

11, Iron Maiden - Journeyman "We have cheated death and he has cheated us"

I'm sure most people know this one, so I won't say a lot about it. Beautiful track.

12, AFI - The Interview "I breathe in, and sink into the water underground, and I'll grow pale, without you..."

The more tired I am, the stronger the urge gets to just write down whatever I think about - that usually isn't a good idea, but hey, let's give it a try... Heeere it goes. "oh God, I love Davey. He has such a pretty voice... and he's pretty... well, most of the time. And Jade's cute, too. lalalala. This song is, like, the greatest ever. Well, not, but it could be. And it totally should. Cause his voice is pretty" (Sorry, I neeeded that. hope it still gave you a general idea of the track :P)

13, System of a Down - Chop Suey "I cry when angels deserve to die"

I'm pretty sure those lyrics just explained my choice. Also, I love the reference to Christ, the "why have you forsaken me" part, especially because it reminds me of Jesus Christ Superstar, which is my favorite musical.

14, Linkin Park - P5hng Me A*wy "Reverse psychology is failing miserably, it's so hard to be left all alone"

This one has 3 versions: the original, Pushing Me Away, the Reanimation version, and the Live in Texas. My favorite is the third, because it's way more powerful than the first, and sounds more... alive than the second. I can't really explain it, that's just the impression I got.

15, Savage Garden - Truly, Madly, Deeply "I'm counting on a new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning..."

This one I'm kinda ashamed of. *scratches head* I know, the lyrics don't always make sense, and it's just another sloppy lovesong, but come on, everyone has weak moments, and I seem to have a lot more than "everyone". :)

16, Indochine & Brian Molko - Pink Water 3 "Si demain tu ne me rejoins pas, alors continue sans moi"

Although I love Brian's vocals in this, that's not the (only) reason I like it. I got to know this band through a kinda-friend of mine, and hearing this song reminds me of her. It's till a great song if you've never heard of them though.

17, Cradle of Filth - A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil's Whore) "Nocturnal pulse... My veins spill forth their waters, rent by lips I cherish most!"

Seriously, can anyone who likes English at least a little not squeal in joy at the sight of those lyrics? I mean, while most of their songs are somewhat sick, I still find them beautiful in a way that I can't explain. Most people don't like them, and I, too was at first taken aback by all the screaming, but once I was used to it, listening to CoF was truly an experience.

18, HIM - Resurrection "You kissed my lips with those once cold fingertips"

I was hard-pressed to choose Rip Out the Wings of a Butterfly, but this one is less known and in a way even better than that. Nothing to say here, go listen to it, or don't. You'll either like it or not, it doesn't depend on me, does it.

19, Evanescence - Where Will You Go? "I can hear you when you whisper, but you can't even hear me screaming"

I don't like Evanescence' new album, but I found the previous one amazing. As for this specific song: not my favorite from the album, but still good, and the lyrics are true on so many levels it's not even funny.

20, My Chemical Romance - The Ghost of you "For all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me... If I fall."

Another popular band, another catchy song. I hate the video, I'm not all that fond of the lyrics, and while the music I like, I'm not sure what makes this one so interesting. Yet it is, at least to me, so it's worth a listen or two.

21, Nightwish - The Poet and the Pendulum "Try to save them all, bleed no more."

The best song since Tarja left the band. No, I mean it - the best. It's rather long, separated into 5 (?) parts, all of which are different from the previous ones, and yet when you listen to it, you hear no "switch" where one ends and another begins. Plus, it sounds awesome live. ^^

22, Tarja Turunen - Boy and the Ghost "Wake up, wake up, there's an angel in the snow!"

And now the ex-singer. I really preferred them together, as in, the band with Tarja, but that train is gone. (Am I making up idioms? well, it's kinda nearing 2 AM, so don't be surprised) Anyway, another sad song, my favorite of her album. It's another one of those stories you - well, I - can relate to. It's not that I've been abused (or dead, duh), obviously, but I can feel the pain of an unloved child. Then again, I might just be too emotional.

23, Negative - The Moment of Our Love " Just let me love you, and I'll learn to love you right"

Yay for another Finnish band. :P The singer, Jonne looks a little too girlish sometimes, even for me, but who cares, really. Pretty much the "just a lovesong" category, but his voice makes listening worth it. For me, that is, I don't know about you.

(Now, a hard one... Can I choose two? Pretty please? Meh, never mind...)

24, Placebo - My Sweet Prince "Never thought all this could backfire..."

I've seen a live version of this song where Brian looks like he's high... He's prolly just screwing around though. Like, not literally... Whatever. One of the most emotionally powerful songs I've ever heard. It's mostly the grammatical expressions ("Never thought") that make this interesting, and the story behind it, which I'm too lazy to tell you about, but I might just add later.

25, Within Temptation - Frozen "All colours seem to fade away, I can't reach my soul..."

I've seen them live as well, although they didn't play this one, no idea why. The same's true for this as for all the Within Temptation songs: Astounding vocals supported by great music. 'nuff said.

26, Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing "You grow me like an evergreen, you've never seen a lonely me at all."

Yea, I'm breaking my own rule. Sorry about that. Buut... this could count as a Bowie song, as they performed it together. It's actually pretty good, although I still prefer the album version. This, too, is almost overflowing with emotion, but - although I admit I'm biased - it doesn't hurt my ears the way a BSB song does.

27, Muse - Starlight "I will be chasing a starlight until the end of my life, I don't know if it's worth it anymore"

Matt Bellamy's voice gets a little too high for my liking from time to time, but both the lyrics and the music of this one captured my heart, and haven't let go ever since. (Shit, I'm getting poetic. The end must be near.)

Anyway, I've written way too much for today, and tomorrow, and for god knows how long. Please note that I don't own the songs, the lyrics or the singers (^^), I'm not making any money from this, and stuff, so... that was the disclaimer. Kinda. Well, at least I tried.

Oh, and by the way, I didn't actually have the patience to google the lyrics, so I just wrote them as I remembered them, I hope I didn't make too many mistakes.

If you have a song you think would fit in the list, please, do tell me, and I'll see if I like it. ^^

Dalymar

It is a pain that they are not doing any concerts (my best wishes for Sander) in a time (more information at After Forever official site), because I'd really like to attend a show of this group.

What do you think ? I find Decipher, Invisible Circles, Remagine and After Forever (so far, the ones I've listened to by now) are top quality works. I do also find Floor Jansen to be an excelent singer and frontwoman for the band.

In fact, After Forever is now for me at the same level that Nightwish with Tarja. I mean, I think that Tarja's voice would be better in a side by side comparison, but Floor is better as a front woman in my opinion. No matter, both of them are amazing with their respective bands (well, sadly ex-band in the case of Tarja).

If you haven't listened to After Forever, it's time for you to do it.

Con una bicicletta, inizia una nuova era nei miei spostamenti a Columbus.
Una pista ciclabile che si snoda lungo il fiume collega il complesso dove abito e l'università - pare troppo bello per essere vero. Andare al lavoro e tornare a casa diventa piacevolissimo.

Ho conosciuto Zachary, newyorchese insegnante di tedesco - a Columbus per ragioni non specificate. Amante dell'Europa in materia di cibo, tradizione, musica e stile, con due anni in Germania sulle spalle, mi rispecchia un po' e ha portato una ventata d'aria fresca nel caldo torrido di C-bus (nomignolo per Columbus duh...). Abbiamo chiacchierato per un'oretta buona al telefono - il suo accento di New York City è molto piacevole da ascoltare - e ci siamo dati appuntamento mercoledì prossimo in un locale dove ci saranno alcune band metal. Tutto ciò mi ricorda molto la mia Italia - sono contenta di stare finalmente scoprendo un po' la scena goth degli Stati Uniti, che pensavo totalmente assente.

Settimana di vacanza finita, oggi sono tornata al lavoro: due ore di insegnamento, la mia classe sembra davvero attenta ed interessata. Poi due ore di spagnolo - ebbene sì, ho deciso di darmi allo studio dello spagnolo seriamente, con un corso molto, molto intenso che prevede 8 capitoli in 5 settimane... speriamo bene. Tutto ciò mi rammenta che tra 6 settimane andrò a casa - pensiero adorabile :D

Le 5 settimane del trimestre estivo saranno a dir poco impegnative.
Ma in fondo va bene così - sto uscendo molto, studiando moltissimo, lavorando troppo.
Come al solito.

Nuova canzone-ossessione, When your lips are still red by Nightwish.
Un capolavoro che non riesco a togliere dalla testa...

E già che ci siete guardate anche una delle nuove canzoni, molto bella:

Il video risveglia idee sopite - mi ha dato l'idea per un racconto che non ho il tempo di scrivere... sigh.

Jotta tästä tekstistä ei tulisi ilkeää, laitan tähän vain parit YouTube-pätkät, jotka puhunevat puolestaan.

Tarja Turunen Nightwishissä:

Phantom of the Opera (levyversio levyltä Century Child, 2002, tämä liveversio End of an Era -livedvd:ltä, 2006)

Bless the Child (niinikään levyltä Century Child, 2002)

Dead Boy's Poem (levyltä Wishmaster, 2000, tämä liveversio From Wishes to Eternity -livedvd:ltä, 2001)

Tarja Turunen ilman Nightwishiä:

Phantom of the Opera, miesäänenä ilmeisesti Tarjan oma Toni-veli (lähteenä tosin YouTuben kommenttiboksi...). Loppuvuodelta 2007 tämä esitys.

Alice Cooper -cover Poison-kappaleesta (Tarjan My Winter Storm -soolodebyytiltä, 2007)

Nirvanan Smells Like Teen Spirit -esitys Marimekon muotinäytöksestä kesäkuussa 2007.

Olen... ihmeissäni. Mitä oikein tapahtui?

    Cautarea: "freza de rocker nightwish" - Deci, să înţeleg că tipul vrea o freză de rocker. Păi există? De obicei rockerii au părul lung (în cele mai multe cazuri), sau au părul scurt (şi ăsta tot "în cele mai multe cazuri"). Deci, foarte simplu. Şi freza asta de rocker, trebuie să fie stil Nightwish să înţeleg :)). Păi lasă-ţi, omule, părul lung şi o să fii ca Nightwish!

     Ce să mai zic, bine că nu a căutat pedichiură de houser, sau  burtă de manelist. :))