I feel much the same way about this album. Good lead vocals & choirs, and all the folk elements are exciting, but songwriting just only average in the end. Easy to listen to though, so we'll see if they release something more interesting in the future...

Women or not, some of these songs are a complete mess. I for one wouldn't want to see them try to experiment.

I won't rate it because I won't bother listening to more than a few songs, but based on what I heard this floats in and around a 4/10. Bad.

Nice review though.

Written by Jason W. on 19.11.2011 at 06:15

I feel much the same way about this album. Good lead vocals & choirs, and all the folk elements are exciting, but songwriting just only average in the end. Easy to listen to though, so we'll see if they release something more interesting in the future...

I was wondering what your reaction would be. Good to see that we agree (=

Written by Troy Killjoy on 19.11.2011 at 06:19

Women or not, some of these songs are a complete mess. I for one wouldn't want to see them try to experiment.

I won't rate it because I won't bother listening to more than a few songs, but based on what I heard this floats in and around a 4/10. Bad.

Nice review though.

I'm surprised you could grind through even one song lol Thanks for the compliment though, it means a lot

Written by Ag Fox on 19.11.2011 at 10:43
I'm surprised you could grind through even one song lol Thanks for the compliment though, it means a lot

I managed to get through three, and I can't even remember the titles of the songs.

This is perhaps the least metal band in the history of metal. A bunch of women in dresses, an album cover with pretty lights, an album called Music Of The Light, and the most inoffensive music since... Ever? No thanks. Needs more fat long haired middle aged men shouting about death.

This isn't music this is just another marketing strategy
a shameful release indeed

Jesus H. If you're going to do some gimmicky marketing stunt at least make it DECENT. What's up with those sub-par lead vocals? At least bury her in the mix so we don't cringe every time she attempts another high note. I might actually listen to this album again if she had actually been MIXED and not just flopped on top of the other music like fresh road kill.

And LOL I see what you guys mean about the songwriting and song structures.

Seriously, this could have been good in a plasticky, guilty pleasure sort of way. This one... I don't know

(P.S. I'm not a fan of Van Canto but they sound great here. Probably the best part of the album.)

Written by Susan on 27.11.2011 at 02:08

Jesus H. If you're going to do some gimmicky marketing stunt at least make it DECENT. What's up with those sub-par lead vocals? At least bury her in the mix so we don't cringe every time she attempts another high note.

I haven't been into the symphonic category for a while now, so I'm definitely not feeling very authoritative in front of someone who does it as her job :3 But I won't say it's "sub-par". Just nothing special at all to me.

The thing with burying it in the mix would reduce the musical value. As mentioned in the review, the songs rely rather heavily on the vocal melodies (I don't remember a single riff >.>, perhaps I would mark it a little lower now lol), so if the vocals are quite buried then the whole album would be even less memorable o.o

Written by Ag Fox on 27.11.2011 at 02:44

Written by Susan on 27.11.2011 at 02:08

Jesus H. If you're going to do some gimmicky marketing stunt at least make it DECENT. What's up with those sub-par lead vocals? At least bury her in the mix so we don't cringe every time she attempts another high note.

I haven't been into the symphonic category for a while now, so I'm definitely not feeling very authoritative in front of someone who does it as her job :3 But I won't say it's "sub-par". Just nothing special at all to me.

The thing with burying it in the mix would reduce the musical value. As mentioned in the review, the songs rely rather heavily on the vocal melodies (I don't remember a single riff >.>, perhaps I would mark it a little lower now lol), so if the vocals are quite buried then the whole album would be even less memorable o.o

I see your argument but let me clarify. Even if she were a good singer I still feel she is mixed too far in front of everything else. It sounds like someone recorded themselves doing karaoke. Normally I wouldn't say to bury a lead vocalist in the mix but if you have a crappy singer then no one would notice her flaws if she is just another part of the atmosphere! Seriously, I've heard it done

And going back to your point: if this album were less memorable I'm sure it'd have a lot more fans. Look at half the bands in this genre.. not very memorable yet people just eat it up. Better than getting negative attention? Maybe I'm wrong about that, haha.

Karaoke is a bit much, and I personally think the mix is okay. And I guess it's because I've heard much worse from some of the cuts material, so my tolerance is higher these days =P That being said, the producer is pretty famous (the one that did the Kamelot and a tonne of melodic power metal albums), so he probably thinks that's the optimal balance here between the vocals are the rest of the instrumentation too XD

well, I don't know how many people eat up about half of the bands of this sub genre of music, though presumably a large portion of those bands gets lapped up due to the front woman's attractiveness. As for this one...

Written by Susan on 27.11.2011 at 02:50
Better than getting negative attention? Maybe I'm wrong about that, haha.

I don't think you're wrong. From what I was able to endure from this album, I immediately noted its complete lack of... anything. It's just there - not memorably bad but not good either. At least with a lot of other symph-metal bands you get the so-bad-you-remember-it material or something at least above average, if not good.