New @ Sonic Cathedral: Cardamon Review & Laura Macri Interview

Hello, again!

Two new articles I wrote were posted at Sonic Cathedral last week. Here are summaries on both pieces.

First is my review of Cardamon’s second album, Sun As Never. This alternative rock/metal band from Utrecht, Netherlands has joined the growing trend of taking a heavier musical approach for the purposes of stronger live performances. For Cardamon, whose debut CD The Primrose Path was critically acclaimed for its melancholy and its balance of electric and acoustic sections, this first step in its evolution is not a surprise. It’s also a fairly shaky one. To find out why, click here to read my review of Cardamon’s Sun As Never.

Next is my interview with the Italian opera singer Laura Macrì. The 21-year-old made her metal debut on MaYaN’s Quarterpast last May and has performed with the band (a symphonic death metal side project of Epica guitarist/grunter Mark Jansen) in The Netherlands and across South America. But, who is this young lady? How did she become part of MaYaN? What are her aspirations for her music (both opera and metal) career? And, will she perform with MaYaN this September at ProgPower? You’ll find out by clicking here to read my interview with Laura!

January is shaping up to be a busy month for me at Sonic Cathedral. Our Best of 2011 article should go online this week. I also have articles “in the pipeline” for The Mariana Hollow, and possibly Beyond the Bridge and Xandria. Stay tuned!

~ Sara

My Top 10 Albums of 2011

Happy New Year!

Hope all of you enjoyed your holidays and are looking forward to 2012. I know I am. But before I think too into the future, I’d like to take a look back on the music of 2011. For me, 2011 got off to a slow start but picked up in excitement by summer’s end – and then a slew of great albums came out in early autumn to intrigue me further! So, which 10 albums did I enjoy the most? Most importantly, which one took my top spot?

Note: If you’re friends with me on Facebook, chances are you’ve already seen this list. This version is a little more interactive, however, and also reveals my favorite songs from each album.

Let’s get started with…

New at Suite101.com: Review of Evanescence’s Self-Titled Album

My latest review at Suite 101.com tackles the self-titled third album by the biggest name in female-fronted rock music: Evanescence. It turns out that a five-year hiatus and a more collaborative songwriting process has encouraged the band to steer their music in a (slightly) new direction. The result is Evanescence, a less bombastic and more straight-up rock record than Evanescence’s previous album, The Open Door. However, does this change work in Evanescence’s favor?

Click here to read my review of Evanescence’s self-titled album.

Let me know what you think!

~ Sara

Audio Archive of Avariel’s Appearance on Citywide Blackout Now Online

Hello, everyone!

As I had mentioned during a recent post, I was a surprise caller during Avariel’s appearance on Citywide Blackout on Saturday, November 19. An audio archive of the show is now available on the Citywide Blackout blog.

Click here to listen to Citywide Blackout’s audio archive of their 11/19/2011 show.

Avariel is on during the show’s first hour. The host interviews the band and plays a number of songs from Avariel’s debut album, The Dawn. My phone call comes in around the 44-minute mark.

Enjoy!

~ Sara

A Sneak Peek of the Next Ex Libris Album at Sonic Cathedral

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!

Since I’ll be busy the next couple days, I wanted to post this for you as soon as possible. My latest article for Sonic Cathedral was posted today – and it’s another Sneak Peek! Perhaps you’ll remember that in March I wrote an article on an exclusive preview of an album-in-progress by the UK band The Mariana Hollow. Today’s article is similar; and this time, I’m highlighting Medea, the upcoming second album by the Dutch progressive metal band Ex Libris.

If you love female-fronted metal and have never heard of Ex Libris, you’re missing out on something special.  This band takes their loves of heavy and progressive metal styles, and combines them with classical arrangements and the dynamic soprano voice of Dianna van Giersbergen.  Think of mixing Symphony X, Seventh Wonder, Blind Guardian, and Opeth, then topping it off with a vocalist who can shake the very boots of Simone Simons (Epica), Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish), and Floor Jansen (After Forever, ReVamp). Their music is so unique and creative, that comparing Ex Libris to other symphonic metal bands or bands with a classically trained singer just doesn’t do the band justice.

As for Medea, well, I can only talk about the three songs I’ve gotten to know very well over the past few weeks. Without giving away much here: I’m intrigued by what I’ve heard so far, and I believe Medea will be one of the most innovative “femme metal” albums in a long while!

Click here to read my Sneak Peek of Ex Libris’ Medea.

~ Sara

Four Poems, Plus Avariel

Good evening!

I’ve finally posted more poems on the “My Poetry” page. (Click here to visit “My Poetry,” or click on “My Poetry” in sidebar menu.) Although these pieces may be new to some of you, they were published in an anthology almost 2 years ago. But, better late than never, right?

New Poll Is Online!

Hello, again!

As I had promised, I’ve launched a new poll here at my site. I decided to do a more general topic about literature and reading. The question is, “What kinds of literature do you like the most?”

Select as many answers as you’d like. And if I missed one of your favorite genres, feel free to add it in the “Other” textbox.

Have fun!

~ Sara

Time for a Facelift – and More Updates!

Good evening!

Once again, it’s been a while since my last site update. But, I hope this one will be worth it. First of all, maybe you noticed that my site looks a little different… And you’re correct! I hope you like the new theme, “Dusk to Dawn.” It’s similar to the previous theme I’d been using, but a little darker in color. Let me know what you think by commenting on this post.

And now, here’s a quick summary of all my Sonic Cathedral activity since my last post.

For interviews (click here to go to the Interviews page):

• My latest interview is with American-born singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville, who has just released her first metal album under the stage name of Trillium. Maybe you might know Amanda for her choir and backing vocal work with metal bands such as Avantasia, Kamelot, and Epica – or maybe you know Amanda from her pop/rock solo work. Either way, Trillium’s debut album, Alloy, marks a new and exciting era for Amanda. This interview shows not only how thrilled and passionate Amanda is about her work, but also how incredibly funny she is!
• In October, I talked to one of the most promising symphonic metal bands I’ve heard all year: Divine Ascension, out of Melbourne, Australia. This band mixes their love of movie soundtracks with progressive and power metal influences. The result is DA’s debut album, As The Truth Appears. Guitarist Rob Inglis and singer Jennifer Borg discussed the making of this album, as well as the band’s origins, their music video for “Answers,” and how the band almost went for a male singer instead of a female.
• Also in October, I interviewed two members of the Swedish symphonic metal band Ultimate Fate. Singer Jennie Nord and drummer/grunter Ola Olsson spoke at length about their recently released EP, Beyond the Horizon, as well as their band’s unique blend of classic heavy metal and symphonic influences. They also commented on their experience as one of many bands in the famous – and crowded – Gothenburg metal scene.

And for CD reviews (click here to go to the 2011 CD Reviews page):

• Autumn’s Cold Comfort, which sees the Dutch alternative metal band taking a more progressive and melodic turn in their music. Not everyone will love this next phase of Autumn’s evolution, but I consider Cold Comfort to be the band’s “richest and most intelligent album to date.”
• Divine Ascension’s As The Truth Appears, which (as I implied earlier) is one of my favorite symphonic metal albums this year. DA takes the guitar-driven approach of power and progressive metal, complements it with symphonic arrangements, and lets a singer with a musical theater background take the reins. Perhaps it’s no surprised that I said, “[P]eople should – and will – talk about the Australian band that’s a new rival to Epica, Nighwish, Within Temptation, and other symphonic heavyweights.”
• Losing Scarlet’s Learning to Bleed, one of the heaviest albums I’ve ever reviewed. Imagine Five Finger Death Punch or Bullet For My Valentine, but with a firecracker of a female singer. It’s in-your-face, rebellious, even a little violent (musically speaking). That’s why I said this album is”… a far cry from the complex and sweeping styles you’ll hear from European bands – but Losing Scarlet is an American band, playing distinctly American metal music. And, they play it with balls and fire.”

That’s about it for now. I do have plans to update the Poetry section soon, as well as an idea for a new poll. So, stay tuned!

~ Sara

EDIT – 11/14/2011: Somehow I forgot to enable my comments when I posted this last night. Now you should be able to respond to this post. Sorry about that!

New Review at Suite101: Colbie Caillat’s “All Of You”

My latest CD review was posted at Suite101 tonight! One of my favorite mainstream artists is acoustic pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, and the review is on her latest album All Of You. In some ways, All Of You isn’t much different than Colbie’s two previous studio albums (2007′s Coco and 2009′s Breakthrough). It’s still mellow, optimistic, romantic in a youthful way, and reminiscent of summer days  on the beach. However, Colbie starts to play with her sound on All Of You. How does she fair with this next step in her musical evolution? Well, if I told you that here, that would ruin all the fun, wouldn’t it?

Click here to read my review of “All Of You.”

Updates, Updates, and More Updates!

Happy first day of fall!

As I had promised, I’ve finally made a number of updates to my site. These changes reflect the work I’ve done over the past several months as well as the new websites I’ve become involved with this year. Here is a list of what’s new: