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I hope this text can serve as a gateway to discovering a band that you enjoy as much as I do!
I hope this text can serve as a gateway to discovering a band that you enjoy as much as I do!
by Pedro Andrade
Hail Wikibrothers!
Everyone has "that" band, or even several bands, that only you seem to know in Brazil, but you think their sound is really good and you can't understand why they aren't at least a little more well-known.
So I came here to write, not about the classic bands that were the foundation for our introduction to the wonderful world of Rock and Heavy Metal, nor about bands we've heard of or know more or less because they're growing and conquering their space in the current Metal scene, but rather about the truly underground bands, completely unknown but who made a big difference in my musical life, and if it weren't for a very random event generated by the universe, I might never have come into contact with their work, and if I hadn't taken advantage of that first chance I would rarely have had another opportunity. And I would have missed out on a lot of good things, believe me!
So Wikibrothers, I hope this text can be, at least for some readers, that completely chance event of the Cosmos and serve as a gateway to discovering a band that you like as much as I like it!
1 – Ancient Bards
Well, as the band's name suggests, it's something with an epic theme! It's a mix of Power and Symphonic Metal, with a female lead vocalist, several catchy choruses, well-crafted melodies, and some very long songs. Okay, I know it doesn't sound like anything new; we know several bands that fit this description, but the Italian band Ancient Bards manages to have a very unique sound. Starting with Sara Squadrani's voice, which isn't the typical soprano style common in Symphonic Metal.
I've never seen an interview with them, nor read anything official, but if I had to guess, I'd say Avantasia and Rhapsody of Fire are a major influence on the band. Even so, the sound they produce is still far from what those bands produce. I don't know if I can pinpoint the exact reason, but it's simply not just another Power Metal band like many others out there; it's authentic, original.
The albums are conceptual (that is, each song makes up a new part of the story they invented) and currently they only have two studio albums, "The Alliance of Kings" from 2010 and "Souless Child" (this one is the best) from 2011. They are about to release their third album this year and complete this trilogy called "The Black Crystal Sword Saga".
As you can see, it's a recent band, but one that has already captivated me with their work and is a real treat for those who played RPGs in their childhood/adolescence, read Tolkien, and enjoy epic music.
2 – Cornerstone
Of all the bands I'm going to talk about here, this is the one I least understand why it never gained more prominence in the metal scene. It features the excellent Dougie White on vocals. Fans of Malmsteen should remember him, or those who followed the search for Iron Maiden's new vocalist in the 90s, which ended up going to Blaze.
Describing the band's sound is a bit difficult; it's a mix of traditional Heavy and Hard Rock, with a slightly progressive feel in some songs. Again, based purely on my guess, I'd say Deep Purple, Rainbow, and Bruce Dickinson's solo career are their main influences… I don't know, all their albums remind me a little of those bands at some point, but they're heavier than those three.
Their sound doesn't bring any real "innovation," they don't push the boundaries of more traditional sounds with any kind of experimentation, but the songs are still excellent. In all their albums we can find wonderful compositions, from more tranquil and acoustic songs to songs with that kind of catchy beat that makes you crank up the volume and punch whoever's next to you in the face because the chorus is so awesome!
For those interested, I recommend the albums “Human Stain” (2002), “Once Upon Our Yesterdays” (2004), and “Two Tales of One Tomorrow” (2007). Although each has its own particularities, I think all three fit well into the brief description I gave above, so choose the album with the coolest name in your opinion and start with that one!
3 – Dragonland
Is that a Power Metal band with that name? Haha… It is, but don't be fooled. Dragonland's sound has absolutely nothing to do with the atmosphere suggested by the name. In fact, their songs have themes much closer to subjects like astronomy, the universe, mathematics, and quantum physics than medieval themes.
The band is originally from Sweden and plays an extremely mature and high-quality sound, with interesting compositions that break away from a commercial structure through beautiful and captivating melodies, furious solos, ethereal atmospheres, and equally interesting lyrics… That is, in the tracks that have lyrics, because some are instrumental, but they're not the kind that make you lazy to listen to. The quality is also evident in all the instrumentalists in the band in their respective positions, and in the vocals of Jonas Heidgert and the excellent Elise Ryd (who is becoming more well-known now), who participates in some songs to form an incredible male/female vocal duet!
I know Dragonland is from 1999, so they have more albums, but I'll stick to recommending only the two I know, and which fit what was said above about the band, because I don't know if the rest of their discography maintains the same style… I'll listen to them in the future to find out. The albums are “Starfall” (2004) and “Astronomy” (2006). I can't say which is better, both are extremely well-crafted, from the cover art to the very last second of the last track. I think Astronomy is a bit heavier than its predecessor. This is a recommendation for those who like Power Metal but aren't interested in listening to songs about unicorns and dragons.
4 – Lyriel
The band originates from Germany and plays a sound that blends Symphonic and Folk Metal, with noticeable elements of classical music in its purest form.
If I had to summarize Lyriel in a single sentence, it would be: Disney in a Metal version. I say this because several Disney classics have soundtracks (excellent ones, by the way) based on elements of classical music, but at the same time they are contemporary, current, and always carry a very clear atmosphere about a particular theme. And that's exactly what Lyriel represents in the world of music, in my opinion, but with its Metal touch, to make everything even more beautiful.
Making extensive use of violins and cellos that create beautiful and captivating melodies over rather heavy guitar riffs, coupled with Jessica Thierjung's sweet voice, Lyriel delivers an extremely original sound, sometimes playing beautiful Symphonic Metal, sometimes flirting with Folk Metal and Scandinavian melodies.
I know there are many metalheads who turn their noses up at this subgenre because the sound isn't as "true" as Slayer, etc., or simply because it's a branch of metal that deviates a bit from the common ground we've become accustomed to thanks to the excellent bands that established us in the Heavy Metal universe. But I also know there are many people who like it, who are interested in finding new and different things out there, and I think for them, Lyriel can be a real treat! But I must say that I introduced this band to several people and found some surprising results! I have a "true" friend who even ended up looking for more of their music.
Finally, to conclude my recommendations for those interested, I suggest the albums "Paranoid Circus" (2011) and "Leverage" (2012).
5 – Plastique
To avoid using stronger terms like "I hate" or "I can't stand it," I think it's important to make it clear that, like probably 99% of Wikimetal readers, I have no sympathy whatsoever for electronic music, and especially not for Indie or Alternative Rock (whichever you prefer to call it).
So, don't ask me why, because not even modern physics could explain why I like Plastique, because the sound they make is exactly a very alternative rock with an electronic edge. But I simply got hooked on their sound for a while. It has good guitar riffs, inhospitable melodies, and other elements completely different from everything else I usually listen to.
The band is from London, but the guitarist, Fábio Couto, is Brazilian. To briefly explain: I discovered this band because Fábio is a listener of a podcast I also listen to, which is basically about video games, and then there was this episode where they invited him to participate. They mentioned the band, I looked them up to see what they were about, and I got interested. And this is a good example of those chance events that the universe prepares for us, which I referred to at the beginning of the text.
I have to admit I was full of prejudices, thinking the band was going to be rubbish, and I was completely wrong. Well, there's the most unusual recommendation I could give. If you're not open-minded enough to listen to something truly different, don't even bother, but if you're somehow interested, the album "#Socialscar" (2013) is what made me really appreciate their work.
6 – Witch Mountain
Of all the lesser-known bands I've mentioned here, Witch Mountain is by far the most underground! But that doesn't make them any less deserving of attention than the others. Quite the opposite, this band is truly remarkable!
They hail from Portland, USA, and play a very "roots" and high-quality Doom/Stoner Metal. When I talked about the other bands, I always emphasized originality, and I think Witch Mountain represents that concept very well. The influence of Black Sabbath is clearly noticeable in their music, but heavier and with a strong blues feel. This, combined with Uta Plotkin's fierce vocals, who sings both clean and smooth vocals as well as raspy and demonic guttural vocals.
It's a heavy sound, but the heaviness of Stoner Metal is different from the heaviness of Thrash, Death Metal, and other more extreme genres. In the case of Witch Mountain, there isn't as much of a presence of double bass pedals that sound like triple ones. In fact, the drums are quite slow in some songs, which contributes to a very somber atmosphere, and the bass stands out quite a bit, holding down the rhythm section while the single guitar plays its solos, very much in the style of early Black Sabbath.
This band had a song ( Veil of the Forgotten ) on Metal Swim, a Heavy Metal compilation from Adult Swim (yes, the channel with the silly cartoons). I think everyone who was a kid in the early 2000s watched that mess! haha
I recommend the albums "Cauldron of the Wild" and "South of Salem," both from 2012.
Well, I think that's it, guys. I tried to select 6 very varied examples. I love it when people recommend bands to me, and I really enjoy it, plus I think it's important to keep Rock/Heavy Metal alive by sharing new bands when I think they're doing outstanding work, and these 6 I mentioned mean a lot to me! But what about you? What's your opinion? If anyone already knew any of these gems or has similar examples of bands to recommend, leave them in the comments too!
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
Click here to see other texts by WikiBrother Pedro Andrade.
