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One of the defining characteristics of this style is its speed. However, what we are seeing now is a wave of "acoustic versions" being released by the bands themselves
by Rosa Moraes
Yes, I'm old enough to say "in my day..."!
Back then, Stratovarius, Helloween, Sonata Arctica, Blind Guardian, Angra and the like were our "Gods" of metal. Melodic Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, Speed Metal—I don't know how to classify these bands, and you know what? I think I never knew. I know there will be a lot of people crucifying me for this and a bunch of other things I'll write about from now on, but whatever , I'm old enough not to give a damn about that.
One of the defining characteristics of this style(s) has always been the speed, marked by a mind-blowing drum beat (okay, that term is awful, but I couldn't find a more precise description). And yet, what we see now is a wave of "acoustic versions" being released by the bands themselves: the same bands that filled concert halls with crazed fans (!!) during their tours in Brazil in the early 2000s (or am I old enough to say "at the turn of the millennium"? 😉).
I thought about this when I saw the announcement for Grave Digger's acoustic shows this year, here in Brazil. And I remembered the hilarious "Unarmed," the commemorative album released by Helloween in 2010, with their greatest hits re-recorded in acoustic and symphonic versions. I love that album, seriously! My favorite is definitely "I Want Out." I keep dreaming about Andi Deris dressed as a Paquita (a Brazilian children's TV show character).
One of the most surprising partnerships in the "heavy guitar and stool" genre was created by vocalist Timo Kotipelto – frontman of the iconic Stratovarius – with guitarist Jani Liimatainen, who ten years ago was considered a phenomenon with his work in Sonata Arctica. They had already been performing in bars and restaurants in Finland with their acoustic versions and covers for some years, but only at the end of 2012 was "Blackoustic" released, a CD that brings together some of the songs from their live repertoire, including Stratovarius hits like "Black Diamond," Sonata Arctica's "My Selene," and covers like Pete Townshend's classic "Behind Blue Eyes." Personally, I recommend that every Stratovarius fan listen to the acoustic version of "Speed of Light" and try to disagree that this is a track that was born to be acoustic. The version presented on "Blackoustic" has a very different atmosphere from the original, which even sheds new light on the lyrics. My word as an "old school" fan: unmissable.
Another highlight is the album's only unreleased track, the song "Where My Rainbow Ends," written and composed by Liimatainen: a very beautiful ballad that demonstrates how much Jani has grown as a musician since leaving Sonata Arctica. Although his projects have received less international attention, recent news about his work has always appeared discreetly. The song "Lost," which qualified the Finnish boy band Arion for the Eurovision finals, is his work. The lyrics offer a delicate approach to the issue of domestic child abuse and were written specifically with a theme that the band and its audience (young people aged 12 to 20-something, who if they were Brazilian would probably be listening to Restart) in mind. But don't be fooled: even teenage bands there are very different from here. So, pretend you didn't see what I wrote about boy bands and check out Arion's work.
Returning to “Blackoustic,” it only has one “minor flaw”: it hasn't been released in a Brazilian version (yet). It's possible to buy it online, and even find official merchandise from the duo, aptly named “Kotipelto & Liimatainen” (no, I'm not kidding). But jokes aside, I particularly can't understand how a project like this goes unnoticed even among long-time “obsessed” with Finnish Metal. Timo Kotipelto has a confirmed visit to Brazil in May, with the tour to launch Stratovarius' new album, “Nemesis.” Liimatainen also has some collaboration on it. But the acoustic show that fills all sorts of bars in Finland still doesn't have a scheduled landing here, although the musicians appear excited about the possibility of a South American tour in the official CD launch trailer.
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
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