Theatre of Tragedy - Cassandra
I wish more people would use the "beauty and the beast" formula the way Theatre of Tragedy does. Instead of using harsh growls to draw a contrast between the male and female vocals, clean, deep male vocals are utilized. This not only draws more attention to
Liv Kristine's voice once the buildup (first three minutes) of the song reaches its climax, it makes the song sound more like a theatric masterpiece instead of a romp through a low-tier
gothic metal anthem. The male vocals, unlike some others in this oh-so-predictable genre, actually contribute to the song's radiance instead of hindering it.
Sirenia - Meridian
...However, there are some songs that display the ability of growling techniques to be effective. This is certainly one of them. Despite not being a fan of
Morten Veland's voice, it is largely impossible for me to
not admire his ability to evoke all sorts of emotions with the different elements Sirenia presents. Harsh vocals are the staple of the band, and they are prominent throughout the track. They are backed by consistently strong guitar work and keyboards that set up a pace for Sirenia's other two vocal elements - a powerful choir and siren-like female vocalist, in this case the divine
Fabienne Gondamin (in my opinion, Sirenia's only fantastic singer). All of these elements blend seamlessly to create an atmosphere that is immediate recognizable and enchanting.
Indica - Vuorien taa
Fans of
Britney Spears,
Fall Out Boy,
Katy Perry, and other
pop acts, this may interest you. While American artists such as the ones I mentioned have largely perfected The Catchy Hook of the Year™, there are pop communities in other areas of the world with artists just as brilliant, charming, and catchy as those pop divas and scenesters. A good example of this is Indica (or their fellow Finnish pop-rockers,
PMMP). Vuorien taa is a fine summary of Indica's style - infectious and bombastic choruses, graceful vocals, and a wide range of instrumental influences. You may not like Indica upon your first listening, but once you're walking around your local mall while humming their choruses and not realizing it, you'll know you've stumbled upon something amazing.
Amanda Palmer - Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing
If the words "piano", "cabaret", and "bitterness" sound unappealing to you, it's quite obvious that you haven't had your fix of Amanda's brilliant music. Oh yes, Amanda plays a piano, is labelled as
punk cabaret, and is quite bitter. But on top of all that, her music is captivating and - above all - lovable. Sometimes subtelty is the best way to achieve perfection, and Amanda Fucking Palmer is proof of that. "Subtlety" may be a bit misleading, though - the title track to
Who Killed Amanda Palmer is anything but subtle. Starting off with an in-your-face introduction, you are quickly drawn into a quieter section where Amanda's voice sounds absolutely haunting. The whole album has an excellent vibe to it; it shows despair without sounding whiny, and that is quite an accomplishment. But what else can we expect from the better half of
The Dresden Dolls?
Tristania - Crushed Dreams
There is a reason I consider Tristania my favorite band, and tracks like this one are the epitome of why I give them such adoration. I could cite many reasons for this; the most obvious of these are the divine vocals of
Vibeke Stene. I could also mention the bombastic and epic choir, or the theatrics and technical proficiency from the rest of the band. I could, quite literally, go on for pages and pages. But I'll leave it at this: imagine for a second you are wandering down a rather large Victorian city at night. There is a feeling of tension and anticipation in the air, and it is constantly growing thicker and more noticable.
And then, without any kind of warning, you hear a crowd stampeding behind you. Their faces show both rage and despair; in their hands they carry torches and weapons. Men, women, children, servants, nobles - all gathered together, united to fight.
But before anything else, you notice someone in front of you: a beautiful woman with sparkling eyes and a face reflecting her grief. She knows the crowd is out to kill her, and you are the only thing standing in between her and her death.
This is what
World of Glass is to me.
Too dramatic? Perhaps, but I'll take dramatics over shallowness any day.
