Reviews

L'AME IMMORTELLE..'NAMENLOS'

(Trisol Music) Reviewed 4th February 2008

Namenlos offers a mixture of hard but melodic electro sounds, with aggressive and distorted male vocals and emotional melodies with Sonja's crystal-clear hymn-like voice. Pounding industrial dance beats meet heart-breaking Dark Wave synthetic harmonies - reflected German poetry opposes angry English lyrics. After the peotic intro of 'Vergessen', the dance floor filler '1000 Voices' kicks in, swiftly followed by the slower and very melodic 'Behind The Light'. Other faves are 'Requiem', while, the rather brief 'Lost' could be straight out of London's West End...Andrew Lloyd Webber..eat your heart out. The awesome 'Blutrot' and 'Reborn' find the pace picking up again, while the variety on this album keeps you riveted being sung in both German and English. I myself am a fan of this band, and Aimee has high regard for them too. Great stuff from a great duo. 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave).

L'AME IMMORTELLE..'AUF DEINEN SCHWINGEN'

(GUN Records) Reviewed Sept 24th 2006

This latest release by L'Ame Immortelle has sort of crept up on us. And aren't we glad it did. And this band are known amongst some people here in this part of the UK, as they have used local studio facilities (Woodbine Street Studios in Leamington Spa ) in the past! This cd is a gothic pop/metal masterpiece, with the songs sung in either German or English. Every track is a gem, with a mix of gothic melodic rockers or slower ballads, sung in their own original style. It seems that Thomas Rainer and Sonja Kraushofer have hit the spot with this release. Possibly I would say their most commercial to date. The cd kicks off with the title track, a power ballad that starts with an orchestral intro, then kicks in and leaves you picking yourself up of the floor. Generally, apart from the odd slower track, this cd keeps you hanging on til the end..and then you hit repeat! so you can hear it all again!! If gothic pop/metal with touches of electronica so happens to be your cuppa tea, then go and buy! You will NOT be disappointed. Awesome stuff! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LAB..'WHERE HEAVEN ENDS'

(Drakkar Records) Reviewed 7th October 2006

This CD was released last year, and for some reason sneaked in under my radar!! LAB are four guys and a gal (Ana), and are from Latvia so I believe. There are a cluster of countries from that part of the globe that seem to be able to produce the goods. All female Estonian band Vanilla Ninja springs to mind. LAB have a catchy track, 'Where Heaven Gets Dirty' featured on the Beautiful Voices volume 2 DVD, and Drakkar Records consistently release top rated stuff. So what about this CD. It took me a couple of listens, but I love it! Ana's vocals remind me of some other gal, but I can't pinpoint it. But I love her slightly accented sexy vocal style. Standout tracks are a plenty, but I do like the aforementioned 'Where Heaven Gets Dirty', 'Love Like Hell', 'Who Is She' and 'Dog Super Hero'. This is a good effort. It's not Nightwish, but it's a good pop/rock/metal record. 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LACUNA COIL..'SHALLOW LIFE'

(Century Media) Reviewed 21st April 2009

Lacuna Coil are premier league and I suppose if any band was responsible for getting me into the female fronted genre in the first place, Lacuna Coil are one such band that played their part. And 'Shallow Life' is their latest offering and a little corker it is too. Heavy, melodic and amazingly catchy, featuring as always, the dual vocals of the lovely Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, this record rocks. The catchy 'Survive' kicks the cd into action, being followed by the ultra catchy 'I Won't Tell You'. Yep, I like this. 'Third track in 'Not Enough' is another little gem. Indeed, there is a lot of good stuff throughout on this cd - check out 'I Like It', the heavy footstomper 'Underdog' the single 'Spellbound', and the ballad 'Wide Awake' as examples.This album may not be quite as heavy as 'Karmacode', but it is typical Lacuna Coil. It may not be breaking new ground, but if it ain't broken, why fix it? I love it. Recommended....9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LAHANNYA..'SHOTGUN REALITY'

(Kabuki Records) Reviewed 15th Oct 2007

London based Lahannya should not be ignored if this release is anything to go by. 'Shotgun Reality' offers 12 tracks of catchy dark alternative rock, that flirts quite frequently with electro. And some of the tracks on offer here possess more hooks than a Japanese whaling fleet. Kicking off with 'Beautiful Girl' and this particular beautiful gal sure knows how to rock, with second track in, 'Bleed For Me' carrying on the rather strong start to an album, that has class stamped all over it. Without going into detail, every track on this cd is worthy of your attention, and even the slower ones are good - 'Wandering', 'Roundabouts', and 'Losing Yourself' all being faves of mine. Other tracks that I love are 'Silent Victim'....I'll stop there, because they are all that good! We do and rightfully rave about Within Temptation, Epica and Nightwish to name just three. But perhaps we should now start raving about Lahannya. Different style, but sheer class nonetheless. BUY! 9/10 (Reviewed by Dave).

LAHANNYA..'WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND'

(Kabuki records) Reviewed 29th May 2008

Lahannya is a London lass, and her debut cd 'Shotgun Reality' was a very fine effort indeed. 'Welcome To The Underground' is a mini cd featuring new tracks and remixes. I like this lass and I like her music, and so should everybody else that enjoys our beloved genre. 'Welcome To The Underground' carries a message, and is a prequel to a story that will unfold in the next album. This cd paints a bleak picture of our future – a future in which due to fear and lethargy, our nation has sleepwalked into a surveillance society, and our personal lives are under state control. Meanwhile, the music on offer is awesome, and that is including the remixes, while my fave track currently is the title track. But having said that, they are all good. I gave her debut 9/10 and I will do the same with this. Lahannya is British, she is good and she should not be ignored..9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LAHANNYA..'DEFIANCE'

(Kabuki Records) Reviewed 1st October 2009

Since her humble beginnings on the south coast of England, I have followed Lahannya's career with interest since she released the EP 'Drowning' in the year 2000. And it is interesting to see how she has progressed over the past 9 years or so, having also collaberated with such industrial acts as Greenhaus and Soman. Her previous full release, 'Shotgun Reality' was reviewed by myself back in October 2007, and her 'Welcome To The Underground' EP got my juices flowing too. So what about 'Defiance'? Well it is an impressive release by Lahannya the band, and proves that us Brits have got what it takes to take on mainland Europe. 'Prelude' is an awesome gothic sounding intro that leads into the pounding 'Dying Inside' that should become a fave on the live circuit. Indeed, Lahannya should open any live show with these two. The cd pounds along, with every cut a fave of mine. This release is heavier than 'Shotgun Reality', with less electro and more umphh in the guitar department, but keeps her real sense of melody. I have seen Lahannya live and I even bought the lass a drink in Birmingham a few months back. I would like to see real label support for Lahannya as I honestly believe she and her band who take her name, have the world at their feet. This is a very good record in the industrial gothic rock/metal genre. By giving her last two releases a 9/10, I really set the bench mark. Well, I am going to up the ante at 9.5/10. So buy! (Reviewed by Dave)

AVRIL LAVIGNE..'THE BEST DAMN THING'

(Sony/BMG) Reviewed 19th April 2007

'LetGo' was a decent album..'Under My Skin' was better. What about 'TheBest Damn Thing'. I dunno!! Looking at the piccies on the cd inlay,Avril Lavigne is not sure whether she wants to be a teenager, or ayoung adult. And I think that sums up the music on the cd too. I wouldhave liked her to have made the progress she made from cd 1 to cd2 andcarried it onto her third release. But it seems she has taken abackward step. OK, 'The Best Damn Thing' may go down well in theplayground, but the decent music listening public may be a littledisappointed. The best track on the cd to my ears is 'Runaway', a rockytrack similar to some of the stuff on 'Under My Skin'. And I don't mindthe three ballads here either. The overall feel of the cd is ok, you dofind yourself tapping your feet on occasion, but I was also at timeslosing interest. Having said that, I suppose you cannot please all ofthe people all of the time. I am not a Spring Chicken anymore :) but Ido like young Avril. Nonetheless, I would like to think she may be ableto do better when she gets around to recording cd number 4. 6.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave).

LA-VENTURA..'A NEW BEGINNING'

(Independent Release) Reviewed 28th Sept 2007

Fronted by Carla, this Dutch band has released a strong independent release that is gothy and melodic, and would fit quite comfortably into any gothy female fronted fan's cd collection. In places there are similarites to Evanescence and maybe Lacuna Coil. Fave tracks are 'Memoria', Trefoil', 'Cry' and the awesome title track 'A New Beginning'. Support female fronted music and purchase this cd from La-Ventura's myspace site, http://www.myspace.com/laventura. And a note from the band. ONLY purchase this cd via THEIR myspace site, as there are some illegal sub standard CDR's floating around. Even cdbaby.com are unwittingly selling them! This is a very good release worthy of your attention! 8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LEAVES' EYES..'MY DESTINY'

(Napalm Records) Reviewed 25th July 2009

This is a taster for the forthcoming album "Njord" due at the latter end of August. So how about a taster review? First and foremost, Leaves' Eyes are one of my favourite bands, and I have great admiration for Liv Kristine and Alexander Krull. Not only is Alexander an awesome musician, he produces and mixes more or less everything, and the lucky man is even married to Liv. As for this little effort...of course, it is awesome. Six cool tracks here including a track that has raised my interests. 'The Battle of Maldon' (track two) relates to a battle that took place on the shores of the River Blackwater in Essex in 991AD, when the Anglo-Saxons took an historic stand against a Viking invasion . Why bore you with this trivia I hear you ask. I lived very near there once and it interests me, that's why!! Musically I like this little effort, typically Leaves' Eyes, with my fave track being 'Northbound'. For fans of the band and for fans of the genre..a must buy. 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LEAVES' EYES..'NJORD'

(Napalm Records) Reviewed 19th August 2009

I will admit that Leaves' Eyes are one of my top female fronted bands, ranking alongside Within Temptation, Nightwish and Lacuna Coil. Their music is awesome and Liv's vocals send shivers up and down my spine, So what about this latest offering. Let's just say this is just a colossal piece of music by musicians that are top of their league, and very near untouchable in this genre at this current moment in time. Kicking off with the atmospheric and heavy 6 minute plus title track, I know I am going to like this record...lots. Second track in, 'My Destiny' featured on the recent EP, and I am totally bewitched already by the music on this album. And it is only track 2! This is typical Leaves' Eyes (if it ain't broken, why fix it?), it rocks, it is heavy and it is so melodic. All the tracks here are top drawer, but songs worthy of a mention include the uptempo and catchy 'Take The Devil In Me', 'Northbound', 'The Holy Bond' and the epic 8 minute plus 'Froya's Theme'. And let's not forget 'Scarborough Fair'. Excellent and totally absorbing. The Vikings are coming - bring them on! 'Njord' gets released end of August/start of Sept...this is a MUST BUY! 10/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LEGENDA AUREA..'SEDNA'

(Twilight Zone Records) Reviewed 20th November 2008

The foundation stone of Swiss band Legenda Aurea was laid in August of 2005, when Renato Trinkler and Martin Roth united to create a new band. Even without knowing what was going to happen, the main aspects of the musical concepts were clear: a blending of Symphonic Metal with Opera chant. Originally fronted by a Melissa Derrer, things didn't quite work out with the aforementioned Ms Derrer, so Claudia Hofer was recruited to the lead vox slot. There are obvious Tarja era Nightwish influences on this release, but it ain't bad. Certainly a cd for fans of opera style vocals. There are no grunts here, but the awesome AOR sounding 'It's Over' is sung in the main by Christian Graf who also produced, engineered and mixed this little opus. One little gripe. I never quite understand instrumentals, and there is an untitled intrumental on 'Sedna' that occupies track 8. Just that one filler, otherwise a good cd. Get it from Amazon! 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LEGENDA AUREA..'ELLIPSIS'

(Twilight Zone Records) Reviewed 25th March 2009

I love this band. They came at me like a turbo charged express train a few months ago with their 'Sedna' release, and not yet having got that out of my system, along comes their latest..'Ellipsis'. And the band sure have upped the anti with this record. A new vocalist so it seems, the lass in question being Simone Christinat. 'Ellipsis' offers a feast of progressive melodic power metal with awesome operatic vocals from Simone, and subtle hints of electronica throughout. Yep, I like it. 'Reflections' is what kicks this album off, and it is a feast of metal from the start. Other awesome tracks are 'Discouraged', 'Superbia', 'Outbreak', 'Abscondence Pt II' (awesome orchestration and vocals on this epic track by the way) and 'Resurrection'. If you had the chance to pick up a copy of 'Sedna' then this release is a natural progression from their debut, and is even better, if you are missing Tarja era Nightwish, then this record has to be worth a listen. If this Swiss band carry on like this, then they will be moving into the premier league with their next release. However, maybe they are now already there. Cool stuff..8.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

The LEGION OF HETHERIA..'CHOICES'

(Renaissance Records) Reviewed 30th June 2008

Mexican band The Legion of Hetheria was born back in 2002, founded by Rick and Jesus (the Loera brothers). And it seems they have not been sitting on their laurels as the band have played with After Forever, To Die For and Epica amongst others. Now onto 'Choices', their second cd I believe. This album mixes female operatic vocals, clean vocals, tenor vocals and extreme vocals. The female vocals come compliments of Maria Victoria Perez and all the male vox by Rick Loera, who also handles guitars and synths too. Quite a talented bunch by all accounts. Like the Sellisternium cd I have just reviewed, 'Choices' is not one for anybody who loves loadsa hooks and catchy choruses, but this a pretty good and rather intense release from the Renaissance stable. My fave tracks on the record being 'Sacrifice', 'Der Holle Rache' (by Mozart!), and the more melodic 'World Of Fantasy'. 'Choices' will take a few listens to sink in, but it will and I like it. Check it out! 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LENNON..'DAMAGED GOODS'

(John Gait Entertainment) Reviewed 1st October 2006

I myself like a girl with attitude, and this girl has it!! I have much of the earlier stuff Lennon has recorded, so most of the songs here I am already familiar with. In-fact, 11 tracks on this cd are re-recordings of earlier songs, plus 6 new ones. So 17 tracks of modern hard rock for your money can't be bad. Every track on this cd is good value for the money spent too. I don't have a favourite here, as they are all my favourites! OK, 11 songs have been given face lifts, but so what..job well done as far as I am concerned. And 'Damaged Goods' is a good introduction for anybody who is curious about the young Lennon Murphy. And you should be! Amazon.co.uk have it, and as far as I know, it can be ordered through the usual outlets, so don't just sit there!! Buy it! 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

TORI LETZLER..'BEHIND CLOSED EYES'

(Independent Release) Reviewed 6th November 2009

Living in New York City, Tori has been singing professionally since the age of seven, started playing the piano at age five, and has been writing music for as long as she can remember. And this is a good little release we have here that has come as a pleasant surprise to Mr Ravenheart. Some good songs kicking off with 'Alive', starting with a cool piano intro before the rest of the band kick in. The title track follows a similar formula, and is another equally good track. With tracks like 'Any Other Day', the rocky 'Break You' (proving this girl rocks too) and 'Take Me', Tori is proof of a hard working musician that does what she believes in, and makes good music. This is worth checking out and it can be purchased at cdbaby.com. Also check Tori out at www.myspace.com/toriletzler. Lovely! 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LIGHTLESS MOOR..'RENEWAL'

(Independent Release) Reviewed 16th September 2008

The music that Italian band Lightless Moor (fronted by Ilaria Falchi) has to offer is dark, gothic and occasionally progressive metal, not too disimilar in some respects to the Napalm Records band Draconian, and maybe even very early Within Temptation. 'Renewal' is a five track EP, offering 27+ mins of Beauty and the Beast metal, and I like it. Opening track 'Lightless Moor' is one of my faves on the record. 7+ minutes of dark metal with a beautiful interlude midway. And the last track, which is the title track, is a brief outtro that has a folky feel about it. Cool stuff. Vocally at times on this recording, I am reminded on occasion of Sharon Den Adel, and that to my ears is not a bad thing. This band are obviously very hard working, and this release proves yet again the quality of hard working unsigned talent out there, that for some weird reason seems to escape the notice of the record labels. This is Gothy, this is dark - take my advice, check the band out at www.myspace.com/lightlessmoor , and then buy! Simple really!! 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LIQUID SKY..'IDENTITY'

(Insomnia Media) Reviewed 10th February 2008

I grew up listening to melodic hard rock, but in those days there was not the femme metal bands that we have now. I also have had the honour recently to review very good albums by British metal bands Adastreia and Crimson Tears. Now we can add Liquid Sky to that list. Fronted by the gorgeous Hecate Taglietti (there is some Italian there somewhere, Jon the guitarist tells me), the band has released a debut album of awesome proportion, which has left me begging for more. I had known about the existence of this band for a couple of years or so now, and I saw them live in 2006 supporting my buddies XANDRIA. Back to 'Identity', this is a very good melodic hard rock album, by a band that should not only take Europe, but the world by storm with this release. I won't list the best tracks as they are all that good. I can only puzzle at the fact why the bigger labels tend to ignore the talent that the UK obviously has. The production is spot on, and with mixing by Karl Groom (Threshold), this cd is a winner. 9/10 (Reviewed by Dave).

THE LOVECRAVE..'THE ANGEL AND THE RAIN'

(Repo Records Germany) Reviewed 11th November 2006

The LoveCrave are an amazing Italian band whose craft is to create a catchy tune. And that is excactly what you get on this CD. The LoveCrave are NOT ‘just another’ Gothic Metal act, but a fresh and well balanced hybrid of Gothic, Metal and Electro Pop, with timeless hook lines and memorable melodies! The rumour mill tells us that some of the songs on this cd are already being picked up on the London club circuit. And that does not surprise us at all. This cd is chock full of catchy danceable songs. It all kicks off with 'Vampires (The Light That We Are)', and does not stop until you hit repeat at the end, and play it all over again. Personal faves are 'Can You Hear Me' and 'The Angel And The Rain', two of the aforementioned songs that we are told, are hitting the London club scene. Overall, this is a very good cd, which proves how diverse we here at Ravenheart like our music. And furthermore, they play the Camden Underworld on January 20th. Be there!! 9/10 (Reviewed by Dave and Aimee)

LUCID FLY..'THE ESCAPE STAGE' EP

(Independent Release) Reviewed 9th September 2009

Lucidfly have been in existence in one form or another since 1998. Their name comes from the American astronaut Shannon Lucid who set the record for the longest spell in space by any woman, which helps explain the title of this, their second EP, the first being released back in 2005. This is alt rock with a mixture of Lacuna Coil and Evanescence, with a hint of progressive. Nikki has a good, powerful, emotive voice, perfectly suited to the 5 songs that move effortlessly from soft to heavy. My favourite track is ‘Alohum’ which really shows off their range and power. This is a highly promising EP, and if they can record their debut full length with a top producer who can sprinkle some stardust, then they could be very successful. The tracks can be downloaded from their Myspace site, www.myspace.com/lucidfly. 8/10 (Reviewed by Phil)

LUCID SPIRAL..'FROM WITHIN'

(Independent Release) Reviewed 29th Sept 2007

Lucid Spiral fronted by Brandy Foltz are from the USA and 'From Within' is a strong industrial metal album. And this album should set your feet tapping if nothing else. It is heavy but at the same time melodic. Listen to 'Sacrifice', 'Broken', 'Don't', 'I'll Always Be' and 'Dreams In The Dark' for proof of this. And the other tracks on this 12 track affair are strong too. This cd is another good indie release and can be purchased at cdbaby.com. 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave).

LUCY AND THE LOST BOYS..'OUT OF NOWHERE'

(Independent Release) Reviewed 31st August 2007

Fronted by Lucy Gill, Kidderminster based Lucy and The Lost Boys play a bluesy, funky soulful type of music. And this gal in my opinion has one hell of a voice. All out rock or metal this ep is not, but for anybody who enjoys this aforementioned soulful funky sorta music, then this cd is worth checking out. It is only a 12 minute effort, but the 4 tracks on offer showcase this band really well. This ep was handed to my daughter to give to me by Lucy's Dad. He should feel immensely proud of his daughter. In his shoes, I know I would be! A fine effort - check them out on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/lucyandthelostboys 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave).

LUNACY BOX..S/T

(New Model Label/Black Fading Records) Reviewed 1st July 2009

Lunacy Box (www.myspace.com/lunacybox) is an Italian Goth pop/rock band with hints of electronica, and this sorta thing is currently right up my alleyway. They are led by Ms Larsen on vox, and to be frank, this band deserve to go far with their Siouxsie and the Banshee style influences that readily spring to mind (the track 'Broken Dreams' in particular). The album gets going with the awesome and rather catchy 'Wrong Lane', and the momentum continues with 'Save'. I love it! The aforementioned 'Broken Dreams' and 'No Turning Back' are fave tracks of mine, while the band also do an awesome cover of the Filter song, 'Hey Man, Nice Shot'. The whole 10 track package is well produced by guitarist Cristiano Santini (former singer of controversial Italian band Disciplinatha), is chock full of catchy songs and is well worth checking out. Get in the right lane, get your gothy gear on and buy this album! Awesome stuff!! 9/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LUNATICA..'THE EDGE OF INFINITY'

(Frontiers Records) Reviewed 23rd Sept 2006

This is Lunatica's third album. It seems their first is rather hard to get hold of, but their second cd, 'Fables and Dreams' was a fairly good offering. The vocals on that album sort of reminded me of what Kylie Minogue might sound like fronting a rock band! Vocally, this latest offering sounds similar. 'The Edge Of Infinity' has eleven tracks on offer, and the musicianship and songwriting is first class. 'Who You Are' is a hit record in the making, while 'Out' reminds me of Evanescence, and could well be another hit. I also like 'Song For You' which is a duet with John Payne (ex Asia). Things taper away a wee bit during the second half of the album, but a rather good album nonetheless. With Nightwish in transition, this cd could hit the spot with the buying public. 7.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LUNATICA..'NEW SHORES'

(Napalm Records) Reviewed 1st March 2009

I have been a fan of Lunatica since their earlier days and I have been following the band's progress with interest. And I must say that this release sees them entering the premier league, and they must now surely be in a position to give Nightwish et al a run for their money. Certainly there is a maturity to this release that is very pleasing to the ear, and maybe that is due perhaps to the switch of labels from Frontiers to the awesome Napalm Records - Napalm sure know how to handle our beloved genre. The excellent title track kicks this record off, offering subtle touches of electronica. The catchy 'Two Dreamers' sees the album entering a rather more symphonic mode, and although 'New Shores' is classed as a Symphonic Metal release, there is more on this record than that, which in turn should appeal to a wider range of femme metal fan. 'Farewell My Love' offers up a duet with the powerful vocals of John Payne, he of Asia fame, and indeed John did also put in an appearance on Lunatica's last album too. There is a fair mix of songs on this album from rockers (the title track and 'My Hardest Walk' as two examples) to ballads (the super 'How Did It Come To This'), and I have a feeling that 2009 is gonna be one hell of a year for our beloved genre. This cd is confirmation of that and will be easy to get hold of aswell, so don't just sit there, go and buy it. Great stuff with every track a winner to my ears! I love it!! 9.5/10 (Reviewed by Dave)

LYCK..S/T

(Independent Release) Reviewed 12th October 2008

Lyck is a band who live just a few minutes from Ravenheart Towers here in Kidderminster, and if you ask me, has enormous potential. Fronted by two female vocalists, with the main vocal duties falling on the shoulders of Cornish lass, Zennor McGuire, this band offer a menagarie of classic rock with subtle undertones of Seattle grunge. 'Truths of Affection' kicks the album off, and the cd continues in a similar style throughout it's 35+ minutes. Other faves being 'False Promises' and 'Memory Lane'. I like this album, and I like Lyck, and I feel that they have got what it takes given the right promotion and backing. So we at Ravenheart have offered them just that! Zennor, who has a great performing arts pedigree (and her Dad who sadly passed away 10 years ago, was a top musician), also has a helluva voice that if honest, is like a good wine. It get's better as she gets a little older. I am sure Zennor will not mind me saying that :) For enquiries regarding the album or indeed the band itself, contact me via this website. 8/10 (Reviewed by Dave).

LYRIEL..'AUTUMNTALES'

(Black Bards Entertainment) Reviewed 5th May 2008

'Autumn Tales' is 14 tracks of Folk rock/metal, which genre wise possibly best describes this release by German band Lyriel. It ain't bad with the violins and cello quite prominent throughout this release. Vocally at times, Jessica Thierjung sounds like Lisa (ex Xandria), and indeed, I understand that Lyriel have toured with Xandria in the past. 'Autumn Tales' also features a guest appearance by the late Sabine Dunser (Elis). There is nothing that really leaps out at you on this release, and I personally think the album does begin to sound a little samey as you are listening to it. Nonetheless, it is okay, but I would like to see more ooommmppphhh in the guitar department next time. My faves are 'The Promised Land' and the slower 'Autumn Tales'. This is not Premier League stuff, but I would like to hear how they progess as and when they release their next record 7/10 (Reviewed by Dave).