Tystnaden

Tystnaden is a band from Italy that I discovered several years ago. Though they've been around since 1999, it seems they've never achieved any significant amount of recognition, to the point that they don't even have an entry on Wikipedia and when I type their name into YouTube the first thing that comes up is a Swedish movie from 1963. In fact, I believe the band was named after this movie, if I remember correctly. Though the band is Italian, the word 'tystnaden' is not - it is actually Swedish for 'silence'

This isn't a band I've followed very loyally over the years. In fact, I didn't even know until just now that vocalist Laura De Luca left the band, which apparently happened a couple of years back. Laura was the vocalist on all of their album releases, but their Facebook page now has a ton of photos of new vocalist Giada Etro, who seems to have been performing live with the band as far back as 2013. That's what I get for not paying attention. That being said, I can't offer any opinions on Giada's vocals, as I've never heard her sing. Laura, on the other hand, had a very distinct voice and accent. The accent was a little strong for me, as it seemed she didn't actually speak English that well (and all of their lyrics are in English) but I do think she is a quality vocalist and can't be faulted for her accent. I can only imagine how horrible my accent would sound if I attempted to sing in Italian!

Anyway their music has been a bit hit-or-miss with me, but they do have several songs that I think are fantastic. They are touted as gothic metal, but some of their music is a bit too nu-metal sounding for my taste. However, not all of it is. I think that fans of bands like Epica and Lacuna Coil might like Tystnaden as well -- if they are fond of clean female vocals mixed with male grunty/growly vocals.

One thing that I really like in their music is how certain songs have very obvious Italian elements. One of the cool things about metal bands existing all over the world is when bands include elements of their country's traditional music in their metal.

Here are a few Tystnaden songs I really like. The first is a beautiful ballad that really speaks to me musically and lyrically. The other two are just really cool metal songs that also feature those Italian-sounding elements I spoke of.

Hysterica's First Video - Lock Up Your Son

After ten years, two full-length albums and one EP, badass metal chicks Hysterica have finally released their first music video.

I love this band. Their first album was good, but their second one is one of my favorite albums. Almost every song on it is solid, one of those albums I can listen to all the way through without skipping anything. I appreciate that their music seems to incorporate several different subgenres of metal: power, doom, death, etc. but overall, it is just pure, unadulterated metal. I feel the same about their vocalist. She has some pretty impressive pipes, and I like that she just gets out there and sings her heart out. It sometimes seems like there are only two types of female singers in metal anymore: the "operatic" female voice and the "death growl" voice. This chick is just a metal singer who gives it her all.

When they announced last year or so that they had signed with a new label, I was hoping that something like this would happen. And I hope that they continue to move forward and receive the recognition they deserve. They have only released a 5-song EP on the new label so far, but the future is promising.

Hysterica seems to be continuing down the path of awesomeness with their new single, Lock Up Your Son, which has now been released as their first ever music video. It's a pretty straight-forward video, but I love the song!

Deathlike Silence

Every once in a while I need to be reminded how much I love this band. Their sound, their lyrics, their unique female singer who is a breath of fresh air to me (and easier to sing along with because her range and tone are similar to mine), their kitschy horror image, even the hearse they carry their instruments around in. I think it's time for a third Deathlike Silence album!

I'm having trouble figuring out how to post videos from the Blogger Android app, but if you have a moment, pop over to YouTube and check out their low-budget music video, "Six Feet Under the Ground." While you're there, take a listen to some of their other songs too. If you like a more classic metal sound, you just might enjoy Deathlike Silence with their horror-themed lyrics atop classically fun metal guitars.

Edit: Now that I'm at a PC, here's the video for your viewing pleasure:

Good Music vs. Bad

First, I present to you one of the worst songs I've ever heard: "Want U Back" by Cher Lloyd. I consider it an awful song for the following reasons:

1. The lyrics are one of the dumbest things ever written. If you don't want to watch the video below, or can't make it through the whole thing, you should at least read the lyrics to get the full effect of their stupidity.

2. She sings the entire thing in a very annoying, whiny voice, sounding exactly like the spoiled brat the lyrics portray.

3. There's basically no musical creativity involved in this song at all. I think a 12-year-old could have written better.

4. They couldn't even spell out the word "You" for heaven's sakes.

Now, onto a song I personally consider one of my favorites: "Scaretale" by Nightwish. Even if it isn't your cup of tea you can probably still admit that it's a good song because:

1. It was incredibly well thought-out and composed, with an AWESOME heavy guitar riff that is one of my favorites EVER, surrounded by thematic orchestral and choral arrangements, and perfectly-placed background elements that bring a new level to a multi-dimensional piece of music.

2. The lyrics are poetic and bring to mind very vivid images of the landscape created by both the musical atmosphere and the general theme of the song and album it came from.

3. No matter how much you hate Anette Olzon, you have to admit that the witch-like voice she puts on in this song is fitting and she does a good job changing her voice to fit the theme of the song.

4. If reasons 1-3 didn't convince you, it will still sound a thousand times better in comparison with the first song I posted.

Welcome to the Blog! + Hysterica

Welcome and thanks for stopping by my brand-new metal-focused blog. As a proper opening, I thought this song seemed appropriate. It is by all-female, Swedish metal band Hysterica -- The Girls Made of Heavy Metal. I suggest doing as the video title says and switching to High Quality if it defaults to a lower quality version. This is a great video and I love this band full of kick-ass metal ladies who know how to make awesome music and have fun doing it.