The Shadow Theory

Now that I've had two weeks and have listened to the album in its entirety a good 10 times (at least), these are the tracks from Kamelot's new album, The Shadow Theory, that I consider to be my 5 favorites.

1. Vespertine (My Crimson Bride) [track 11]. An almost instant favorite, this song is so classic Kamelot that I almost expect Roy Khan to be singing it. It stands out among the rest of the album, and although I love the heavier, darker sound they have now, I appreciate this throwback to when they were a bit more upbeat and power metal. Despite becoming my favorite so quickly, and despite listening to it many times (on repeat on a few occasions), I show no signs of getting tired of it.

2. Burns to Embrace [track 5]. There's something chillingly beautiful about a choir of children singing, "We are the last to walk the Earth." It was a great choice to end the song that way, basically saying, "If things don't improve, there is no future and this generation will be the last." I appreciate the apocalyptic imagery and sound of the outro, especially after the majority of the instruments cut out to focus more attention on the children's voices. And the chorus in general is pretty great, whether it's sung by Tommy or the apocalyptic children's choir.

3. In Twilight Hours [track 6]. While I'm normally not the biggest fan of female vocals and adding them unnecessarily into every male-fronted album, I really like the duet on this song. Especially after I learned it well enough to sing it. Ballads are always fun if they're well-done, and I really like this one. The male and female duet works really well with the lyrics here, and doesn't feel like it was done for the sole purpose of having a female guest singer.

4. Kevlar Skin [track 7]. This one's lyrics remind me of Darth Vader, so as a Vader fangirl, that's a plus. ("Underneath this kevlar skin, I'm waiting for you to uncover me. And in this armored prison cell, I'm hiding my scars - come discover me." And overall, it's just a good metal song. The speed and heaviness of it hearkens back to my favorite song from the previous album (Revolution) and I like that sound a lot.

5. Amnesiac [track 4]. "Say my name, no beautifying filters. I'm craving that honest pain." I love this line about craving something honest and raw in a sometimes overly-airbrushed, social media-dominated world. Another great chorus on this song.

Overall, I like the album a lot more than I was expecting to. I don't know why I thought I'd be disappointed, but I definitely wasn't, and the more I listen to the album, the more I like it. Really cool lyrical themes and amazing vocal performances throughout the whole album. The drums are fantastic, as well, even if it isn't Casey Grillo doing the drumming. It's basically impossible to listen to this album without drumming on something. I guess I should have expected nothing less from Kamelot, but I still try to go into things with the realization that the artists aren't perfect and there will be letdowns once in awhile. This isn't one of them, however.

Falconer @ ProgPower, Part 1: Introduction

Everybody has That One Band.

Unfortunately for a lot of us, our One Band is a band that never goes on tour. Especially sad for those of us who live in the United States, and have favorite bands residing in Europe, meaning that even when they do go on tour, they don't come anywhere near us. I actually have a few of these bands, but one of them stands out - because their singer is a god at whose voice I fall down in worship. This is the story of what was truly a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see my vocal god and the kick-ass band he sings in.

Seven years ago, I fell in love with a voice. That voice was Mathias Blad’s on Falconer’s 2008 album, Among Beggars and Thieves. Falconer was a band I had never heard of until that year, when their new album began receiving ‘airplay’ on a power metal station on internet radio. His voice was what drew me to the band, and he quickly became my favorite vocalist. His voice spoke to me in ways I couldn’t describe. It took a little while for the songs to grow on me, but once they did, I became a huge Falconer fan (a.k.a. Falconite), and not just a Mathias Blad fan. Falconer has since become one of my favorite bands, for both its vocalist and its songwriting and musicianship. Mathias has also been my all-time favorite singer for a number of years now, a throne I don't think can ever be stolen from him.

Six years ago, during the unfortunate time I spent in Billings, Montana, I created a ‘demand’ on Eventful for Falconer to perform there. Eventful, as I’m sure you can guess from the name, is a website for concerts and other events. One of its claims to fame (if you can call it that) was being the place where people could ‘demand’ that the movie Paranormal Activity be shown in their city, back when the movie had first come out and was being hyped as an independent B-movie that would only be shown in a few cities. I thought Paranormal Activity looked like it might be a good movie (I was wrong) so I joined the demand, which resulted in being automatically assigned an account with Eventful. I’ve barely used it since then, but I did join demands for a few bands I wanted to see live. Falconer was the only demand I ever created. When prompted to write a description of my demand, I wrote, “I need to see Mathias Blad live if it’s the last thing I do.”

Unfortunately, I knew this demand would do no good because (a) metal bands from Sweden rarely perform in Billings, MT. In fact, metal bands in general rarely perform in Billings, MT. And (b) Falconer had only done a handful of live shows in their entire history as a band. None of those shows had been in the United States, to my knowledge at the time (as it turns out, one of them had, but it had been a long time ago during the days of Kristoffer Göbel on vocals).

I honestly thought that I would never see them live, at least not without winning the lottery and traveling to Sweden, or possibly to Wacken Open Air or somewhere like that. (WOA is, of course, on my bucket list.) I actually thought that it would be more likely for me to somehow wind up seeing Mathias Blad sing in a musical on a stage in Sweden than for Falconer to ever come to the United States. Seriously, I thought the odds of that happening were actually a lot higher. Never in a million years did I dream that the entire band would end up playing in the United States. They were the one band that I thought I would never see.

Then, one year ago, I won the lottery.

No, not literally. I’m still broke. Especially after this show. But one year ago, I received the news that Falconer would be a studio-only band after September 11, 2015. Which didn't change much of anything considering how infrequently they played live anyway. But there was one thing about that news that would change things for me: they would be playing their final live show at 2015’s ProgPower USA festival in Atlanta, Georgia. In the United States.

I. Flipped. Out. My reaction was literally that of someone who'd just won a million dollars, complete with the jumping up and down and screaming. I remember the exact moment I received this news. At the time, I lived in a house in Tempe, Arizona with two male roommates I had found on Craigslist. I lived there for a grand total of two months after moving back to the Phoenix area. I had just moved across the country, and hadn’t gotten back on my feet yet. I had been unemployed for two weeks so far and had no job prospects in sight just yet. I had very little money, if any money at all after such a big move. I was in the kitchen cooking some ramen noodles, and casually scrolling through Facebook on my phone when I saw a post from my friend Joan, who goes to ProgPower every year and is also a huge Falconite. The post was made to guitarist Jimmy Hedlund’s timeline, though I didn’t even notice that at first. All I saw was a reference to Joan’s “raptor shriek,” which she claimed could probably be heard all the way in Sweden, upon seeing the announcement video for the following year. Seeing the words “raptor shriek,” “Sweden,” and “next year’s ProgPower,” I immediately put two and two together... and stopped breathing.

Despite my financial situation, thoughts like “I can’t afford to go to Atlanta” or “How am I going to pay for this?” never entered my mind. I went straight to “I’M GOING TO SEE FALCONER” territory, and never looked back. Yes, it was three time zones away on the opposite end of the country, but it was still in MY country. Hell, even if it had been in Mexico or Canada… Falconer was going to be on the same continent as me, and I was going to be there. It was hard for me catch my breath for a moment. I couldn’t form cohesive sentences for several minutes, other than “OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. I’M GOING TO SEE FALCONER.”

And see them, I did. I even lived to tell the tale.

Now that my dream has come true, I have decided to do a song-by-song review of their entire setlist, which I will post in Part 2 of this review series, as my introduction has taken up enough space already. I had been looking forward to this for too long to do a one-page review of the entire show, so I’m splitting it into 3 parts: the introduction, the song-by-song, and then a general review of the overall performance and atmosphere, as well as a few extra songs I would have liked added to the setlist. There will also be a fourth (maybe even a fifth) entry, which will NOT be all about Falconer, but about my overall experience at ProgPower, the friends I met there, and the other bands I saw perform.

Stay tuned...

Top Ten Favorite + Most Underrated Falconer Songs

My internet was temporarily down yesterday, so I was unable to get my Friday blog post up on time. I also tend to miss my Tuesday posts lately, as it's been a busy couple of weeks leading up to my trip. We'll see if I can get back on track after I get home. If not, posts may be limited to once a week from now on, which is still an improvement over the neglect this blog has seen in the past.

Anyway, it is now the month of September. Yesterday marked one week until I get to see Falconer play their final live show at ProgPower USA. It is now only six days, thanks to my internet going AWOL last night. Five days until my flight. Four days until a lot of people get to begin celebrating ProgPower with Midweek Mayhem, though I personally will not be there until Friday's show.

I am now preparing for my trip in ways that make it seem very real. Official packing is happening as we speak (except for while I'm typing this). I colored my hair with indigo yesterday so it will look good with my outfit for Corset Night. Today I made it to a third-party DMV location to replace my expired out-of-state ID with one the TSA will be less likely to reject when I get on my flight. I just have one last shopping trip, a few more errands to do, and to finish packing, and I will be good to go!

With only one week left to go, this will be the final installment of my once-a-week, pre-concert Falconer posts. It was hard to narrow down which Falconer songs to post to celebrate the milestone. So I've decided not to post any. Instead, I am sharing a list of my Top Ten Favorite Falconer Songs. I encourage you to listen to all of these songs, if you aren't familiar with them already. For those of you who are already Falconites, I thought you might find it interesting which songs I enjoy most. Feel free to share your own Top Tens, as well.

These are not necessarily in perfect order, and are subject to change at any time.

1. Herr Peder och Hans Syster
One of Falconer's heavier songs, and the hard-hitting riffs made it an instant favorite.

2. Dreams and Pyres
This was actually the first song I heard by Falconer. This song made me a fan, and made me fall in love with Mathias Blad's voice. Incredibly well-composed and great performances by all involved.

3. En Kungens Man
In my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. Tragic lyrics + beautiful acoustic guitar + Mathias' voice = amazing.

4. Child of the Wild, 2006 remake
A fantastic song from the moment it was originally released, but with the addition of Blad's vocals, it became twice the song it used to be. The instrumental bridge and the beautiful vocalizations near the end are some of my favorite moments in music.

5. Himmel Så Trind
I love the melancholy sound of the guitar. It reminds me of the cold depression of winter, but I can listen to it from the comfortable warmth of Arizona. I feel like this one is a bit underrated as far as Falconer songs go.

6. Vårvindar Friska
Another one of the most beautiful songs ever done by a metal band. No metal instruments in this one at all, but the piano and vocals make it. Since hearing this version, I've also listened to several other versions by other artists, and have yet to find one that came remotely close to being as beautiful.

7. Substitutional World
This is a totally badass metal track, but also includes a very musical-theatre moment with "The higher your lucky star rises..." I consider this the best of both worlds!

8. Carnival of Disgust
A great song all-around. And obviously the band knows it, since they made quite the epic music video for this track.

9. Upon the Grave of Guilt
I'm pretty sure everybody loves this song, and for good reason. It was the first track on their first album, and set the tone for their career. The music, lyrics and vocals were all a great look into the awesomeness that was to come.

10. The Clarion Call
Duh.

And now for my list of five most underrated Falconer songs. I rarely, or never, hear these songs getting credit for being the awesome songs they actually are.

1. Viddernas Man
I believe Stefan Weinerhall himself has said this song isn't very good, but I think it's lovely! Particularly the piano during the first verse, and the low notes in the chorus.

2. The Past Still Lives On
I think the lyrics to this song are really cool.

3. Stand in Veneration
The a capella intro is amazing! It used to be my ringtone. The lyrics are pretty well-written too.

4. Ridom, Ridom
Maybe it's just because it was on a bonus disc, but I never hear anyone talk about it. This song is AWESOME. If my top 10 were a top 15 instead, this one would have been on it.

5. Dark Ages
Again, it's probably only because it was a bonus track, only appearing on the Japanese edition of the album. Still, it gets less recognition than I would expect for a song of its quality.

Weekly Falconer

Sorry I missed my Tuesday post. I have no excuse, except it's been a busy week and I forgot. So here's your Friday post instead, and once again, it is in celebration of Falconer. It is only two weeks now until I get to see them live at ProgPower USA. My outfit (as their performance falls on Corset Night) is complete, my friend from Austria who will be sharing this experience with me is about to get on a plane for the United States in a mere two days, and soon, packing of my own luggage will begin. As it draws nearer and nearer, it becomes harder to believe; especially when I realize how much money I spent on it. Between buying ProgPower tickets, reserving a hotel room, and paying for my flight, this is a very expensive trip all to see one band live. But worth every penny? Hell yes, it will be.

Today, we celebrate Falconer with my favorite song of theirs. It was Mathias Blad's vocals that got me into Falconer, but this song is one in which I feel the instruments are more impressive than the vocals. The riffs in this song have made it one of my all-time favorites. Every time it comes up on shuffle, I do a little happy dance in my mind. This is Herr Peder Och Hans Syster, from the 2011 album Armod, which features a real brother-sister singing team, Mathias and Heléne Blad.

As a bonus, I'm also sharing a car commercial that featured this song. Yes, a car commercial. That featured Falconer. This commercial blew every Falconer fan's mind when we first found out about it... and also let every Falconer fan down when we got to actually see it. While it's awesome that their song was used (and my favorite song at that!), it's comical, to say the least, that they chose the actors they did to fill in for the band members. I understand why the actual band couldn't be in the video, but whoever cast the roles clearly did not do their research, as the band in the commercial, particularly the vocalist, couldn't look less accurate. A long-haired, headbanging vocalist? Nope, definitely not the Mathias Blad we know. And that's part of his charm. But at least they got the logo right, and chose a badass song.

Bi-Weekly Falconer Post

I'm a little late, as I had a very long night and was out late -- went to see a production of Gypsy that included two of my actor friends, and then had a late-night dinner with some of the cast members after the show. As a result, it is now 5:00 on Saturday morning. Who says musical theatre people don't know how to party? Anyway, since I haven't gone to bed yet, it is still Friday in my mind, and that means that it is exactly three weeks until ProgPower USA. Technically 20 days now, 'cause, you know, Saturday. But hey, 20 days is even better.

Because it's so late, and I do require some amount of sleep (thank goodness I don't have to work tomorrow), this entry will be short and to the point. The following is an example of why I cannot wait for the 11th to come around. This is just a video, and it has awful sound quality at that, but I'm still in a fit of ecstasy over the first song. That voice! After all these years I will finally hear him sing live. I especially can't wait for this song. Musically it isn't necessarily one of my favorites, but it showcases his voice so well... and that little vocal breakdown that occurs not once, but twice, has always been one of my favorite moments. I could listen to it over and over. Despite the horrible quality of this video, I have already listened to it several times, picturing how much more amazing it will be in person. Did I mention I'm really looking forward to this show?

Weekly Falconer Post

This week's pre-show Falconer post (leading up to ProgPower) consists of two music videos. First off, we have Falconer's first music video from 2005. Hopefully the band will have no hard feelings against me for posting this because it's quite a laughable video, and not intentionally. It was obviously very low-budget, and let's be honest, the video didn't turn out well at all. If I remember correctly, Stefan Weinerhall stated, before the video was even officially released, that it looked dumb and he was unhappy with it. Between the makeup, the staged headbanging and the horrible acting of the female lip-syncher who appears out of nowhere at the end (and isn't even the actual vocalist), this video is just plain bad.

That being said, I do like the song and its anthem-esque chorus. I would love if it, somehow, they decided to throw this into their set at ProgPower. With Mathias Blad singing it for what I believe would be the first time, and the crowd singing along with that chorus, it would make a fantastic farewell song for their final live show.

Anyway, without further ado, here's the video for Emotional Skies, from their 2005 album Grime Vs. Grandeur, featuring Kristoffer Göbel on vocals.

Now, to show what Falconer is capable of when they have a bit more of a budget... their awesome 2008 video for Carnival of Disgust, from the album Among Beggars and Thieves. A lot changed in 3 years, including the switch back to their original vocalist, Mathias Blad. Though the change in vocalist had nothing to do with the quality of their music videos, it did change the entire tone of the music when they brought him back. Check out the little vocal epilogue at the end of this video.

One month until FALCONER

Back in September of last year, I made this post in a fit of ecstasy. I had just heard the announcement that Falconer would be performing their final live show at the ProgPower USA festival on September 11, 2015. This was huge news to me because Falconer's vocalist, Mathias Blad, is my all-time favorite singer, and I had been under the impression that I would never, ever have a chance to see them live. This is a mostly studio band who have performed only a handful of live concerts in their 15 years together. Of that handful, the majority took place during the short time Kristoffer Göbel was their lead vocalist instead of Mathias, who is unable to commit to touring due to his full-time job as a musical theatre actor. And of all the shows they've ever done, only one of them had been in the United States; it was 12 years ago and Kristoffer was vocalist at that time.

For all of these reasons, I, an American Falconite, thought that my chances of seeing Mathias live with Falconer were just about on par with my chances of seeing Elvis Presley. Until that day last year, I viewed it as so improbable that even putting it on my Bucket List would have been pointless. (Yes, I have a real Bucket List, and it does include attending certain concerts.) Plus, not only would this be their first and last show in the United States with Mathias, but their last live show ever; after this night, Falconer will continue as a strictly-studio band. This was literally a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I vowed that I would be there no matter what. Even though I had just made a move across the country and hadn't found a job yet, even though I would have to travel 2,000 miles to the concert venue, the question of "How can I make this happen?" never even entered my mind. I went straight into "I'm going to see Falconer" territory and never looked back. It was a blissful moment in which a halo of light surrounded me and a choir sang one heavenly note. I bought my ticket minutes after they went on sale (and they sold out within 6 days).

Now, only one month remains until that glorious day. An entire year of anticipation will come to an end in one monumental night.

Over the next month, many of the posts on this blog will be related to Falconer and ProgPower, to chronicle my preparation and journey toward one of the best musical nights of my life.

For now, I leave you with one of the most rare and beautiful Falconer songs: their 2006 remake of "Child of the Wild." This song was originally recorded with Kristoffer Göbel on their 2005 album, Grime vs. Grandeur. The following year, after Göbel had been fired and Mathias Blad had returned to the band, the song was re-recorded for their album Northwind. However, it was only released as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. For the band's 15th anniversary, band leader Stefan Weinerhall was kind enough to upload the track to YouTube for all of us. Thanks, Stefan - for everything.

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!

MAJOR Fangirling Over ProgPower USA Announcement - FALCONER FALCONER FALCONER

"Thanks to Joan*, I now know that my life may very well be complete next year. And that I must immediately begin saving money for my trip to Atlanta next September. Because Falconer, YES, FALCONER, the one and only, the never-goes-on-tour, the I-would-have-a-heart-attack-if-I-ever-had-a-chance-to-see-them-live FALCONER, is going to be playing their very FIRST live show on U.S. soil EVER** at next year's ProgPower USA festival. Oh. My. God. I don't even know what to do with myself right now. I'M GOING TO SEE FALCONER LIVE!!! And it's bigger than just seeing an awesome band... I'm going to see my IDOL, the man with the voice of a god, Mathias Blad, sing ON STAGE. IN PERSON. As an American, I honestly thought this would never happen. I WILL be there, even if I have to HITCHHIKE!!!! It took me a while before I could even form cohesive sentences again after reading this. AHHH SO EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN. And so glad I have an entire year to save for this. This is the greatest news in the history of EVER!!! Can barely breathe."

This was my original Facebook post minutes after receiving the news -- as soon as I was able to actually come up with words other than "OH MY GOD!"

I apologize for my incessant fangirling, but I seriously cannot believe this is happening right now. Mathias Blad is, hands-down, by far, my favorite vocalist of all time. The man's voice speaks to me in a way that no other singer's ever has, it inspires me, it makes me wish, for the first time ever, that the guitars weren't so loud, so I could hear him better. It makes me close my eyes and immerse myself in the world of his voice, paying no attention to anything else around me, but savoring each note he sings, the way one would savor each bite of the best meal they've ever tasted. It makes me want to be a better singer.

For those who don't know, Mathias does musical theatre in Sweden as his main gig. Falconer is a side job. Because of his theatre commitments, Falconer doesn't tour. They don't play live. Almost never do they play live. Maybe once every five years. In fact, Mathias and the rest of the band parted ways once in 2002, the sole reason for the split being so that Falconer could go on tour. It was an amicable split; the band simply wanted to perform live as most metal bands do, and Mathias was unable to do so. They replaced him with another vocalist and they did indeed do a bit of touring; but it became clear that he was irreplaceable, and eventually the other band members approached Mathias and asked him to return to his rightful place as frontman. Even though it meant they could never tour again. Because he's THAT AMAZING. He said yes, and the world rejoiced, even knowing they may never have a chance to see the band perform.

And as if playing a live show wasn't rare enough in itself, to play live in the United States? Please, even my favorite European bands who do tour a lot rarely make it to the U.S., with a couple of exceptions. Surely, Falconer never will. Surely, I will have to become rich enough to travel to Sweden if I ever want to see Mathias sing on stage or see Falconer perform a concert. I NEVER, EVER IN A MILLION YEARS thought that I would have a chance to see this! It is a dream come true! And I swear on all that is good and holy, even though this festival is on the other side of the country from where I live, I will be there. I will NOT miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

To be fair, I'm not the type who usually fangirls like this. I've met and had conversations with several of my favorite musicians and I swear I don't act this way. But Mathias is the one vocalist I proudly fangirl over, and just to be clear, it isn't a celebrity thing at all. It's 100% a voice thing.

This is not to undermine the amazing talents of the rest of the band. I am VERY much looking forward to the entire concert and the awesomeness that each member of the band brings to the table. But... you know... this is my idol we're talking about.

*Joan, as referenced in my Facebook post, is a buddy of mine who lives near Chicago and travels to ProgPower every year. She is as big a Falconer/Mathias fan as I am. She was there in person when the announcement was made, and had much the same reaction I did, except in person. If anyone was there and heard a woman who sounded like she was having a heart attack and an orgasm at the same time right after the announcement was made (because that's probably close to what actually happened), well, that was Joan. Oh, the fangirling shall be epic next year.

**I'd also like to mention that Stefan Weinerhall of Falconer has since corrected me about this being their first show in the U.S. Apparently, they did do one show in the States before! I was unaware of this at the time because that one show was 11 years ago, and I have only been a Falconite for a mere 6 years! However, Mathias Blad was not in the band at this time, so it still stands that I will be attending my favorite singer's first and only show in the U.S.

Higher on Fire

Hello, metal fans! As anyone who's kept an eye on this blog realizes, I have not had internet access for quite some time. I recently moved across the country (back home where I belong! Yay! And more metal concerts! YAY!) and I do have internet where I am currently living. It might be temporary, but for at least the next couple of months, I hope I'll be able to post more. I'm working on a website for myself, looking for jobs, and various other projects including searching for like-minded musicians to hopefully put a band together. But I really hope to make time for blogging, as well! In the meantime, enjoy this song which I've always considered kind of a "theme song" for this blog. It represents the objective of the blog, and myself, pretty well: having fun and being able to make fun of yourself, but still being METAL! Enjoy!

HEAVY METAL THUNDER!!!

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.