Arkona keeps the bar set high with their seventh album release, Yav. Although still showcasing the sweeping range of vocal talent from front woman Maria Arkhipova, Arkona takes a slightly darker turn down the streets of pagan metal, leaving some of their brighter and folksier tunes behind. A complex and beautiful ode to Slavic culture, Yav provides long-standing pagan metal fans with some serious ear candy and seamlessly continues the rampage of art that Arkona has been delivering since 2002.
For fans of: Primordial, Moonsorrow, Eluveitie.
Rami Rouhana’s Top Release of May 2014
Epica – The Quantum Enigma
Recommended: Omen – The Ghoulish Malady and The Essence of Silence
Somehow an unexpected Album, Epica are back to what first Made Epica! Beautiful symphony mixed with a magical sweet voice and supported by aggressive growls. The music is back to the Progressive Death Metal Epic signature sound, and the tracks are fresh instead of a remake of the past!
As a bonus feature, tracks are released in acoustic and instrumental versions so a 3CDs pack is available.
For fans of: Nightwish, Tristania and After Forever.
Yves Nasrallah’s Top Release of May 2014
Casualties of Cool – Casualties of Cool
Recommended: Forgive Me, The Bridge
“Hevy Devy” is no more “heavy”! (for now, at least). The frontman who founded extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad, creator of Ziltoid, and music genius extraordinaire, Devin Townsend presents his latest venture into Blues/Ambient with a new project by the name of “Casualties of Cool”, consisting of himself and vocalist Ché Aimee Dorva. Their self-titled concept album consists of 15 tracks, and it narrates the “story of a traveler that is lured to a sentient planet which feeds on the traveler’s fear, until he finds an old radio and phonograph, and confronts his fears to liberate a woman who was also held and frees himself along the way”. The album has a proggy/psychedelic Rock feel to it, and could be best described as listening to blues/country in outer space.
