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DESDEMON – The Awakening
DesDemon – The Awakening (2010, self-released)
1. “Acquiescence of Illusion” … 5:53
2. “A Soul in Exile” … 6:44
3. “Iago” … 8:23
4. “The Burning Martyr” … 4:41
5. “In the Absence of Light” … 11:40
Band:
Mistress Tina – Lead Vocals
Lord Metadox – Guitar
Ron “Pelagius” Porcelli – Bass
Dan Rhodus – Drums
Nicholas Gati – Keyboards
Additional Musicians:
Nicholas Main Henriksen – Keyboards
Hailing from NYC, DesDemon are a female-fronted band with a sound that the group’s press release describes as “blackened symphonic metal”. Certainly, DesDemon fits into the symphonic metal category but they also throw in bits of power metal, traditional metal and thrash metal. They are a band that seems to be on the come up because while I don’t listen to much symphonic metal I know enough to know that playing on bills with bands like Nightwish, Symphony X, Kamelot, Epica and Dragonforce is pretty cool. In addition to playing symphonic metal, the band itself is a concept “based upon a dark and twisted tale of a woman’s fall from grace, and her evolution to a darker side of life”.
The Awakening EP is the band’s debut and it’s a pretty good. It’s a very atmospheric affair the succeeds conjuring up that sense of darkness that the band’s concept is rooted in. Mistress Tina has a voice built for this type of music (while not going over board like she’s in an actual opera as some bands will do) and I really enjoyed the guitar work of Lord Metadox. When it comes to symphonic metal, I think keyboards often tend to get in the way of the rest of the song, but I’m happy to report that on this album it adds to and enhances the rest of the band & music instead of weakening them.
Though I honestly like all of these songs, my favorite track is “The Burning Martyr” which is more power metal than symphonic but the haunting “Iago” is another front runner but I’m not a fan of the growling she does later in the song. “In the Absence of Light” is an EPIC near 12 minute song that is really cool too and it features enough twists and turns that it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
The Awakening is a good debut showing from DesDemon, I hope a full studio album is not far behind because I’d be interested in hearing it.
Highlights: “Iago”, “The Burning Martyr”, “In the Absence of Light”
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA – Night Castle
Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Night Castle (2009, Atlantic Records)
DISC 1
1.”Night Enchanted” (5:46)
2. “Childhood Dreams” (4:25)
3. “Sparks” (6:00)
4. “The Mountain” (4:53)
5. “Night Castle” (3:57)
6. “The Safest Way Into Tomorrow” (4:57)
7. “Mozart And Memories” (5:16)
8. “Another Way You Can Die” (3:54)
9. “Toccata-Carpimus Noctem” (4:01)
10. “The Lion’s Roar” (4:35)
11. “Dreams We Conceive” (5:12)
12. “Mother And Son” (0:40)
13. “There Was A Life” (9:35)
DISC 2
1. “Moonlight And Madness” (5:04)
2. “Time Floats On” (3:37)
3. “Epiphany” (10:56)
4. “Bach Lullaby” (0:49)
6. “Father, Son & Holy Ghost” (6:48)
7. “Remnants Of A Lullaby” (3:10)
8. “The Safest Way Into Tomorrow (Reprise)” (1:43)
9. “Embers” (3:53)
BONUS TRACKS
10. “Child Of The Night” (3:29)
11. “Believe” (6:12)
12. “Nutrocker” (4:07)
13. “Carmina Burana” (2:44)
14. “Tracers” (05:47)
Selected Musicians:
Jay Pierce, Tim Hockenberry, Jeff Scott Soto, Rob Evan, Jennifer Cella, Alexa Goddard, Valentina Porter – Lead Vocals
Paul O’Neill, Chris Caffery, Angus Clark, Alex Skolnick, Al Pitrelli, Dave Wittman – Guitars
Chris Altenhoff, Johnny Lee Middleton, Dave Wittman – Bass
John O. Reilly, Jeff Plate, Dave Wittman – Drums
Robert Kinkel, Jon Oliva, Luci Butler, Shih-Yi Chiang, Derek Wieland – Keyboards
Roddy Chong, Anna Phoebe – Violin
Producer: Paul O’Neill & Robert Kinkel
After having seen TSO in concert, I was pretty hyped up on them and bought this album when it came out. They played a number of these songs during the second half of the concert and I loved it because many of these numbers are dark and certainly heavier than their usual Christmas-inspired songs. Sadly, I don’t think this side of TSO will catch on if crowd reaction was any indication on the night I intended. The first act was Christmas, the second act was entirely from this album, I believe, and a small number of people walked out once it was apparent the holiday music was over.
Points to mastermind Paul O’Neill and the rest for having the guts to try something different again and not rely on Christmas. A TSO Christmas album is basically guaranteed to go platinum, but I think gold is a nice goal for this particular album.
The problem I have with TSO is that I think they do too many slow and soft numbers. I don’t like those at all, I zone out. Heavy and faster numbers like “Night Enchanted” and “Another Way You Can Die” are really fun though and I think those two songs maybe some the heaviest songs they’ve done yet as they flirt with heavy metal. “Night Enchanted” is a great way to kick off the album and let people know “this isn’t Christmas”. I’m sure there’s some concept behind this album, but I don’t really care about it. In fact, when it comes to concept albums, the more the story is thrown into my face, the less I care about the album.
In what (I think) is a first, TSO covers Savatage: “The Mountain” is a reworking of “Prelude to Madness” from Hall of the Mountain King, bonus track “Believe” is from Streets: A Rock Opera, parts of “The Lion’s Roar” were taken from “Temptation Revelation” also from Streets: A Rock Opera, “Mozart and Memories” was originally “Mozart and Madness” from Gutter Ballet.
The packaging features some pretty cool illustrations from Greg Hildebrandt. I recognized the artwork from the concert and this album thanks to his days illustrating the Marvel Masterpieces trading card series back in the ’90s!
The first disc is definitely my favorite of the two. That’s where the faster, heavier, harder songs lie. Disc two is almost entirely ballads, though all of the bonus tracks are really good.
Definitely a good album, but it’s an exhaustive listen with way too many slow moment. I wish they would release a 100% symphonic rock album and leave the ballads at home. I would also love for Jon Oliva to sing a tune as well since he helps write a lot of the music anyway.
Highlights: “Night Enchanted”, “The Mountain”, “Night Castle”, “Mozart and Memories”, “Toccata-Carpimus Noctem”, “Moonlight and Madness”, “Child of the Night”, “Nutrocker”, “Carmina Burana”, “Tracers”
