Interview: To-Mera 'Transcending From Mars' [Metal]

To-Mera are a british band that specialise in an interesting mixture of Jazz, Progressive Metal and a variety of other genre's, topped with the serene tones of vocalist, Julie Kiss. The band have released one cd so far; Transcendental on Candlelight, i got the chance to speak to guitarist and composer, Lee Barrett about femme-metal, the success of Transcendental, and opening for Emperor.


Hey Lee! First of all, thanks alot for answering these questions! It means a lot!
No problem!

To-Mera's debut album 'Transcendental' was received very well by both critics and fans, do you feel any pressure to make the follow up even better?
Not really. We already know the next album will be better because the new songs are far more mature and written on a grander scale. Transcendental was the first 8 songs we ever wrote, and stylistically there were places where we were just basically dipping our toes in the water. We've got a lot more confidence as a band now, and more of an idea of what works and what doesn't for us.

You play a lot of shows in England, will you be visiting any other countries when the next CD is released?
That's the plan. It's difficult trying to get support slots, etc, when you only have one album out. But we have a good booking agent who will hopefully be pro actively pushing us onto a decent tour should the opportunity arise. We're happy to play everywhere and anywhere!

You've toured with a variety of bands, from the Gothic ambience of Octavia Sperati, to the utter brutality of Emperor. What is it like to perform to such wide audiences? What type of reception do you receive?
Well, the Emperor show was a strange one. 2000 people looking at us like we'd come from Mars :). We didn't get booed off or anything bad like that, but it was definitely a partisan Emperor crowd. I guess to a degree we could play with most types of bands, but we'd be more comfortable playing with progressive metal bands. Symphony X would be nice, someone like that.

Forgive me if i'm wrong, but i remember you said you recorded 2 videos? The video for 'Blood' was released a while ago, but what happened to the second video, for 'Phantoms'?
No, the original plan was to do two videos, but since very few TV stations bothered to play "Blood" we decided not to bother paying for another video.

Could you give us an explanation as to what the video for 'Blood' is about?
The director interpreted the lyrics in a slightly different way than the song intends, but it seemed fun to do it this way (even though not many people get it!). In the video, it's relating to the fact that it's difficult to escape your past. It's always around to haunt you. I can't really go much deeper than that, hehe.

Due to Julie Kiss being female [I'm pretty sure, anyway ;)] To-Mera get lumped into the Femme Metal category with bands such as Nightwish and Evanescence. Do you see this is a good thing? Or not?
We used to be annoyed about it, but now we don't care to be honest. It's impossible to stop people thinking in this way. We know we have nothing in common with these other bands, and a lot of other people realise this too. That's good enough for us.

Are you interested in the femme metal scene?
Not really, I have to say. There are some great individual bands, like Stolen Babies, Unexpect, Aghora, Diablo Swing Orchestra, etc, but I'd listen to them no matter who was singing. I've seen a few of the femme bands play live, and After Forever seem like a very tight and professional band. I wouldn't listen to them at home though.

At home what music would you listen to?
I have literally thousands of CDs, so anything from Abscess to ZZ Top. I have a rotation of random songs playing all the time, and once in a while I focus on particular band. Right now I'm crazy for Death Breath and Kansas with some Mats/Morgan, Anti-Cimex and Amon Amarth thrown in too. I'll listen to anything from emo to jazz to death metal to experimental noise.

Was it strange, to be picked up by the label you founded? ;) :)
It was to be honest. It's a long(ish) story, but I'll try and keep it short :)

I was involved for a short while with Earache records and my imprint label there (Elitist) had been cancelled (this is a story of it's own, hehe). Anyway, I had some bands in the studio or with finished albums that Earache were refusing to pay for. In desperation, I turned to Edward, the "new" owner of Candlelight to see if he could help to take some bands from me (he took Daylight Dies and Wolverine). When I sent the other band's CDs I also threw in a To-Mera demo. At this point we were already speaking to two other labels, but a week or so later I got an email saying that Candlelight were interested too.

It was obviously slightly strange for me considering my past, but Candlelight offered the best deal in terms of flexibility and artistic control and, as a band, we chose them over the other deals offered.

What is going to be happening with To-Mera in the next year?
The new album will be out early 2008. We hope we get the chance to support the record with plenty of shows.

To-Mera are currently recording the follow up to their debut CD; Transcendental.

To-Mera @ Myspace
To-Mera Official

Review: Nemesea - In Control [Rock/Electronic]

Nemesea have certainly changed over the past few years, from the mournful, yet beautiful brand of symphonic metal they produced on debut, 'Mana', to this, the opposite type of gothic metal. With more electronics, no more orchetras and no more choirs, vocalist Manda has even given her operatic vocals a rest. But the question is, was it worth it?

The album opens with the extremely radio-friendly, punchy track 'No More'. The verses are delicately whispered by Manda, before the band kick in for the powerful chorus. It's almost impossible to remember the bands darker past, when this catchy album is in your hands!

The title track; 'In Control' is less impressive. Sure, it has psychadelic undertones, catchy beats, and a simple verse-chorus-verse formula, but wait a second, so did 'No More'. 'In Control' is by no means a terrible song, it's not even remotely bad, it's simply forgettable.

'Home' is the third track, and opens in a rather predictable way, the same effects are hidden beneath Manda's beautiful voice [the saving grace of the CD, so far]. However, when the chorus lashes out, unexpectedly, i am made to eat my words, it all fits together, the chorus is extremely professional, beautiful vocal lines and a lovely melody intertwine, to create the standout track of 'In Control'

Fellow Sellaband-victor, Cubworld appears in the next song. Granted, the song is a refreshing change from the same old electronics, but i can't help but feel that 'The Way I Feel' could have been so much better, and more powerful. The positive note is the succesful merge of Cubworlds acoustic ambience, and Nemeseas beautiful arrangements, aswell as Manda's breathtaking vocals, once again dominating the attention of all who listen in.

The CD proceeds with 'Lost Inside'. The song would sure enough embed inside your brain, and after a few listens, it's easy to sing along, the repetition of the line; 'I Can't Tell You' is very powerful, and well thought out. The lyrics are once again, interesting, and forward, as with most songs on the CD, however, another feeling tells me, the song could have been so much better, if it wasn't so similar to the other tracks of 'In Control'.

'Remember' is one of the truly weak tracks on 'In Control'. It's hard to be so negative towards a lovely band, but this song truly is 'filler' material. A boring song, that has been done time and time again. The only positive comment i can muster for this track is the heavy electronics sounding not-too-bad.

Thank goodness for 'Believe', another great song, a heavy, mid-paced, easy on the ear track that is a nice change, and to hear Manda reach her true potential is great. One of the most enjoyable tracks from the album, sounding like a mix between Sheryl Crow and Korn.

'Like The Air' is a nice song, and i regret to say, i wished the album ended here. The song has the most beautiful lyrics of all the tracks, and the wonderful chorus has been a favourite of mine, since it's demo stages. Perhaps, not the most original song, but still incorporating Nemesea sound. A rare hilight of 'In Control'.

The final two tracks 'Broken' and 'Never', on first listen give you a strange sense of Deva Ju. Due to the severe lack of originality, despite the chorus of 'Broken' being slightly bareable, the two songs truly should have been left out of the album. They give nothing to the sound, and achieve even less. An anti-climax, for sure.

Overall, the latest Nemesea album, though it pains me to say it, is dissappointing. Nothing you haven't heard before, and could easily be re-enacted for free, by playing the latest Clubbers Anthems compilation over a Korn CD. Nothing special, and rather boring. By all means, download the standout tracks; 'Home', 'Believe', and 'No More'. But sadly, i've lost almost all my interest in Nemesea for the time being.

Nemesea Official
Nemesea @ Sellaband
Nemesea @ Myspace

Live Review: Devolution Vs Insomnia Festival [Metal/Rock]

True goth is extremely misunderstood. The mainstream perceive it as My Chemical Romance, and anyone daring to be different, many metal scribes insist it is anything with a female vocalist, but no my dears, if you want goth, you've come to the right place. The Devolution Vs Insomnia Festival opens its doors at 4pm, the variety of CD's and merchandise on offer stretched throughout the back of the venue draws the attention of almost everyone, before the first band take to the stage;

Ivy's Itch are a relatively underground band, playing an interesting form of Grunge rock. The vocalist Eliza Gregory takes to the stage in her floral dress, the picture of innocence and beauty, the opening chords are strummed as she childishly plays around with her guitar. Her high and fragile voice begins to seep through the speakers, and without a moments warning, she throws her arms in the air, and screams down the microphone with such passion and anger, a truly great vocalist. The band itself are very heavy, perhaps the heaviest of the day, and play with excellent precision. My two favourites from their set is the midpaced 'Roses' and creepy-beautiful 'Laudanum' Interesting and talented band, who truly deserve to go far...

Sadly TearTricks didn't make it to the event, therefore the next band to play were the local, Lycan, who took to the stage like true professionals. Sadly, their music wasn't entirely my cup of tea, though a lot of people, especially my friend, enjoyed their brand of heavy metal. The standout track has to be the lengthy, 'Primal' that shows Lycan's amazing songwriting skills.

The third performer is the (one-time) soloist SarahJane and her project, Novus. Having met her before the show, i was excited to see her onstage. As she kicked off her set, she relied heavily on a backing tape, due to the lack of her band (They had not turned up, eek!). However it's extremely admirable to see SarahJane draw in the audience for the first time today. A really beautiful voice set off lead single; 'Liberty' and album tracks such as 'The Closer The Net'. Despite the odds building up against her, she proves her worth by making it through the set, and gaining many new fans. A really admirable performer, for sure.

I was planning to leave before Pro-Jekt took the stage, so the next two bands Avoidance Of Doubt, and Two Witches were eagerly awaited, as my own headliners.

Avoidance Of Doubt kicked off the longer sets with their amazing mix of metal and interesting effects. The deep voice of D.Void worked well, and the stage presence was astounding. The band came out in full force, headsets, microphone stands and wings intact and hold the audience for the whole 45 minutes. The band are very energetic and witty, often jumping into the crowd to get closer, and throwing out all the stops with their intense live show. Despite the lack of dancer, Missy, the band prove nothing can stop them, with hilights such as; Jesus Wept and Watch Me Bleed.

The final band i encountered on my gothic venture were the finnish, Two Witches, alike Avoidance Of Doubt, the band really prove their worth on the live scene, delighting various devoted fans, the bands clothing was also very interesting and brave! With fire-eaters, tons of latex and some good gothic rock, the climax of my night couldn't have been better!

The festival was an amazing experience, the beautiful clothing, amazing music and great merch, it was time to dedicate myself to visiting this festival as many times as possible!

Avoidance Of Doubt Official
Avoidance Of Doubt @ Myspace
Ivy's Itch Official
Ivy's Itch @ Myspace
Lycan @ Myspace
Novus @ Myspace
Two Witches Official
Two Witches @ Myspace

Live Review: Stevie Ann @ Parkpop 2007 [Pop/Rock]

Young, beautiful and talented.. it's all Stevie Ann. Entering the Dutch music scene in early 2005 with her debut album Away From Here, she has gained a firm fanbase over these 2 years. Influenced by artists like Sheryl Crow and Joni Mitchell, Stevie has created her own unique sound. Opening-act for Parkpop, she has to wake up the crowd for artists like Maria Mena, Air Traffic, Beef, Kim Wilde and many more.

Although it's very rainy and early there are already alot of people to see Stevie Ann kick off the largest free festival in Europe. Starting with a new song the crowd doesn't really seem to be into the music much yet. When she continues with `You versus Me' there's more interaction; the crowd is clapping along and Stevie Ann laughs at the dedicated fans who made her a ``happy birthday'' sign.

She plays most of the upbeat songs from the album instead of the more acoustic songs she usually plays at intimate shows. But of course she doesn't leave out the mostly acoustic `The Poetry Man', her first single.

The cover of Depeche Mode's `Personal Jesus' is amazingly played and her voice is outstanding. The guitarist does his solo's very well, but the interaction between the band itself isn't really to be noticed, if it's there at all. Probably because they have only played a few shows together, but still a great miss.

She plays a few songs from the upcoming album in September. Usually I don't really get excited by new songs, but she really hit me with these outstanding new songs. Her vocal range even better used, great solo's and build-ups made them almost perfect. The crowd as well got wild at these songs and Stevie probably just got some new fans with this great performance.

A few songs were missing in the setlist, but still an amazing show. Stevie Ann really proves herself live, capable of letting the crowd rock to her songs as well as emotionaly capture them with her acoustic ballads. Hopefully I can make it to one of her more intimate shows sometime.

Stevie Ann Official
Stevie Ann @ Myspace

Interview: Novus - 'The Curse Of A Goth Band' [Rock/Dance]

'Novus', fronted by the charismatic Sarahjane, are a female fronted industrial goth phenomenon. Despite being a conciderably new band, they have a series of past gigs, and a lot of determination under their belts. We got the chance to ask Sarahjane about her past, in the band 'Faithful Dawn', and the future of 'Novus'.

Hi SarahJane, First of all congratulations on releasing your debut cd with Novus; how long has Novus been active? What happened with your previous band Faithful Dawn?

With faithful Dawn you either liked us or you didn't and we had reached a glass ceiling on how far we could go, the curse of a Goth band!! We had played all the big Goth Festivals and all the main venues around England and kinda ran out of ideas. Then I split up with Glenn who was the other half of FD so it came to a natural end!

What do you write your lyrics about? Any themes or subjects you enjoy writing about?

The lyrics of FD were alot more powerful than Novus because I was going threw alot more personally and it always makes great lyrics!!! Novus is more harder edge, but I still write about relationships etc. 'Closer the Net' is about a friend of mine who is always getting the wrong end of the stick with relationships!! He is also very bossy and controlling, a real "Battle Master!"

'Emotive' is about my relationship with my ex and my now partner, how I moved on but still can't escape the Ghosts of the past!

Who are your main musical influences?

I love Duran Duran (god I am old!), I think that Simon Le Bon was and is a great lyricist.
In the now, I love Gwen Stefani, she is a girl who know what she wants!!
I listen to all sorts myself, I love Biffy Clyro and a great new band called The Medic Droid, you guys will love them!

Do you run a dayjob aswell as being in Novus?

I am Mrs. 2 jobs!! I am a radio broadcaster in the very early mornings, presenting the traffic and travel on Robbie Dee's breakfast show on CFM and in the afternoon I work for the local paper, doing research for them, I love working in the Media!

Thanks a lot for this interview!Do you have a message to all of your fans?

That I hope they enjoy what I do and don't get put off that I may be as old as some of their Mums!! My fan base is getting younger and younger!!
Enjoy life, don't take it too seriously and if people have shit opinions on something you enjoy and love, then stuff em!

Novus:UK @ Myspace

Review: Kelly Clarkson - My December [Rock/Pop]

Kelly Clarkson, perhaps best known for rising to fame after winning American Idol. The former waitress began her career as a pop artist, playing a variety of heart wrenching ballads, upbeat pop numbers, and yet more of the mushy stuff. However, having found her feet in the music buisiness, she began to form a rockier sound, with gritty guitars, and less of the pristine production major labels provide.

Her new album gives an amazing impression, with the gothic beauty of the breathtaking artwork, and first single, 'Never Again', proving she hasn't lost her skill in the songwriting department, but with a darker sound and image, can Kelly convert the masses with 'My December'?

Well, opening with the aforementioned lead single, Kelly packs a punch, rarely seen on the rest of the album, the song is witty, angry and surprisingly rocky! Definitely one of the highlights from the album, and a tough song to follow. On later listens to the track, the intricate instrumentation, such as the strings deep in the background of the first verse and the effective, almost spoken backing vocals in the chorus become apparent, a really great pop song! Also, in some ways musically similar to "Since U Been Gone".

It is followed by the upbeat and poppy track; 'One Minute' which is destined to be a single. The song has a very happy feel, with interesting lyrics, not as mature as certain songs on 'My December' but still more intelligent than the current wave of pop artists. Its another standout track, and very catchy, especially the wonderfully frantic chorus.

'Hole' continues the string of great ear-candy, with its sexy guitar beats sliding aside the calm vocals of Clarkson in the first verse, mounting up to an explosive chorus, "Theres A Hole, Inside Of Me, It's So Cold, Slowly Killing Me". Granted, the lyrics aren't the best, but the freedom and loose feel the song gives, really works to Kelly's advantage. 'Hole' is another upbeat song, that incorporates the best parts of 'Never Again' with the outstanding dance factor of 'One Minute'.

The first slow track of 'My December' comes in the form of 'Sober', a calm, soft power ballad, that kicks in around the third verse. Although it sounds awfully generic on paper, the actual song is very beautiful. However it doesn't match up to the wonderful 'Break Away' or the later track 'Irvine'. Despite it's imperfections, 'Sober' is definitely still an enjoyable song, just slightly harder to get into than the previous tracks.

It's straight back to the American rock sound with 'Don't Waste Your Time'. The opening backing voice, really provides a great feel for the song. Sadly, the track doesn't match up to its potential, sure enough it's a catchy song, but the fact that every last second can be predicted after only one listen simply proves how generic it is. The song is definitely not a bad song, it is just far too predictable.

'Judas' begins with Clarksons beautiful voice, over a thick beat, soon joined by light guitars. The song continues with this formula until it reaches the chorus, and once again becomes dissappointing. By this point, even the lyrics are becoming uninteresting and boring, the same old anger at an ex boyfriend had been used to death on 'Never Again', and to some extent 'Sober' and 'Don't Waste Your Time'

Thankfully there's salvation in the unique 'Haunted', surprisingly the verses stand out, with Kellys fragile voice emotionally singing over the guitars. 'Haunted' is another shockingly heavy songs, and would definitely sit well among her classics on the live scene. The lyrics, although cliche, are very clever and intelligently written, suiting Clarksons voice perfectly.

'Be Still' and 'Maybe' are perhaps the two most boring songs on 'My December', based on the usual acoustic guitar and over-produced vocals. Its worth mentioning the heartfelt lyrics, that save the songs from being disastrous. 'Be Still' provides a wonderful single lyric in 'I'll Glady Climb Your Walls, If You'll Meet Me Halfway". Kelly has the ability to write for a new audience, but she really needs to be careful not to slip from emotional into boring, the line is thin and with 'Maybe' and 'Be Still' she seems to have crossed it.

'How I Feel' is very reminiscent of 'One Minute' with its upbeat and americanized indie rock. Once again, the verses stand out, and Kelly proves why she was crowned Amerian Idol, with her fantastic tones. Sadly the song borders on generic, and is another letdown.

The highly original, 'Yeah' is another awesome song. The sound of the thin guitars wailing behind Kelly's amazing voice, slowly building up to the multi-layered voices of the chorus, the song can be described in two words; "Feel Good'. The beautiful effects, and Kelly's interesting vocal lines prove that she still has the courage to be different! 'Yeah' is one of the most original rock songs of recent times.

Following this, is the mid-paced 'Can I Have A Kiss'. The adorable lyrics document Kelly's desperation to get close to her love interest. "If I Can't Hold You, Can I Give You A Kiss?" she asks in the chorus, and with her beautiful tones, i forbid anyone from turning her down.

'Irvine' is another very individual, intelligently written song. The beautiful sound of an acoustic guitar fusing with Kelly's luscious vocals, works very well, the lack of production is the perfect effect, sounding like the song has been recorded by a campfire, adding that last simple touch that sets the song off perfectly. The lyrics are the best in Clarksons history; honest, emotional and pure; Irvine is one of the best written pop songs i have ever had the pleasure to hear.

'Chivas' is the final song on 'My December' and ends the album well. It's definitly not the best song on the album, but the pretty lyrics and acoustic guitar really works well for her, hopefully she'll utilze it more on the follow up to this CD.

In conclusion, Kelly has taken a brave risk with 'My December'. She has risked her success and her original fan base, to follow her heart in creating the music she enjoys. I really hope she gets a lot of success with this album, not because it's the best album I've ever heard, but because she is being true to herself, unlike so many other 'million-dollar musicians'. 'My December' is worth your time, if you want honesty and emotion in your music. Let's just hope she carries on this beautiful new sound in the future...

Kelly Clarkson Official
Kelly Clarkson @ Myspace

Review: Kamelot - Ghost Opera [Metal]

Kamelot is one of metal's most unique, influential and prestigious acts to come along in decades. The group has already released 7 albums and has a large dedicated fan base. Ghost Opera is their latest effort including guest appearances by musicians as `Simone Simons' from Epica and `Amanda Sommerville'.

The album opens with the intro `Solitaire'; an instrumental track mostly consisting of strings and keyboard. The intro leads to the song `Rule the World' and continues to be a sort of a foundation of this song. `Rule the World' is a song about the problems we face in everyday life. Khans powerful voice really strengthens this track.

`Ghost Opera' is the first single of the album. A logical choice, this being a `typical' Kamelot song. Powerful riffs, catchy chorus and the finishing touch of Amanda Sommerville's outstanding voice. Though only heard chanting at the chorus this song wouldn't be half as good without her. I just have to add that I especially love the video for this song, it's perfect!

The 4th song is `The Human Stain'. Lyrically truly outstanding but instrumentally perhaps uninteresting. The intro is good but the same riffs throughout the song get boring, a solo and an amazing verse after make up for this though.

Simone Simons joins Kamelot once more on `Blücher'. A song about war and the lost love because of it. This song reminds of `The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)', another duet with Simone Simons on The Black Halo. Perfeclty built-up and the stunning voices of Simons and Khan make this song almost perfect.

`Love You to Death' is another song with Amanda Sommerville. It tells the story of two young loved ones, the girl already knowing she is going to die soon. The song is told from both views of the boy and girl, characterized by Khan and Sommerville. In all, this is a beautiful slow song.
Moving on to number 7.. `Up Through the Ashes'. The sound typically Kamelot, epic but also catchy. It deals with the problem of religion. One of the things I particularly like about this song is the line ``I don't need your blood''.

Amanda Sommerville lends her voice once more on `Mourning Star'. The song starts with a (male) choir chanting, the guitars kick in after and it proves to be another 'typical' Kamelot song. This track is also about the war and the questions it brings. Sommerville joins in at the chorus. I find this song most interesting for the lyrics really let you think about it.

`Silence of the Darkness' starts with a fast guitar riff and slows down at the first verse. The song being pretty much the same all the time, I find this one of the weakest songs on Ghost Opera.
One of the few slow songs on the album is `Anthem'. The Anthem of life that is. Khan uses his voice really good and emotionally, but the overdone orchestra part at the end of the song ruins that in a way.


`EdenEcho' is a song about lost love. Instrumentally uninteresting and the lyrics abit overdone the first 2 minutes aren't a real pleasure. The verse `Remember my name, and paint the darkness with your light. You'll sing your song for all broken hearted, like Eden echoes in my head. The unforgiven gave you all' accompanied by the stunning choir makes up for most of the song, but the chorus just can't bother me.

In conclusion this is once more a very good album by Kamelot. Though it sounds pretty much like The Black Halo, they did make progress. If you have the time be sure to check out the video for their first single; Ghost Opera!

Kamelot Official
Kamelot @ Myspace