By: Tanya Vasquez

Epica
Consign To Oblivion

If you’re a fan of Tarja Turunen and Sharon Den Adel of Within Temptation, and are looking for something in the middle, Epica’s Consign to Oblivion is something worth checking out. Simone Simons sounds something like Francine Boucher of Echoes of Eternity with Tarja’s vocal control and a mezzo-soprano/soprano vocal range. Together this combination makes Simone the melodic siren she is. The background keyboard work sounds as if you were gently touching a pond making ripples in the water.

My personal favorite was “Mother of Light (A New Age Dawns Part 2).” Simone’s voice really shines through, and the background music sounds perfectly combined together. With lyrics like “I am searching without vision/For the answers in the dirt/I am waiting just for nothing/For the day that I’ll be heard” makes me think about the time that I was looking for an answer to something only to find that it was right in front of me all the time.

Echoes of Eternity
The Forgotten Goddess

I have listened to gothic/symphonic metal from all over the world but have never found a local gothic/ symphonic metal band (being that I’m from Los Angeles). When I was very intrigued I found Echoes of Eternity thumbing through the second to the last issue of Gothic Beauty. After I purchased and listened to the CD, needless to say I was impressed. Francine Boucher sounds something like Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil but with more clarity. The background music definitely sounds like Black Sabbath meets Leaves’ Eyes.

I really liked “Voices in a Dream” and “Circles in Stone.” The haunting minor chords are great but I feel that in “Circles in Stone”Bouc her doesn’t sound quite as powerful. This is a definite must have for fans of Dimmi Borguir, Leaves’ Eyes and Lacuna Coil.

Aesma Daeva
Dawn of the New Athens

So your new to symphonic metal and are looking for something interesting to try? You have heard people closely relate it to Evanescence but are tired of hearing Amy Lee’s inconsistency? Dawn of the New Athens from USA symphonic metal band Aesma Daeva is something to help you ease that transition. With Lori Lewis’ voice you get the consistency you ask for and it sounds good to the ear. Being part of Therion, Lewis brings the experience needed to Aesma Daeva. What really made me like the CD on top of the cover looking as if it were from Ancient Greece having a Greek feel to it, was Lewis’ voice which reminded me of the sirens in Ancient Greek mythology. Lewis reminds me of the sirens in Greek mythology only making me want to keep listening to the CD. Of course without the music writing of John Prassa’s, it’s no wonder that Lewis can pull of the lyrics.

Delain
Lucidity

Imagine putting five years of your life into a band in which you get your biggest break, but you suddenly have to quit your passion for music since doctors tell you that you have been diagnosed with a rare illness only to come bouncing back from it years later. It happened to Martijin Westerholt,ex-keyboardist to Within Temptation, forcing him to make his own group, Delain. Delain sounds something like its counterpart Within Temptation. It seems that Martijin was trying to find another Sharon Den Adel and has done so with relatively unknown lead singer Charlotte Wessels. Martijin has called upon the best musicians in symphonic metal making a combination of them that’s very creative with Jan Yrlund (Lacrimosa) and Ad Sluijter (Epica) on guitar , Arien van Wessenbeek(God Dethroned) on drums , George Oosterhoek (grunts) and Guus Eikens, both formers member of Orphanage, Marco Hietala (Nightwish) on bass and vocals, and vocalists Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation) , and Liv Kristine (Leaves’ Eyes) .

My favorite was “The Gathering.” This song reminded me of Within Temptation’s “The Howling.” The theme of the song and lyrics sound very closely related. Wessel’s voice reaches its full potential. With lyrics like “I see a world in anger/I see a world in pain/Each day a different story/ But still the message is the same” makes me think about how much is going on in the world and how it differs by day.