Metal Reviews

Hibria - Classic heavy metal played in a fresh sounding way (does that make sense?). Young band from Brazil playing fast catchy metal. They have a singer that is right behind Daniel Heiman. I recommend this band to all fans of metal. Very talented musicians and also very VERY underrated.

Kiuas - Not really a fan. I need to give them more listens though.

Dark Empire - Never heard anything by them

Adagio - Damn good Neo-classical band. Their old singer was David Readman from Pink Cream 69, but has been replaced by a guy from Brazil (can't remember his name). I'd say this guitarist makes Malmsteen look like an amateur. Very promising band.

Persuader - Singer sounds very much like Hansi if not exactly like the man. Another great band. A lot of these members are also in the band Savage Circus (early Blind Guardian clone). I'd say they sound a lot like Blind Guardian, but not as complex.

Cellador - The band I love to praise. If you enjoy early Helloween you’ll loooove these guys. They have the speed of Dragonforce with the catchiness of early Nocturnal Rites. They throw in a little bit of every genre of metal into their music. I know Chris' (lead guitarist/songwriter) favorite genre's are power/black/thrash metal (especially the older stuff).

Better Than Raw

"Time" - chorus - "Pray strong pray to the higher"

verse - "Take the bible's word, speak it pure his soul"

there is more but I have to go for a while...

No, you haven't done enough research on it. The Dark Ride is their most Christian album! Here are some VERY obvious excerpts:

ALL OVER THE NATIONS

You are here (You? Oh, you mean Jesus! Hey, J.C.)
And make me feel so high
Day by day
Something one can't deny

Come, arise and take me higher
No more lies, and every soul can see
We're incarnate sincerety

SALVATION

Anthem for a distant world
We'll all be alike
Be there 'til eternity
One will see
When salvation comes our way

All my life I was sure
Kept my thoughts clean, real and pure
Just as I will always know
We're down here to learn and grow (Down where? Below what?)
I am my own entity
And the world is there for free
Keeps me alive 'til that day
When my soul will find the way (What? Who? Oh, God and shit?)

In another dimension
You may find paradise
We'll be safe and warm
I've been told there will be everyone
I held so close and near
There will be no fear (Everyone? Where? Heaven?)

I LIVE FOR YOUR PAIN (do you really need lyrics for this one?)

Unchain your obscenity
Desireable enemy
Await my enlightening
Allow what your fate can bring

Now you're caught inside my cage
You are the object of my rage
Sin, I wash you clean again
I'm your redeemer

Cause I
I live for your pain (Who's pain?)
I live for your pain
I'm dying

WE DAMN THE NIGHT

We are strong we're alive
We have faith in his might (His who? Huh?)
We believe in the everlasting light
Anytime, anywhere we will always be there
We will fight for what's just and what's right
We damn the night (The night? What's that mean?)

DELIVER US FROM TEMPTATION

Once we may ask for forgiveness
Someday we could see paradise
His words echo to his disciples (Who's words?)
Yet again he'll give in to his vice
Caught and bound by temptation
So ashamed of running free
Sweet embrace, captivation
Carnal truth against our beliefs
Deliver us (Deliver us what? To somewhere? Huh? Pizza, maybe?)

Those are the obvious passages, but what do YOU think this album is about? What do you think The Dark Ride is referring to? Did they go Satanic? Or did they write about Christianity from a darker angle? Maybe one of redemption after sin and temptation? Helloween is VERY Christian, my friend, they always have been.

First of all, I´m not complaining about christian lyrics or bands. Why are you getting me so wrong??? How about other Helloween albums? Are all of them that way maybe??

Compare the lyrics you pasted here by Helloween compared to lyrics by Stryper or Narnia.

I´m not trying to offend anyone nor complain. I can´t explain any further what I mean so, if anyone else here can explain my points better than me that understands what I mean...please do so.

Helloween are not as overtly Christian as some bands, Stryper for example. Helloween, however, are just a little less obvious about it. Their lyrics are more poetic and not so vapid (most of the time). The theme and message is still there, they just choose not to smack you in the face with it.

I'm not trying to argue here just to argue, and I honestly can't recall what your original message was about as I was simply replying to the notion that Helloween have Christian themes on many of their songs. Not every song, but many of them. No big deal to me. I listen to the music first and foremost! =)

Don't worry, bud, this is a good musical discussion.

Eyesore:
That´s my point. Helloween ain´t that obvious about it.

My original message was pointing at following, "obvious" christian bands like "Divine fire" don´t normally become that big (even if they have the potentional) because, there are people that don´t like the "obvious christian messages" where they sing Jesus Christ in every line. I don´t have a problem with it and I don´t care since I´m just like You...listening to the music foremost but, I don´t know any obvious christian band that has become huge (except for Stryper).

Finally we understand eachother, hehe:)

Hahaha. Well, we weren't on the same page because I replied to someone else, then you replied to me, which then created: :? :? :?

Hahaha.

Well you're talking later era Helloween as having Christian Lyrics. In the early incarnation Kai Hansen in the song Victim of Fate talks about going to hell and watching Satan laugh with a satanic smile. now thats awesome! Metal is better off being evil.

Ugh...would you all cut the crap!

Save Us (Hansen)

Too late to call for the priest
he is not here anymore
we look at the age of the beast
and we've seen its vast armies form
hear our call

Please, save us
please, save us

In permanent madness we live
no time for life and for love
to take is the rule, not to give
insanity comes from below
to take us all

Please, save us
please, save us

We believe that the phenomena of nature
are the expression of infinitive intelligence
we express our belief that all forms of life
are manifestations of spirit
and thus, all men are children of God

Far from down below one comes prepared to take us all
waiting for his future and the final call

We stand on the edge of the world
just one step more and we fall
guide us and please take our hands
without you we're weak and alone
hear our call

Please, save us
please, save us

Now!

Those are no obvious passages. The phrase, “You are here, and make me feel do high, day by day...” from All Over the Nations could just aswell be about a loving couple or something, the chorus “All Over the Nations the tunes come alive, winners and losers, we’re all alike” hinting at something like an awareness that us people are very small, and that we all are very pathetic and small beings that all long for love.

I Live For Your Pain is not nessecarily about christianity or Jesus per se, although I could see how you could think that.

Sin, I wash you clean again
I'm your redeemer

Cause I
I live for your pain
I live for your pain
I'm dying

The whole thing is basically a simile, it’s supposed to be interpreted as a metaphor as I see it. Something takes on a burden with the intention that something else shall grow. It could for example be a boy who is bullied at school and he intentionally let them abuse him because he feels like his oppressors would someday learn something from it and have a chance of redeeming themselves when they realize what they did to him. It’s basically like sacrificing your self for something good.

I wont comment anymore of your passages. A lot of this is about how far we stretch ourselves when we think about what the definition of christianity should comprise. I think you are a bit too enthusiastic about calling lyrics that deal with things like paradise, sacrifice, love between persons etc. for obvious christianity, in a specific sense.



Im glad you asked this, and I guess im expected to give a good answer to this when im the guy who happens to have The Dark Ride in his avatar and sig. Well well, what should I say, I don’t think the message is neither about satanism nor christian belief. I believe the album perpetuates a view of the world of sorts. There is a lot of dark broody themes throughout it, but also a passionate goodness and joy somewhere in there, fighting almost at insurmountable odds, but still prevailing, although the dark title-track seems to suggest that it’s almost not there.

I’ve always thought there is mystique around the album and the meaning of it’s songs, so it’s hard to say what it truly is about. Maybe it’s just about this fascinating mystical thingy, the battle of good and evil and nothing more. A lot of the stuff is philosophically interesting though, take Mr. Torture for example. On the surface it seems joyful, and about some drivel but if you analyze it it’s about a deeper philosophical problem. How far can we humans go with replacing things with things, comensating for inner disorders with drugs etc...



I frankly don’t see how you could think that. The message especially on last song, the title-track, is very dark and seems to implicate that getting redemption is very hard, if at all possible.



I could symphatize with such a notion. But this doesn’t mean that their lyrics to a greater extent deal directly with christian teachings. There is a subtile but clear difference between Helloween and a band like, say Theocracy.

I must say, they seem pretty bloody Christian to me.



It's saying, you sin, you go to hell and don't come back. Hell is really bad, etc. And anger leads to sin, which is a typically Xtian attitude. So, nice try, Scion, but you're wrong.

Scion, stop. Please. Do some research.

Eyesore, contribute with something more constructive to the discussion or don't partake at all.


No one ever questioned this.


What are you trying to say? I don't see why that proves im wrong. That is somekind of a metaphor for the truth, nothing says it's the literal meaning.

When you have a choice between a straightforward, Christian message and a deep, hidden message about relationships or whatever, I'd say the obvious one was true. If they're a Christian band, singing about salvation, hell and stuff, in my book that means the lyrics are Christian! What's wrong with that?

Are you kidding? I've provided more PROOF than anyone else in this thread! I've been listening to Helloween for like 20 years! Are you insisting that I don't know what this band is about? Get real. You can take whatever meaning you wish from their lyrics, but that doesn't change what the band is saying with those lyrics.

When you guys say the next "big" power metal band do you mean big as in actuall success or big as in theyll be a strong unit? For actual market success Dragonforce can quite possibly blow up, itll all depend on how hard Road Runner pushes em. As far as underground "street cred" goes bands like Persuader, Dark Empire, Pyramaze, and Hibria will definitely be contenders. However none of the above bands will most likely ever be at the point where bands like Lacuna Coil are at today.

Conquering the US as a Power Metal band is going to be extremely hard. Good luck to Dragonforce.

Thanks, stud!





















...wtf?

Yeah, i was confused by this to. 'bring new light to the genre' in my eyes is make an original record, which in power metal is like the holy grail. I think the next (and the last) band to do this is Blind Guardian. But if we're talking about unestablished bands then i've yet to here them, I've heard pretty much all the bands named here and most of them are dam good, but not original, not the band to take the genre to a new level. But if the question meant was who are the next band to sell a shit load of records and get huge, its probably DragonForce. All the scene kids seem to like it (WHY????) so i can seem then going far.

Most songs has characteristics like an intention, a message it tries to convey, something it wants to say to us listeners etc. If a song has the slightest inscrutability in the way it’s presenting itself, you should be very careful with taking the song, with all it’s potential metaphorical value, conclude you know what it’s about and coldly put it in a category.

No offense but IMO it is stupid to say the intention with the tune “The Dark Ride” is to preach about christian faith and bible-teachings, and dismiss any kind of vagueness and uncertainty in the matter. Everyone interprets things in accordance with their own conviction, and you don’t know what the artists truly wants to say with their work, unless you can ask them. (Even if you ask them though they might not reveal a lot, they usually choose to be secretive, thats my experience.)

I don’t refuse to see the literal and concrete meaning in art, but I am very careful with maintaining some uncertainty when I interpret stuff. If you don’t do this you don’t show a lot of respect to the work of the artist.


No offense intended friend, but isn’t this quite a silly thing to write? You are basically saying that your theories, because of your enormous knowledge about this band, are the only truth and cannot be argued against. You also blatantly ignore my criticism.


Very true, but unless you’ve actually spoken with the band about their lyrics, this doesn’t say that your theories must be more plausible than mine. The only thing we can do is interpret what we think it means, and discuss it with others. Discussing is what I want to do, thats why I answered this: ”Scion, stop. Please. Do some research.”, with this: ”Eyesore, contribute with something more constructive to the discussion or don't partake at all.”

(I also want to point out that english isn't my mothertongue so there might be some mistakes.)

What I don't see is why you have a problem with accepting the basic interpretation of the lyrics as Christian.



Now how in the hell is this about anything other than Christianity?

In red, is a warning. You sin, you go to hell, you don't come back. "Gates"... of hell. What else could it be? I'm not saying that you should always take the most obvious interpretation, but let's be honest here: these are metalheads, not poets. They aren't particulary good lyrics. But please explain this: what else could "Satan" and "armageddon" be refering to? I can't see any relationship-oriented subtexts, unless you take "red vile breath" to refer to menstruation...? :roll: