And now for something entirely different. I’m not a fan of the vocals. Their style is a little too screamo for me. But they are very experimental and strange, so might be something worth checking out.
Now I know what you might be thinking when you see a song that’s 17 minutes long, “You really expect us to listen to that? That’s like 3 songs in one?” But trust me, as you listen to it, it doesn’t feel very long at all. This amazing piece takes you on a journey – a journey through groovy, fresh guitar solos, funky riffs, dynamic ups and downs and Mike Portnoy’s expert drums.
That’s right. This project was founded by Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater as a side project (but ended up roping in John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess…so it was kind just like a different flavor of Dream Theater???) They also had bassist Tony Levin of King Crimson playing with them.
One thing that made me laugh was when I read that Portnoy’s first choice for a guitarist was Dimebag Darrell…you know…of Pantera. Of course Dimebag was an amazing guitarist, but somehow this doesn’t really seem like his style.
A testament to the incredible talent of these band members is that the albums were mostly improvised.
I tend to find most male/female metal duets to be cheesy, but not this song. Liv Kristine from Leave’s Eyes joins forces with Týr to do this powerful duet and music video. Both singers have strong and enchanting voices on their own, but when they come together they form a perfect harmony.
Týr is a progressive folk metal band from the Faroe Islands. Before writing this article, I didn’t even know what the Faroe Islands were. But thanks to some extensive research on Wikipedia, I’ve discovered that the Faroe Islands are an archipelago between Norway and Iceland. Thanks internet!
Týr’s music covers themes of Norse Mythology, Paganism, and Faroese/Nordic lore. The band has an anti-racist position and has declared themselves to be a form of music that does not condone hate or violence.
While Týr is an excellent group of musicians, the one major criticism I’ve heard about them is that they have a hard time sticking to one musical style – they are very experimental – for better or for worse! So enjoy this song and check out the lyrics below.
THE LAY OF OUR LOVE LYRICS
[Note, I noticed that the first stanza mentioned the word “leaves” and “eye”, is this a pun on Liv from Leave’s Eyes?] (Lyric Source)
One morning
As the leaves were falling
I found my life leaving
Couldn’t help but calling
And he must have heard my cry
Turning to me with a tear in his eye
One autumn
Parting came relieving
She ran up behind me
Poorly hid her grieving
Come wailing wind chill my heart
Come the rain fall on me as I depart
Life left us
Yesterday’s outshining
Our any tomorrow
With a silver lining
Remember a distant day
For even memories may fade away
Come lay down
By my side and sing me
An ode to the fallen
Make it come inside me
Do you ever think thereof
While the cold wind weeps the lay of our love
Go fuck yourself “oppa gangnam style”, it’s time to get down to some real music Voodoo Gayageum Style
I don’t have much information on the girl in the video above.
But what I do know is that she’s doing a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” on a Korean instrument called the “Gayageum.” I hope you are about as blown away as I am. When I first heard this my jaw dropped and is now floating around somewhere in the South Pole.
Hope you all had a great New Years. Sorry for my lack of posts, I have been caught up with the chaos of the season, family and all that jazz.
Let’s have a toast to the New Year and all the Resolutions we’ll give up on somewhere in the middle of next week! Cheers! But on a more serious note, stay tuned for more articles, music and mayhem!
“Sólstafir” is the Icelandic word for “radiating sun beams”
As the fall brings us closer to the dreary and dark time of the year, I begin to bust out my dark emotional music. I’m not exactly sure how to categorize these guys musically – not that everything needs a category. They started out as a viking/black metal band, yet now they have more of a post-metal, rock sound. Their music is dreary and emotional.
Fjara means “Beach,” which explains why this video is on a beach! Wow! Look at my amazing powers of reason.This video itself is very mysterious and leaves more questions than answers. It also gives you a chance to enjoy the beautiful Icelandic landscape.
Reading the lyrics leads me to believe that the song is about dragging around the burden of past memories and broken promises. Perhaps the landscape of the beach is significant, because the beach is where the land comes to an end and new life begins. Finally, when the protagonist of our video gets to the end of the line, a waterfall, she thrusts herself and the boat – or it might be a coffin (as Eaarth Animist astutely pointed out) over the edge, bringing an end to all the past pain and hurt.
Genre: Progressive Metal with a Middle Eastern Folk Influence
Location: Tunisia
Interesting Fact: Myrath was the first band from Tunisia to be signed on a label (according to Metal-Archives). They’ve also toured with Orphaned Land.
I feel like this music takes your mind on a peaceful, trippy journey. There are no vocals, just the gentle lilting of the guitar. It comes in slowly, from the distance, much like an Aurora Borealis spotted in the sky.
SOUND: Pelican began by recording a more doom metal sound. But now they are more known for their post rock, experimental sound.
Metal Gaia 