Intro - Music Saved My Life - Part 3
Blown Away by Symphonic Metal
One day I joined the website last.fm looking for streaming radio, mostly out of the fact I never really get into new music. What happened was internet streaming radio stations only satisfied me for 10 min. maximum. I did find an underground channel that played basically every goth/industrial song I hear at the clubs I go, which was great except I only like to hear those songs at the clubs. I get burned out enough at the clubs and dont want to kill off the love I have for even the newer stuff. So I HAD do something...
Being half Finnish, I wondered what was going on musically in Finland. The metal blood line runs deep in Finland, and everyone knows there is plenty of history in Finland, and with bands like Amorphis being among my favorite, I figured I was bound to find Something...
I used amazon.com and youtube.com mostly as my research tools. I would type metal finland in the search on youtube, click whatever came up I didnt recognize, listen for a few seconds and if sounded good, Id leave it on to listen thru while searching Amazon.com or Wiki for more info. I would go back to Last.fm to see what the fans would say, find what songs they rated highest and try them out also. If it impressed me Id keep it in my playlists on youtube. At times though some of the bands didnt even exist in youtube land. I did find a few key bands at this time but I had no idea what was lurking around the corner - Symphonic Metal, and how deep I would fall in love with it.
I do listen to wide array of music. I think its a sign of the times though. Everyone essentially has an eclectic taste. To say you listen to world music, Weezer and The Eagles of Death Metal isnt really a stretch anymore. But I find I prefer the very heavy, very aggressive, and the very loud. So at first, Symphonic Metal seems like Chick Metal to someone who would carve Slayer into their arms or name their pets Ozzy. But what I found is music that moves into my soul, communicates with the artist within, stirs my creativity and fires up my imagination all while moving me emotionally. Combining full orchestras, or full choirs with the sweeping arrangements - the best Symphonic Metal sounds like an Epic score to the most epic adventure movies. Add a dynamic vocalist, singing a mixture of Metal and Opera, with mixtures of melodies and power - the mixture is unlike anything Ive ever heard before. Well - Almost Never Before.
The mixture of Metal and Classical or Opera has been done and there are multitudes of examples. Its just taken time, technology, and Heavy Metal sub-genres to really take off. I remember having the 45inch record of "Live and Let Die" by Wings - original soundtrack opener for the 007 movie. That song, and most of Wings' (Paul and Linda McCartney) music was a combination of orchestra and rock-n-roll. I also remember my favorite Cheap Trick song "Dream Police" which is this whole climbing and falling arrangement of strings and horns and bombastic Rock. Who doesn't love "Kashmir" from Led Zep? And there is that song called "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen from their landmark disc "A Night At the Opera". The examples all start to make sense. This is a marriage that when done right - makes for some very memorable moments.
I dont know where at what point my searching fared from only checking out bands of every genre from Finland to my early finds in Symphonic Metal. So I am going to try my best to share from my recollection what order I stumbled onto what first. Call them baby steps - each step you will progress deeper into the rabbit hole with me..
I hope any of these songs I share here will take you on your own journey. Feel free to comment on anything. This wont turn into the encyclopedia of unknown bands either. No Listings. Each post will contain 1 to 3 songs, descriptions and info Ive collected and hopefully working links. I will also post the bands that didn't make the cut and discuss why.
So Follow me now, the first stop - The Metal scene in Finland.
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