3 Addictive Songs from Germany

3 Addictive Songs From Germany

Xandria and Eyes of Eden 

   I was only beginning my search into finding inspiring and awesome music from genres I never really paid attention to when I quickly got to know Epica from The Netherlands (see previous Post: Epic Songs from Epica). I knew I was onto something as I had even gone back to my original links and tried to look even deeper, finding even more incredible music from Velcra (see previous post: Attack of Velcra). 

   So I decided to look further back to one of my original links, Xandria, "Save My Life" (see previous post: Pretty Voices) This band I wrote off simply because they sounded less than metal to me and not as classical influenced as what I was beginning to discover. Gimmick based song titles like "Ravenheart, Snow-White, The Lioness, Sisters of the Light, Vampire, Mermaids ..etc"  didn't help the matter. Also on the downside I lumped them into the category off add a female, add strings and sing of vampires- so I was about to give up on Xandria when I discovered what could be their best release, "India". As the name refers there are Middle-Eastern themes and melodies interwoven into the mix and it works well.

  Lucky for me I found another song from Xandria I had bookmarked and I found the melody impossible to shake off. I was already humming the melody to India when I found "She's Nirvana" a slower grinding song which grabs you quickly.

  Linking through their origins in Germany, where there is a heavier presence of Gothic Metal, I stumbled onto a band and their debut release and it too got stuck in my head. Eyes of Eden is a brand new symphonic metal band showing there is a growing interest in this genre and newer bands are popping up all over.  

Xandria - India  2007 Symphonic Metal Taking you on an epic journey requires for you to actually go somewhere... Here Xandria takes on a concept of traveling the unknown open seas towards India - only to find the new world. The middle eastern inspired melody runs through the strings giving an unusual mixture of metal and symphonics. The melody is superbly delivered, climbing in anticipation in which the journey takes. A heavy guitar based breakdown adds to the unique dynamics of this song. The racing rising climax eclipses perfectly. A very addictive song and definately among their best.



Xandria - Shes Nirvana Kill The Sun 2003 Here is a gothic song from Xandria which hints to Wiccan themes and other mystic ideals. The slow grinding tempo is very unusual for the genre and works very well. The melody is quickly addictive and a small effect breakdown shows some dynamics. Lisa Middelhauve delivers a great vocal here it is unfortunate that she has since left Xandria as they search for her replacement. 2 years after finding this song I still like to keep it in my mix and occasionally I can't get it out of my head.



Eyes of Eden - Dancing Fire Gothic Metal Germany 2007 This very addictive song is not quite symphonic nor gothic as others but its a good impression of what most metal bands in this genre sound like to me. The band is a new project by Waldemar Sorychta, the guitarist, songwriter and producer "who shaped the sound and feel of many bands such as Grip Inc., Lacuna Coil, Sentenced, Moonspell, Tiamat, Despair and others"(last.fm) Looking forward to see this band progress it has some potential. The very beautiful maiden on vocals Franziska Huth may remind some of Theatre of Tradgey's Liv Kristine and other more recent bands like Sirenia and Tristania.
   As I pursue back to my original links, I will never forget the night I heard the next set of songs in my bookmarks. Discovering these songs made me start my first playlist on Youtube. It was the night I was blown away by symphonic metal and fell in love with one of the greatest voices Ive ever heard in all of Metal, in all of my years of being an avid music lover....

Next: Blown Away by After Forever, Forever.