Cristina Scabbia Interview
Philadelphia - April 18,2013
In-Person Interview at the Electric Factory

Going into this interview, I was only a casual fan of Lacuna Coil, which means I knew their song Our Truth from the second Underworld film. Being a large fan of the vampire genre, it is almost a requisite part of my movie-watching life to both know and to have watched the Underworld films. I have mostly a tepid response to those films, but Lacuna Coil’s music has always struck me as being filled with thundering drama and heart-felt lyrics. I’ve always loved how neither the female and male vocalists were forced into the obligatory roles of the female vocalist being the lilting soprano vocalist or the male vocalist being this gruff, burly growler. Instead, Lacuna Coil was always unique from day one.

March 10, 2013 (via Skype)

All it took was one run-through of the lyrics video of “Amber,” and I was pretty well smitten with Tyranny of Hours, the symphonic metal newcomers from Portland, Oregon. Layered composition with elements of progressive metal and a smidgen of jazz flavoring? Check. Warm, smooth vocals? Yep, it’s got that too. All in all, Tyranny of Hour’s self-titled debut is a complex and thought-provoking album, without straying into the realm of annoying self-indulgence.

Sonic Cathedral’s Robin Stryker sat down with Michelle Mattair (vocals) and Don Graham (guitars) for a rollicking chat about Tyranny of Hours, muscle cars, gee-tars, and everything in between! Dive in for an in-depth look.

Serenity + Visions of Atlantis + Souldrinker + Evenpath
Lyon France (29/03/2013) Live report

Last time I saw Serenity was in October 2011, at the Out of the Dark Tour. They were already playing with Clémentine who was not a permanent member yet at that moment. I was very impressed by their shows and by their new album War of Ages, and couldn't wait to see them again playing in my own town with the other bands touring with them: Visions of Atlantis and Souldrinker, with Evenpath as the local band in Lyon. And here we are!

Sarah Liodenot (Evenpath), Maxi Nil (Visions of Atlantis), Clémentine Delauney (Serenity), Iris Boanta (Souldrinker)

The Columbia Theatre, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
April 12, 2013

Adam Todd is annoyed. As he lets me into New Westminster’s historic and refurbished Columbia Theatre last Friday night, he bristles with frustration. “The house sound guy was two hours late,” he explains. I murmur something sympathetic and follow him into the main part of the theatre to observe the load-in and pre-show sound checks. The seating is not typically theatre-style, I notice, but rather set up like a cabaret show. I’m grateful for a table to set myself up at, notebook open and pen poised, camera at the ready.

Metal Night Dordrecht
April 6, 2013

The Metal Night is an initiative of Popcentrale Dordrecht. This was my first visit to this venue. And at the same time it was my last because they are moving to a new location. It's a small cozy venue where you really can get close to the band. The entrance fee couldn't be the reason why there was space for more people. It was a shame because the line-up with MindShade (NL), Ex Libris (NL) and Whyzdom (FR) deserved better.

Anneke van Giersbergen
Live in Chicago at Reggies Rock Club
March 23, 2013

It’s relatively easy to see the gap between American music and the rest of the world, just go catch a top name European act and the gap between the two becomes obvious in a big hurry. I was looking to research that gap in Chicago this weekend, wondering if AvG would reinforce that idea and wondering if she would impress me to the level that other European acts had in previous live performances. She did, and I was.