Metal Female Voices Fest - Wieze 2005

 

Anachronia (By RG)

They could fill in for Diluvium, a great opportunity of course. And besides that they could open the Metal Female Voices III, quite an honour. Many had been waiting for the festival to finally start (there were some delays) so the audience was happy to see the first band enter the stage at last.

Music
Fay (vocals) has a sweet and fragile voice, unfortunately there is not that much expression in it, the start is there but it could be expanded. The music didn’t have as much variation, the refrains were not catching. This band has a beginning, they have a good base to go from but it could all be more intense and diverse.

Performance
Fay had a beautiful outfit, she wore a long skirt and corset and when she entered the stage she was also wearing a cape. The other band members however were all wearing different shirts in different styles and colours; they could have formed more of a unity if this was different. The singer has a nice stage performance although her movements and emotions are a bit small and thus didn’t reach as far as they could. The grunter joined in later, he partly stood in front of Fay which was a pity. After a while they seemed to loosen up a bit and there was more interaction on stage, bringing the show to life. The lights were mostly white at first but later colour set in and that was much better, bringing warmth to the show.

Rating
Music 6
Performance 6
Light 6
Sound 7
Total 6 (6,2)




Autumn (by SD)

This Dutch gothmetal band had a heavy year after the release of ‘Summers End.’ They did a package with Within Temptation, had some line-up changes and now the calmth seems to be back in the group. They are even busy with a new album. Luckily they wanted to come over to preform on this festival. They really deserve it to show their more mature sound.

Music
When the intro sets in and Nienke enters the stage, it is very crowded in the front. It is the first time this day that people are really enthousiastic. They play a lot of songs from the last record like the single “Gallery of Reality.” Also some old songs like 'The Witch In Me' are played. The sound is very good: no problems with echoes in the microphones, like other bands had this day. The keyboardplayer is hard to hear sometimes, but he fits very well in the band. Together with the drums he is hardly to see in the dark. From the first second till the end Autumn plays a very uptempo gig: a good choise, because they impress with their heavy sound. Nienke is a strong front woman: her voice is more heavy then on the record 'Summers End.' There is bass player Meindert who creates the contrast in the songs with his grunts. The 'Green Angel' is special played for Philty and the audience also screams for him.

Performance
Nienke is a natural front woman: she really likes to communicate with the audience and she also involves the rest of the band in the show.  Her face shows real emotion and that makes that the songs come more alive. On her right there is Meindert who is more agressive and brings in some metal influences. Together they have enough interaction with the audience, but there are also two guitarist who are very active. There is Mats who really brings the energy in the gig: he makes some funny faces and has some interaction with the crowd. On the other side of the stage is Jens, who also does some backing vocals. Most of the time he is headbanging, and not then his face is covered with his hair. Together they are a strong team and Autumn is the first band on this festival who wins the audience. In the end everyone is enthousiastic, all hands rease in the air when the last notes of 'Summers End' are played.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 7
Total: 8 (7,9)




The Legion of Helteria (by SD)

This Mexican gothmetal band is for the first time in Europe. They had no luck when came over from Mexico: the tour with Epica and The Old Dead Tree was canceld, because of the unexpected illness of Epica front woman Simone Simons. So they were in The Netherlands without the change to play. (That is also the reason that we have more pictures, because they diserve it). Luckily they were allready confirmed on this festival.

Music
It is a bit hectic on the stage when the change-over is there for TLOH. When they kick off a very epic sound is produced by the band. Immidiatly the high soprano sound of woman vocalist Marivi crabs you. Together with the more agressive grunts of Ricardo (former of the band, also guitarplayer) there is a dynamic sound, more then on their record 'Choices.'  All the songs are full of bombastic, heavy guitars and a fast guitars. Songs like 'Invisible Mask' is more epic and has some beautiful clean male vocals aswell.  The last song 'Eyes On Me' shows the emotional side of Marivi with some light vocal parts she shows that she can do more with her voice.

Performance
Marivi was a bit nervous in the beginning, but after one song she smiles: the big crowd is on her hand. She is not only a talented vocalist, she also dare to move a lot. It is amazing to see that she can shing that clear and dance a lot at the same time. Both guitarplayers are also dynamic on stage: making poses, running around, so there is a lot to see on stage. Sometimes tourmanager Ad Sluyter (Epica) has to help, but there are no real technical problems during the gig.
The keyboard player Harif is very melodic, and only good to see from the left side of the stage. Shame because he has his own party going on: headbanging and with a emotional, sweaty face he gives a lot. When Marivi starts to sing 'Der Hölle Rache' one of the most beautiful arias of Mozart, the audience is first silent and then more then enthousiastic. Out of nothing she find the high notes with a selfconvidence that is admirable. This band is for sure one of the highlights of this festival. An eye-opener, because they prove to be a professional band. Young, but really talented.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 9
Sound: 8
Light: 7
Total: 8 (8,3)





Elis (by SD)

This young gothic band started in 2001 and impressed people with their debut "Twilight." Not only in germany, but also in the rest of Europe they are more well-known now. With their latest record, “Dark Clouds In A Perfect Sky” (2004), this formation showed that they are still growing. The typical sound of Sabine Duenser is a very good trademark of this German band.

Music
Heavy, technical guitar-lines mixed with the sweet voice of Sabiene. On the records the production is a bit slick, but live you feel the contrasts and their sound is even more powerful than on their albums. Songs like “Der Letzte Tag” which reminds the people of Angelzoom. A melodic voice, heavy guitars and a strong beat. There are more songs from the new record played and an old one like “For such a long time”. A more catchy song with arrangements and some powerful keyboard-parts.

Performance
Sabiene knows how to play with the audience. When she enters the stage in a white outfit, some fans in the front are screaming. All those people in the front definitely give her the right motivation to give everything. She walks around, smiles and acts very professional. Also there is enough contact between her and the rest of the band, altough sometimes the members are too much focussed on their own instrument.  After all it doesn’t get boring.

Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Sound: 6
Light: 7
Total: 7 (6,8)




Skeptical Minds (by NA)

This Belgian band was playing in front of a home crowd this evening. This band is formed in 2002 and very yong, but they are well known in the underground scene. Finally they have the chance to play for a bigger audience.

Music
Within the first minutes of their performance it became clear to me that Skeptical Minds operate more in the region of Electro than metal, even having a slight industrial touch to their sound. The singer Kristell appears to be quite a lot younger than the rest of the band and this might be the reason the lyrics to the songs are not really working for her. Some of them are meant to make her come across as a temptress, but this attempt fails with the look of the singer being that of a young and innocent girl, despite the grown up dress she is wearing.
On the other hand: the sound is good, nice and full the way an electro band is supposed to sound, Kristells voice fits the music very well and some of the tunes are quite catchy. But with the repetitive character of the chords the guitarists play I think this bands’ music will go down better on the dance floor of a club than at a festival like Metal Female Voices.

Performance
Nothing going on on stage but the singer Kristell really. She looks good, wearing a short dress with some nice stockings showing underneath, also moves around on stage quite a bit and she is not afraid to look the audience directly in the eye. But somehow it feels like the fact that they have a female vocalist is an excuse for the rest of the band not to work on their performance. With the guys in the band having spent little effort on their outfits, the band does not look like a unity on stage, not even speaking of their passive performance here. Come on guys, of course a female singer gets a lot of attention, but some interaction would be nice here!
If it weren’t for the light technician using the right lights to create a setting for their music, the performance would have been quite boring.

Rating
Music 7
Performance 5
Light 7
Sound 6
Total 6 (6,1)




Midnattsol (By NA)

OK, let’s start out with stating the obvious; of course the fact that the singer of this band- Carmen- is the sister of the famous Liv Kristine (former singer Theatre of Tragedy, currently in Leaves’Eyes) raised a lot of attention for this band.

Music

Yes, Carmen's voice sounds a lot like her sister's, with the difference that she does not seem to have the range or colour in her voice as Liv does. Music wise this is classic gothic metal and not that interesting because the songs are too cliché, it all sounds too much like a lot of Nightwish. But then when they play some songs with a more folkloristic approach, suddenly this band changes into something interesting. Carmens voice fits this style a lot better and does not drown in the sound of the guitars anymore. Here they showcase they do have a style of their own and I surely hope they continue to write more material like this. In some ways they remind me of the more quiet songs of Blackmores Night. When they end the set with a nice rendition of a classical song by Edvard Grieg I am starting to think this band holds some potential. But with their performance they failed to convince me that the attention coming from Carmens’ famous last name is deserved and so they will have to work harder to earn their place in today’s overcrowded gothic metal scene.

Performance
Finally a woman onstage with this band who is not the singer, they have a female bass player here! Carmen takes away a lot of the public eye looking like a sweet Norwegian blond in her classical gothic dress. To not make it too standard a look, she wears a white dress made of some shiny material, I bet its vinyl. The bass player looks like her German twin sister and does a great job at performing; she is head banging and posing her way through the set- nice and dynamic stage presence. Also the lights are good- warm colours contributing to the intimate atmosphere of the more quiet songs especially.

Rating
Music 7
Performance 7
Light 7
Sound 7
Total 7




Mercury Rain (By RG)

After a break in the beginning of 2005 this English band has just started performing again this month. With an extra guitarist they came all the way to Wieze to perform for us.

Music
They started of with a great vocal intro, showing the capacities of their singer, Sonia Porzier. Their second song was ‘Red’ which has not been released yet. The lyrics were well audible, which was the case during their entire performance. The music keeps going on with hardly any big changes or interruptions; a vibrating bass keeps on shaking the audience. Their third song was ‘St. Matthieu’ which means a lot to Sonia because it is a song about Brittany, where she originates from. There are some quiet emotional parts in it and then power sets in, this sudden change has a great effect, it takes you in to the music.

Performance
These were some sharp dressed man, all wearing a long black coat. Sonia was wearing black pants and a black top, so they all matched and were easy on the eyes.  She showed the emotions of what she was singing in her face and movements, but they could have been larger so they would be more captivating. She does really sing to the audience and even goes to each side of the stage to address the audience there

Rating
Music 6
Performance 7
Light 6
Sound 7
Total 7 (6,5)




Asrai (By RG)

Usually Asrai exists of 5 people but today they had extra reinforcement, the guitarist who normally stands in if the other can’t make it now was there as well.

Music
Margriet is a great singer who is singing form the heart, she seems to be totally in to what she is singing. The drums seemed to be coming from a distance… they were not in the sound mix as they should be. ‘Touch in the Dark’ was a favourite of the audience, people were shouting for it all the time. The mix of catching refrains, the powerful voice of Margriet and dark sounds made them a perfect act for this festival.

Performance
As always Asrai looked great, each member has his or her own style and they are a great combination.  Rik was wearing a very tight corset today and Martin was wearing his (in)famous ‘put out or get out’ shirt. Karin seemed to be really enjoying herself hitting her drums with a big smile on her face and also she and Manon sing along with Margriet as well. Who shot fire from her eyes and had tension in her hands when she was singing the most emotional parts, a great sight. There was a nice ‘dark’ light show. Some members of the audience shouted ‘Asrai’ and then someone shouted ‘Twarres’ (a really soft ‘n sweet Dutch band) causing Karin to laugh so loud we could al hear it even thought she was hidden behind her drums at the back of the stage.

Rating
Music 7
Performance 7
Light 7
Sound 6
Total 7 (6,7)




Epica (by SD)

They had to cancel the tour a week ago, because of the illness of Simone, but this time the doctor told her that it was fine to go on stage. So many fans were there to support the Dutch gothmetal band. It is the third time this band plays on the Metal Female Voices festival.

Music
They start off with a chaotic sound, but soon after the first song it gets better. Maybe that explains the chaotic feeling I had when I saw the band on stage. Mark his grunts were more raw then before, because of a cold or something. In the end he had problems with that. Simones voice still need to recover, but sounded not bad after all. Also the rest of the musicians played very well, but were not really into the gig. The light was good, not too red and there was not that much smoke. Songs from the ‘Phantom Agony and ‘Consign To Oblivion’ are played, including their last single ‘Quietus.’ The song ‘The Last Cursade’ is played for Philty and they all toast on him.

Performance
Simone seems to grow more and more into a natural performance. She was very enthousiastic to see all those people and to have a better voice: "I feel 100 percent better and it is good to see you all!” Her enthousiasm also reflects on the audience: everyone is singing along and screaming. Together with Mark the woman vocalist gives all she got and there is a strong chemistry between them. It is good to see that they all have fun on stage. More then that is the fact that they are grown into a very professional band, with a good attitude on stage. The guitarist Ad shows his poses, and has more selfconvidence. Halfway through the set the strenght of the band is more there and the songs are not such an automatic thing anymore. Simone showed that she is a really good fontwoman and they all enjoyed the gig.

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 7
Total: 8 (7,8)




After Forever (By RG)

Finally it was time for After Forever. They were one of the favourites of this festival and many were already in front of the stage awaiting the show. While Asrai was playing the stage was set, they had brought their own platform on which André (drums) and Joost (keys) could play.

Music
From the start of the ‘Remagine’ intro the audience was sucked into the show of After Forever. During ‘No Control’ Joost comes down with a loose keyboard and the men take over the stage, Sander is grunting and Bas does the vocals. This is one of the heaviest parts of the show; followed by a silent moment as ‘Strong’ is performed. According to Floor it is ‘The most special song ever’. ‘Follow in the Cry’ was interrupted this time by a bit of Kiss’ ‘I Was Made For Loving you’. The cover they played tonight was ‘The Final Countdown’ of Europe and it was very well received. The sound was well balanced and After Forever sounded fantastic!

Performance
Floor is one of the strongest (if not thé strongest) front woman I know, she takes over the stage and still leaves room for the rest of the band. They are a marvellous team working like a well oiled machine. Everybody has his or her own moves on stage, for instance Bas who turns circles with his guitar, and even Luuk seems to be loosening up more and more.  The audience is taken on a musical journey and there is just no escape.

Rating
Music 9
Performance 9
Light 8
Sound 9
Total 9 (8,9)

 

Leaves’ eyes (By NA)

Two sisters playing at this festival, both with their own bands, who is the better of the two? Well, this question is not hard to answer, since Liv Kristine is a long standing household name in the gothic metal scene. She practically defined the genre with her former band; Theatre of Tragedy. When she went on to pursue a not successful solo career after she quit that band I thought she would be lost to the scene forever, but then Leaves’ Eyes saw the light of day and I was assured Liv was back on the right track.

After tonight’s’ performance I think that the impression I got last year in Turkey at the RTN festival was a wrong one, because there the songs from ‘Lovelorn’ did not sound as good as they do on the album. I thought that Liv had a problem before with singing the recorded material at live shows when she was still in Theatre of Tragedy, but not anymore after this performance... Somehow she blossomed completely on stage, hitting all the right notes and sounding very powerful in the higher ranges. This is especially surprising because her voice is quite soft naturally, which makes it more suitable for the studio than for live performance. I think a big ‘thank you’ should go out to the sound engineer!
The music of Leaves’ Eyes is very much about creating the right –romantic- atmosphere, very melancholic, especially in dealing with the ‘Vinland saga’ material. During tonight’s performance the band succeeded to create that atmosphere, much to the enjoyment of the crowd.