Unexpect are a difficult band to describe to most people and yet whenever they are making an appearance in our fair Metropolis I am going to try to be there. This time around they were one of the supporting acts for the great Finnish Power Metal providers of Sonata Arctica and that show was documented in full on THIS LINK. Now please enjoy the photos that go along with the Unexpect part of the story.
Continue reading Unexpect: Live Photos @ B.B. King Blues Club (9/30/2007)
Sonata Arctica was doing a headlining appearance in NYC and the exciting night found the talents of Firewind, Unexpect and The Agonist joining them on the stage of New York’s B.B. King Blues Club. Supporting all of the talented musicians performing tonight in both words and images was paramount for me as a journalist so we did just that. If you want to learn more just scroll past the logo below.
Artist: Sonata Arctica
Venue: B. B. King Blues Club (New York, NY)
Opener: Firewind, Agonist, Unexpect
Date: 9/30/2007
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Fans of the Finnish Melodic Progressive Rock sensation Sonata Arctica would have their prayers answered as the band once again made their trek to the USA for some much appreciated touring. While this appearance in NYC would be their third actual visit it was only the bands second headlining appearance but like the previous two shows would be held at the ever popular B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. As was also the case with the other visits the band would be supporting a brand new release and this time around it would be a new studio recording entitled “Unia”. It’s an album that finds the band exploring ever deeper into the realms of Progressive Hard Rock as opposed to the Metal they were most commonly associated with and it’s also available on Nuclear Blast Records their label of the past three years. The band is always an energetic and lively one in concert but to make this all the more special they would be joined by Firewind from Greece as well as both The Agonist and Unexpect from Canada. Having heard each of these bands albums before and judging by the crowd who had already gathered in time for the first band you just knew this was going to be another awesome night of Metal and one that offered the fans a wide variety of genre aspects.
Continue reading Sonata Arctica @ B.B. King Blues Club (9/30/2007)
Epica are one of the most musically exciting bands in the Symphonic Operatic Metal genre and tonight would be their first headlining NYC appearance. The show at the Highline Ballroom would deliver the band with openers Visions Of Atlantis, Unexpect and The Agonist for a very well-stocked night of music. To see our words and images from this killer gig just scroll past the logo to see the article.
Artist: Epica
Venue: Highline Ballroom (New York, NY)
Opener: Visions Of Atlantis, The Agonist, Unexpect
Date: 9/9/2007
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
While it’s true that the Dutch Symphonic Power Metal band Epica had been doing their thing for several years now, it was mainly through their association with the band Kamelot that many Metal fans first became aware of them. Not only did they name themselves after a Kamelot album but lead singer Simone Simons would also provide additional vocals to their hit albums “The Black Halo” and “Ghost Opera” and even make an appearance on the bands concert DVD. The association has been nothing but positive of course because with it the fan base for Epica was able to grow exponentially due to their being taken on tour when Kamelot was supporting their live CD and DVD “One Cold Winter’s Night”. I caught that show and was amazed at how good Epica was in concert but I admit that I really kind of expected this to be my findings as I had prior experience in their music having reviewed a number of their releases before I ever saw them in concert. They showed headlining potential that night which made the news about their new tour something that many were looking forward to very far in advance. The show would be at The Highline Ballroom, which is pretty much the Sister club to B.B. King Blues Club, and I felt that this room would be the best suited for Epica and the many opening acts that would be on the bill as well. The show would feature another Symphonic Operatic band called Visions Of Atlantis, the Melodic Metalcore thrashers The Agonist, and Montreal’s Extreme Avant-garde experts Unexpect. It would appear that the audience tonight was in for a real treat.
Continue reading Epica @ Highline Ballroom (9/9/2007)
Virgin Black is one of the more difficult to catch onto groups in the Metal world. There is a little bit of Opera, a little bit of Classical Symphony and a whole lot of Gothic Metal all twisted around into one unique project. I liked their album enough to come to see them, and appreciated that Unexpect was going to be the opener so if you want to read some more about this gig just scroll past the logo below to be brought to our thoughts.
Artist: Virgin Black
Venue: Lit Lounge (New York, NY)
Opener: Unexpect
Date: 6/11/2007
Label: The End Records
When I say that this gig came faster than the taxman then you must believe me. I had only just finished enjoying the newest release by Virgin Black on The End Records (an interesting CD entitled “Requiem: Mezzo Forte”) and suddenly, like a bolt of lightning there was a New York gig scheduled. The performance would be held at The Lit Lounge, a club I had yet to visit, and would also be on a Monday night. This fact alone presented a problem based on work demands so it would definitely be one of those last minute decisions for me. I have to admit that my mind was made up when I learned that opening for the band tonight would be the one and only uneXpect from Montreal. The uneXpect had tried to return to the States a little over a year ago but were stopped at the gates for some odd reason. As I walked into the Lit Lounge, I found the upstairs to be a rather sizable bar but the bands were going to be playing in the clubs basement area – so down I went into the abyss. The downstairs area is quite small and confined but there is a spot to set up equipment and places to congregate should you have a very minimal crowd attending. There is a bar in the back and a spot for merchandise to be sold as well as an area where the bands can prep and ready themselves to perform. The stage size is small by regular standards but with a trio this would work.
Continue reading Virgin Black & Unexpect @ Lit Lounge (6/11/2007)
Another exciting year in Metal music has gone by and as a member of the music press, I’m tasked with not only doing reviews here on the website but also in lining out what releases that I felt were the years very best. Initially, this post was going to feature the whole gamut of the years in terms of the music, the videos and the concerts but when my album list went on and on and on I decided to give it a post of its own to go easier on you. Let’s go.
The Best Albums Of 2006
Mercenary “The Hours That Remain” (Century Media Records): A great follow up to “11 Dreams”, this band shows that they are taking chances in Metal.
Mastodon “Blood Mountain” (Warner Brothers): Jazz Fusion Metal? I dunno, but the new Mastodon sure kicks your ass around the block.
Amorphis “Eclipse” (Nuclear Blast Records): Finnish boys return and do more good. Lots of feels on this one.
Scar Symmetry “Pitch Black Effects” (Nuclear Blast Records): Raging guitar solos, soaring clean vocals, brutal death metal growls-brilliant!
Lamb of God “Sacrament” (Epic Records): Their best yet. Future legends. The first four songs are instant classics and if you don’t find your fist in the air for this release you don’t have one. Go watch American Idol
Iron Maiden “A Matter of Life and Death” (EMI Music): Up the Irons, pure and simple. Some bad press from some people who don’t see the return to form. They are idiots.
I “Between Two Worlds” (Nuclear Blast Records): Great project from members of Immortal, Enslaved, and Gorgoroth.
Enslaved “RUUN” (Candlelight Records): The Black Metal titans get even more progressive and this is an incredible listen from start to finish
Satyricon “Now, Diabolical” (Century Media Records): More Metal needs to be like this. A resounding effort that lays waste to that which tries to come close.
Vanden Plas “Christ O” (InsideOut Music): Stunning operatic progressive metal. Their best yet! Especially the bonus track
Continue reading PiercingMetal’s “Best Of 2006”: The Music