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Christian death metal
Stylistic originsChristian metal, death metal
Cultural originsLate-1980s – mid-1990s, Australia, United States, Canada, Sweden, Norway
Typical instrumentsElectric guitar, bass guitar, drums, vocals
Other topics
Unblack metal

Christian death metal consists of standard death metal music fused with the lyrical content and beliefs of Christian metal. It formed in the late-1980s through the mid-1990s through the output of the bands Opprobrium, Vengeance Rising, Mortification, Vomitorial Corpulence, Living Sacrifice, Antestor, Paramaecium, Crimson Thorn, and Sympathy.

Characteristics

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Features of death metal

[edit]
Main article: Death metal § Characteristics

Death metal is an extreme sub-genre of heavy metal music that features fast, distorted, down-tuned, and sometimes palm-muted guitar instrumentation, growled and screamed vocals, and hyper-fast, blast beat drumming. Death metal lyrics typically feature graphic, sometimes pornographic and misogynistic, themes of violence, gore, disease, and death;[1] Satanic, blasphemous, and anti-Christian content;[2] or, to a lesser extent, war, apocalypse, social and philosophical concerns,[3] and esotericism and spiritualism.[4]

Features of Christian metal

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Main article: Christian metal § Characteristics

Christian metal refers to heavy metal music that contains a Christian message. The lyrics can be either explicitly Christian theological topics or else approaching other social or cultural issues from a Christian perspective.[5] The lyrical approach of Christian metal bands is somewhat varied, as some emphasize the positive aspects of faith matters while others iterate the teachings of Christ. Some bands keep their message hidden in metaphors. Only a minority take an aggressive attitude towards those who speak against Christianity, "preaching full-on fire and brimstone and Old Testament style God's wrath back at extreme Satanists".[6] References to eschatology and apocalyptic themes, particularly the ongoing spiritual warfare between good and evil as well as the Last Judgment and fall from grace are typical.[7]

The lyrical style varies depending on culture, denomination, and country. For example, in Northern Europe, the bands with Lutheran members usually prefer a personal lyrical approach, which is seldom meant to "convert" in an aggressive manner; this is because evangelism has been more typical among American bands. Christian bands never deny their conviction but typically avoid preaching; sometimes, the matter is left unexpressed, leaving religion as a private issue of the listener.[6] Certain bands choose to deal with everyday life experiences from a Christian perspective in order to draw both Christian and non-Christian listeners. In such cases, identifying a "Christian band" can be difficult. Secular bands that occasionally deal with Christian topics are a different matter altogether. Defining a Christian band is a much debated issue on Christian metal forums. A Christian band is expected to have either professed Christian members or a Christian message, preferably both.[7]

Perceived idiosyncrasy of "Christian death metal"

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Given the typical subject matter and musical style of death metal, Christian death metal has been considered an incongruous comination. Author Joel McIver, in reference to Living Sacrifice, called Christian death metal a "bizarre beast",[8] and Jason Anderson of AllMusic, also in reference to Living Sacrifice, called Christian death metal "one of music's most comical oxymorons", though acknowledged that Living Sacrifice on its second release showed that it deserved respect.[9] Author Larry Eskridge remarked on the emergence of a Christian metal subculture that there even is "a Christian version of so-called death metal".[10] Some Christian metalheads coined the humorous term "Goreship" to refer to the melding of death metal and grindcore with Christian lyrics.[11] In the early 1990s as Mortification was releasing death metal albums, some Christians felt that death metal was not appropriate for Christians. In response, some fans of the scene started calling the music "life metal."[12]

The Christian metal musician Pekka stated that "in my opinion you cannot just splash the kinds of 'Jesus loves you, period' style of thing to death metal... ...One is allowed to do that but it is sort of to break with the style a bit."[13] Conversely, Christian rock apologist Eric Sellin argues that "The fact that the lyrics are to the casual or first time listener rather indecipherable, that's just the nature of the scene. No one would say that a hymn that's in Latin is wrong because they don't speak the language. The shouting of thrash vocals, and death vocals, the growling is inherent in the metal scene."[14]

Background

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Emergence of Christian metal

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Main article: Christian metal § History

Christian metal has its origins in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the Jesus movement, a hippie movement with Christian ideology consisting of hippies that converted to Christianity. The Christian hippies within this movement, known as "Jesus People", developed a musical movement called Jesus music, which primarily began in southern California when hippie street musicians converted to Christianity. These musicians continued playing the same styles of music they had played before converting, among them heavy metal music, though they infused their lyrics with a Christian message. Larry Norman was one of the earliest Christian rock musicians who released his first album titled Upon This Rock in 1969 which is arguably the first Christian rock album produced.[14]

The first Christian hard rock group was possibly the California-based band Agape, formed in the late 1960s. Known for their psychedelic rock and blues influences, the band released an album titled Gospel Hard Rock in 1971, followed by Victims of Tradition in 1972.[15] In the 1970s, Resurrection Band and Barnabas, from the United States, Daniel Band, from Canada, and the Swedish group Jerusalem emerged as Christian metal hard rock groups.[14][16] Kris Klingensmith of Barnabas explained that "Since Christian musicians have always copied the trends and styles initiated by their secular counterparts, 'Christian metal' was unavoidable. If you want to know what Christian music will be doing tomorrow, all you need to do is see what the secular guys are doing today."[14]

In the 1980s, Christian metal bands closely followed the trends of mainstream heavy metal bands.[14] The American band Stryper, formed in 1983, was the first band to identify as Christian metal and gained attention for throwing Bibles to the audience at their concerts.[14][17] In the beginning, mostly Christians went to Stryper's concerts but soon they broke out into a mainstream, non-Christian audience.[18] Their third studio album, To Hell with the Devil, was a landmark of the mainstream glam metal movement.[19] It reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200,[20] was certified Platinum by the RIAA for reaching 1 million copies, and eventually broke the 2 million mark.[21][22] The band's music videos were on regular rotation on MTV throughout the decade and Stryper was popular on tour, reaching millions of fans in the secular market.[22] Other bands originated contemporary with Stryper, such as Philadelphia, Saint, and Messiah Prophet, but, unlike Stryper, remained obscure.[14]

The late 1980s and early 1990s was when Christian metal reached its peak in popularity.[23] By 1987, there were more than a hundred Christian metal bands, and their records were sold at both Christian bookstores and non-Christian retails.[24] By 1988, the four largest Christian metal bands (excluding the mainstream success Stryper) were Bloodgood, Barren Cross, Whitecross, and Leviticus.[25] In 1989, the Orange County group X-Sinner released its debut album Get It, and was one of the most talked about bands within the white metal scene at the time.[26] Noted for a classic metal sound similar to AC/DC,[26][27] X-Sinner was at the head of the Christian classic metal scene as a late as 2009.[28] The band Guardian achieved some mainstream attention for its 1991 album Fire and Love, and one of the videos was included in the MTV's Headbangers Ball rotation.[29]

In the early 1990s, the rising musical styles, especially grunge, began to take their places as the dominant styles in the mainstream, which resulted in heavy metal music losing popularity and going underground for a decade.[14][30] Many Christian metal musicians began to play extreme metal, and soon death metal replaced thrash metal in popularity. Audiences in many underground metal scenes began favoring more extreme sounds and disparaging the popular styles.[31] As with other glam metal acts of the time, Stryper lost popularity and split up in 1993.[32]

Emergence of death metal

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Main article: Death metal § History

Death metal emerged as a genre during the mid-1980s, primarily out of thrash metal. In the early- to mid-1980s, the European bands Venom, Bathory, Celtic Frost (and its predecessor Hellhammer), Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator performed a more extreme style of heavy metal music that set sonic and lyrical templates for the thrash, black, and death metal genres.[33] The American band Slayer also influenced what would become death metal, featuring graphic lyrics dealing with death, dismemberment, war, and the horrors of hell.[34] However, the California band Possessed, which formed in 1983, is generally considered to have released first true death metal recording, Seven Churches, in 1985.[35] Contemporary with Possessed, the band Death was formed in 1983 in Florida by Chuck Schuldiner, Kam Lee, and Rick Rozz. Inspired by the fellow Floridian act Nasty Savage, they took the sound of Nasty Savage and deepened it.[36] It was called "the first true death metal record" by the San Francisco Chronicle.[37] Schuldiner has been credited by AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia for being widely recognized as the "Father of Death Metal".[38] Along with Possessed and Death, other pioneers of death metal include Macabre, Master, Massacre, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, and Post Mortem.[39]

History

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Christian death metal band to develop in the late-1980s and early-1990s. The Christian band Incubus (later known as Opprobrium), formed in 1986 in Louisiana, United States by two brothers recently immigrated from Brazil, was Christian and in the late 1980s experimented with a death metal sound.[40][41] They released their debut album, The Serpent Temptation, in 1988.[41][42] In 1987, the American band Vengeance (later known as Vengeance Rising) was formed as a Christian alternative to the death metal scene.[43] Their 1988 debut, Human Sacrifice, features a heavy thrash metal very close to, and at times veering into, death metal.[44][45][46] The record opened the way for the proliferation of Christian extreme metal, and the impact of it and the 1990 follow-up, Once Dead, on Christian extreme metal "cannot be overstated".[47] According to Doug Van Pelt of HM, Nothing has really come out before or since this album hit the scenee", and th songs "White Throne" and "Human Sacrifice", are high water marks of the Christian metal scene.[48]

The Australian groups Mortification and Vomitorial Corpulence were the main progenitors of the Christian death metal, Mortification's 1992 album Scrolls of the Megilloth being particularly influential.[40] The Christian music journalist Johannes Jonsson claims that this recording almost as ground-breaking as Stryper's To Hell With the Devil.[49] The most successful and popular Christian death metal group,[50][51] they were successful outside of the Christian market and managed to sign a deal with Nuclear Blast.[40]

Roughly contemporary with Mortification and Vomitorial Corpulence, the bands Living Sacrifice and Crimson Thorn, from the United States, and Sympathy, from Canada emerged.[40] Living Sacrifice formed in 1989 in Little Rock, Arkansas and was noted for its death metal sound and evangelical Christian lyrics.[52][8][53] Heavily influenced by the Florida death metal scene,[9] the band released three recordings in this vein — Living Sacrifice (1991), Nonexistent (1992), and Inhabit (1994).[53] It then evolved to a different style in the late 1990s.[53] Crimson Thorn, formed in Minneapolis, is described by Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic as "surely one of the world's most extreme-sounding Christian metal bands."[54]

In Norway, amidst the early Norwegian black metal scene, the band Antestor formed in 1990, under name Crush Evil.[55] In the first half of the 1990s, the band, which changed its name to Antestor in 1991, performed a mix of doom, death, and thrash metal.[56][57] The presence of the band in a violently anti-Christian scene attracted negative attention.[58] The black metal musician Faust, of the band Emperor, in an early 1990s interview with Euronymous, of the band Mayhem, asked if the existence of Crush Evil as a Christian death metal band was a sign of things going "too far" and asked Euronymous, "any advice on how we should kill them?"[58][59] As their career progressed, Antestor gradually transitioned from death-doom to a more black metal doom sound.[55][56][60] In an HM review of the album Martyrium (recorded in 1994 but not released until 2000), Jamie Lee Rake asked "might Antestor have been a band of believers who were actually (sit down for this one) innovating in their scene?"[57] In 1991, the Australian death-doom band Paramaecium was founded, and in 1994 the band released its debut, Exhumed of the Earth. Jonathan Swank of HM called the release "the most powerful and moving death/doom recording in the history of Christian metal."[61][62]

In the late 1990s, additional bands became an influence on the scene: Extol (founded in 1993 in Norway), the Finnish melodic death metal bands Immortal Souls (founded in 1991) and Deuteronomium (founded in 1993), Pantokrator (founded in Sweden in 1996), and Aletheian (founded in the United States in 1997).[40][63]

The scene so proliferated in Scandinavia that Christian death metal festivals have appeared.[64]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Purcell 2015, pp. 39–49, 53; Phillipov 2012, p. 93; RivadaviaB; Wiederhorn 2017
  2. ^ Purcell 2015, pp. 39–49, 53; Wiederhorn 2017
  3. ^ Purcell 2015, pp. 39–49, 53; RivadaviaB
  4. ^ Wiederhorn 2019
  5. ^ Moberg 2008, p. 2. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFMoberg2008 (help)
  6. ^ a b (Finnish) Lahtonen, Jussi (February 29, 2008) White Metal at the Wayback Machine (archive index). Sue Rock Punk Metal Zine.
  7. ^ a b Moberg, Marcus (November 3, 2008). Turn or Burn? The Peculiar Case of Christian Metal Music (PDF). Heavy Fundamentalisms: Music, Metal & Politics. Salzburg, Austria: Inter-Disciplinary.Net. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015.
  8. ^ a b McIver, Joel (2010-03-04). Extreme Metal II. London: Omnibus Press. pp. PT117. ISBN 978-0-85712-224-7.
  9. ^ a b Anderson, Jason. "Nonexistent - Living Sacrifice". AllMusic. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Eskridge, Larry (2013-05-31). God's Forever Family: The Jesus People Movement in America. London: Oxford University Press. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-19-931522-2.
  11. ^ Moberg 2015, p. 39
  12. ^ Strother, Eric (2013). Unlocking the Paradox of Christian Metal Music (PhD thesis). University of Kentucky. p. 70, note 110. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  13. ^ Moberg 2015, p. 44
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h Kapelovitz, Dan (February 2001). "Heavy Metal Jesus Freaks - Headbanging for Christ". Mean Magazine. Archived from the original on August 5, 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
  15. ^ Thompson 2000, p. 154
  16. ^ Thompson 2000, p. 155
  17. ^ "Stryper Frontman Says It's 'Odd That Many Metalheads Have A Problem With Jesus Yet Have Absolutely No Problem With The Devil'". Blabbermouth.net. 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  18. ^ Christe, Ian (2003). 196. Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-380-81127-8.
  19. ^ Christe, Ian (2003), Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal (First printing ed.), "10: Glambangers of Hollywood", p. 154. HarperCollins., ISBN 0-380-81127-8
  20. ^ "Stryper (Chart History): Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  21. ^ "Gold & Platinum: Stryper". RIAA. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  22. ^ a b Puckett, Jeffrey Lee (November 2, 2016). "Stryper honors 30 years of beating the devil". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  23. ^ Sciarretto, Amy (September 6, 2010). "HM Magazine Chooses Top Christian Metal Albums of All Time". Noise Creep.
  24. ^ Weinstein 2000, pp. 53–54
  25. ^ Van Pelt, Doug (August 1989). "Why Are All the Children Headbanging". CCM Magazine. Vol. 12, no. 2. pp. 14–15, 32. ISSN 1524-7848.
  26. ^ a b Williams, Dave (June 1, 1990). "X-Sinner - Get It". Cross Rhythms Magazine No. 1. Cross Rhythms. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  27. ^ Powell 2002, p. 1060.
  28. ^ Martin, Ben (January 11, 2009). "X-Sinner - World Covered in Blood". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  29. ^ Powell 2002, "Guardian", p. 393–395
  30. ^ Christe (2003), pp. 304–6; Weinstein (1991), p. 278
  31. ^ Walser, Robert (1993). Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0-8195-6260-2, p. 14; Christe (2003), p. 170
  32. ^ Christe (2003). The Change in the 1990s: Black Album and Beyond. Page 230.
  33. ^ Purcell 2015, p. 53; RivadaviaH; de Paola 2000; Prato; Wiederhorn 2019
  34. ^ de Paola 2000; HueyC; HueyD
  35. ^ RivadaviaE; Purcell 2015, pp. 53–54
  36. ^ Stevenson, Arielle (October 22, 2009). "The way the music died: The earliest days of Tampa Death Metal". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  37. ^ Aldis, N.; Sherry, J. (2006). "Heavy metal Thunder". San Francisco Chronicle.
  38. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Death Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
  39. ^ Marquard, Bryan (February 8, 2009). "John McCarthy, at 40; was lead singer for local thrash rocker Post Mortem". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  40. ^ a b c d e Moberg 2015, p. 38
  41. ^ a b Huey, Steve. "Opprobrium". AllMusic. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  42. ^ Beldin, Fred. "Serpent Temptation - Incubus". AllMusic. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  43. ^ Torreano, Bradley. "Vengeance Rising". AllMusic. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  44. ^ Harp, Loyd (2023-04-07). "Song of the Day: Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice - News, Song of The Day". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  45. ^ "Vengeance Rising: Looking Back at 30". Heaven's Metal Magazine. 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  46. ^ Lang, Stefan (March 15, 2001). "Review | VENGEANCE RISING - Human Sacrifice". Powermetal.de (in German). Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  47. ^ Swank, Jonathan (2018-03-01). "HEAVEN'S METAL: Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of all Time". Heaven's Metal Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  48. ^ "Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time". HM. Archived from the original on July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  49. ^ Jonsson, Johannes. "Christian Metal History". The Metal For Jesus Page!. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  50. ^ Unger, Matthew Peter (2016-03-25). "Contingency and Experience of Christian Extreme Metal". In Reily, Suzel Ana; Dueck, Jonathan M. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Music and World Christianities. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 538. ISBN 978-0-19-061417-1.
  51. ^ Schulz, Peter (2004-10-26). Carson, Gary (ed.). "Metal Down Under - Metal in Aussie style". Imperiumi.net. Translated by J.Grym; additional contributions by Mape Ollila. Archived from the original on 26 October 2004. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  52. ^ O'Gieblyn, Meghan (2018-10-09). Interior States: Essays. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-525-56270-2.
  53. ^ a b c Downey, Ryan J. "Living Sacrifice". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  54. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Crimson Thorn". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  55. ^ a b Islander (2012-11-16). "The Synn Report, Part 30: Antestor". No Clean Singing. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  56. ^ a b Ryhänen, Pekka (March 9, 2003). "Antestor - The Defeat of Satan" (in Finnish). Imperiumi.net. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
  57. ^ a b Rake, Jamie Lee (July–August 2001). "Antestor - Martyrium". HM Magazine (90): 76. ISSN 1066-6923. Archived from the original on 2009-08-28. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
  58. ^ a b Bianciotto, Benjamin (2023-01-03). "Holy Unblack Metal: The White Horse of the Apocalypse". In Lukes, Daniel; Panayotov, Stanimir (eds.). Black Metal Rainbows. Oakland: PM Press. p. 399. ISBN 978-1-62963-923-9.
  59. ^ Eithun, Bård G. "Faust". "Mayhem Interview". Orcustus zine. Blackmetal.nu. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
  60. ^ Drachman, Jillian (2022-03-06). "10 Killer Norwegian Bands That Only Released One Full-Length Album At Most". Metal Injection. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  61. ^ Swank, Jonathan (2018-03-01). "Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of all Time". Heaven's Metal Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  62. ^ Swank, Jonathan (2020-04-12). "PARAMAECIUM: Exhumed of the Earth (Limited Run Vinyl/Gold Disc Edition)". Heaven's Metal Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  63. ^ C, Taylor (2012-04-04). "Immortal Souls - IV: The Requiem for the Art of Death - Reviews". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  64. ^ Lattin, Don. "Ex-'Jesus freak' compiles history of Christian rock". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2024-10-11.

References

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Resources

[edit]
  • McBride, Bill. "It's Not Only Rock & Roll." 25.1. (2001): 160-64. Print.
  • Luhr, Eileen. "Metal Missionaries to the Nation: Christian Heavy Metal Music." "Family Values," and Youth Culture. (2003): 103-25. Print.
  • Arnett, Jeffery. "Metal Heads." Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation. (1996): 40-5. Print.
Ancient Winter
Studio album by
Leah
ReleasedNovember 15, 2019 (2019-11-15)
GenreCeltic, Christmas music, folk, world music, medieval music
Length34:59
LanguageEnglish, Latin, French
LabelEx Cathedra Records
ProducerOliver Philipps
Leah chronology
The Quest
(2018) 		Ancient Winter
(2019) 		The Glory & the Fallen
(2024)
Singles from Ancient Winter
  1. "Redemption"
    Released: July 15, 2019

Ancient Winter is the fourth studio album by Canadian musician Leah, released on November 15, 2019 on her label Ex Cathedra Records. The recording is a Christmas album, with five original songs and three renditions of medieval Christmas carols. Leah on previous releases blended symphonic metal with Celtic, folk, and world music, but on this release eschewed metal music entirely. In addition to Leah herself, the musicians on the album are Shir-Ran Yinon (of Eluveitie, New Model Army, and Cellar Darling) on fiddle, violin, and viola, Anna Murphy (of Eluveitie and Cellar Darling) on hurdy-gurdy, Troy Donockley (of Nightwish, Iona, and The Bad Shepherds) on Uilleann pipes and whistles, and Rupert Gillett on cello and salaw. The album was produced by Oliver Phillipps.

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Leah McHenry, except as noted

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."The Whole World Summons"  4:56
2."Light of the World"  4:20
3."Upon Your Destiny"  6:03
4."Redemption"  5:21
5."The Messenger"  2:11
6."Gaudete"TraditionalTraditional; arranged by McHenry3:29
7."Puer Natus"TraditionalTraditional; arranged by McHenry3:21
8."Noel Nouvelet"TraditionalTraditional; arranged by McHenry5:15
Total length:34:59
The Quest
Studio album by
Leah
ReleasedOctober 5, 2018 (2018-10-05)
GenreCeltic metal, gothic metal, symphonic metal
Length52:16
LabelInner Wound Recordings • Ex Cathedra Records
ProducerOliver Phillips
Leah chronology
Kings & Queens
(2015) 		The Quest
(2018) 		Ancient Winter
(2019)
Singles from The Quest
  1. "Edge of Your Sword"
    Released: September 14, 2018
  2. "Lion Arises"
    Released: September 28, 2018

The Quest is the third studio album by Canadian Celtic symphonic metal musician Leah, released on October 5, 2018, through Inner Wound Recordings and her own label, Ex Cathedra Records. Supporting Leah on the recording as a backing band are Timo Somers of Delain and Vengeance on guitar, Barend Courbois of Vengeance and Blind Guardian on bass, Sander Zoer of Delain, Troy Donockley of Nightwish and Iona on pipes and flute, and Chen Balbus on saz and oud. The album was produced by Oliver Phillips and mastered and mixed by Jacob Hansen. Prior to the album's release, Leah released two singles: "Edge of Your Sword" on September 14, 2018, and "Lion Arises" on September 28, 2018.

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Leah McHenry except track 10

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Quest" 10:19
2."Edge of Your Sword" 5:02
3."Lion Arises" 4:41
4."Heir" 4:08
5."Ruins of Illusion" 4:19
6."Labyrinth" 5:16
7."Abyss" 5:33
8."Oblivion (Between Two Worlds)" 5:05
9."Ghost Upon a Throne" 4:30
10."The Water is Wide"Unknown; traditional3:19
Total length:52:16

Personnel

[edit]

Primary artist

  • Leah - Songwriting, vocals, piano, keys, arrangement, and orchestration

Supporting personnel

  • Barend Courbois - Bass
  • Timo Somers - Guitars
  • Sander Zoer - Drums, percussion
  • Chen Balbus - Saz, oud

Technical personnel

  • Oliver Philipps - Production, arrangement, and orchestration
  • Jacob Hansen - Mixing and mastering
  • Jan Yrlund - Graphic art and album design
  • Sarah Sovereign - Photography
  • Kristen Estes - Additional graphic and video design

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Label Format Catalog
Worldwide October 3, 2018[1] Ex Cathedra Records Digital download and streaming with bonus instrumental tracks (Bandcamp exclusive)
Worldwide October 5, 2018[2] Ex Cathedra Records Digital download and streaming
Sweden October 5, 2018 Inner Wound Recordings CD digipak IW83081
Sweden October 5, 2018 Inner Wound Recordings CD limited edition digipack IW83081
Europe October 5, 2018 Inner Wound Recordings CD IW83081
Sweden October 5, 2018 Inner Wound Recordings Double LP limited edition (transparent packaging) IW83082
Sweden October 5, 2018 Inner Wound Recordings Double LP limited edition (black packaging) IW83082
Worldwide June 7, 2019[3][4] Ex Cathedra Records Instrumental version; digital download and streaming

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Quest with Bonus Instrumental Versions". October 3, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2024 – via Bandcamp.
  2. ^ "The Quest". October 5, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Bandcamp.
  3. ^ Dombek, Kirk (2007-04-10). "Mortification". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  4. ^ "Opprobrium". Tartarean Desire. Retrieved 2010-12-15. One final note about the band, they are Christian-oriented, making Australian religious thrash band Mortification a close match. Opprobrium/Incubus lyrics aren't preachy, but do make numerous favorable references to Christianity and God.
"Winter Sun"
Single by Leah and Eric Peterson
ReleasedDecember 15, 2015
StudioEx Cathedra Records, Vancouver, British Columbia • Trident Studios, Pacheco, California • Spacelab Studios, Kempen, North Rhine-Westphalia • Eroc's Mastering Ranch, Breckerfeld, North Rhine-Westphalia
GenreSymphonic metal
Length5:27
LabelEx Cathedra Records
Composer(s)Leah McHenry • Eric Peterson
Lyricist(s)McHenry
Leah singles chronology
"This Present Darkness"
(2015) 		"Winter Sun"
(2015) 		"The Dragonborn Comes (Skyrim Theme Song)"
(2017)
Eric Peterson singles chronology
"Winter Sun"
(2015)

"Winter Sun" is a symphonic metal single by the Canadian singer Leah and the American guitarist Eric Peterson, released on December 15, 2015 and premiered on December 23, 2015. Peterson, of the bands Testament and Dragonlord, had previously collaborated with Leah on the 2013 single "Dreamland" from her 2013 EP Otherworld, after which Leah joined Dragonlord. In addition to Leah and Peterson, other members of Dragonlord rounded out the recording.

Background

[edit]

Leah McHenry, from Vancouver, British Columbia, began recording and performing under the mononym Leah in 2011. Known as the "metal version" of Enya or Loreena McKennitt, she combines world music influences, especially Celtic and folk music, with heavy metal. In 2013, she released the EP Otherworld, which featured the single "Dreamland" on which her friend Eric Peterson provided guest vocals.[1][2] Peterson, from Berkeley, California, co-founded the thrash metal band Testament in 1983, of which he is still the sole constant member.[3] In 2001, he formed the symphonic black metal band Dragonlord as a side-project.[4] Peterson stated that he has known Leah since 2001 and worked with her around 2005 or 2008, and so when Leah contacted him and asked him to sing on the recording, he took her up on the offer.[1][5] Peterson then invited Leah to join Dragonlord for the recording of Dominion, which was released in 2018.[2][5][6]

Recording

[edit]

The recordings for "Winter Sun" were composed long distance in at least three countries – Canada, Germany, and Slovenia – in as many days.[6][7][8] Peterson and Leah used WhatsApp to transmit voice recordings as they orchestrated the vocals, drums, bass, and guitar.[6][7] Leah wrote the lyrics and performed vocals, synth, and harp; Peterson performed the guitar parts along with percussion.[6][7][8] Other members of Dragonlord and Testament provided the rest of the instrumentation: Tilen Hudrap played bass, Alex Bent played drums, and Lyle Livingston added additional keyboard.[6][8] Juan Urteaga recorded drums at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California.[9] Christian Moos mixed the song at Spacelab Studios and Eroc mastered it at Eroc's Mastering Ranch.[9] Following the recording of "Winter Sun", Leah and Peterson planned to create a project, My Immortal Beloved, with similar songs, but Peterson prioritized Dragonlord instead.[5]

Style

[edit]

The symphonic metal song blends the melodic side of Peterson's thrash metal background and Leah's Celtic metal fusion.[10] Peterson's guitar and Leah's vocals trade melodies in duet.[6] The song begins delicately and gradually increases in intensity: Leah's vocals build into a haunting operatic choir and Peterson's guitar work becomes full heavy metal, his playing concluding the song.[6]

Formats and track listing

[edit]
  • "Winter Sun" - Digital MP3 file, 320 kbps

Personnel

[edit]

Primary artists

  • Leah McHenry - vocals, synths, harp, lyrics
  • Eric Peterson - guitars, percussion

Supporting musicians

  • Alex Bent - drums
  • Tilen Hudrap - bass
  • Lyle Livingston - additional keys

Technical credits

  • Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios - drum recording
  • Christian Moos of Spacelab Studios - mixing
  • Eroc of Eroc's Mastering Ranch - mastering
  • Jan Yrlund - artwork & video

Adapted from official credits

Release history

[edit]

The single was initially released on Bandcamp on December 15, 2015.[9] The single was then premiered on Loudwire on December 23, 2015, with a lyric video hosted on YouTube.[11][12] "Winter Sun" was made available on Apple Music and Spotify on November 13, 2017.[13][14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Bowar, Chad (2013-11-01). "Testament's Eric Peterson Teams Up With Celtic Metal Singer Leah on New Track". Loudwire. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  2. ^ a b Kontogeorgakos, Dimitris (23 November 2013). "Leah - Otherworld". Metal Kaoz. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  3. ^ daRonco, Mike. "Embodyment". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  4. ^ Rosen, Steven (September 14, 2018). "Testament Guitarist Eric Peterson: This Song Has the Best Guitar Tone I Ever Recorded". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 2024-08-24. In Dragonlord, the band Testament guitarist Eric Peterson began back in 2001, he is able to step away from the thrash metal he is best known for and flex his fingers in the world of symphonic black metal.
  5. ^ a b c Bowar, Chad (2018-09-21). "Dragonlord Interview - Heavy Music HQ". Heavy Music HQ. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g DiVita, Joe (December 23, 2015). "Eric Peterson and Leah, 'Winter Sun' - Exclusive Premier". Loudwire. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Testament: Eric Peterson e la cantante celtic-folk Leah insieme per la nuova "Winter Sun"". Metalitalia (in Italian). December 23, 2015. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  8. ^ a b c "Testament Guitarist Eric Peterson And Celtic Folk Singer Leah Collaborate On 'Winter Sun' Track (December 26th, 2015) | News @ Metal Forces Magazine". Metal Forces Magazine. December 26, 2015. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  9. ^ a b c "Eric Peterson & LEAH's "Winter Sun", by LEAH". December 15, 2015. Retrieved 2024-08-23 – via Bandcamp.
  10. ^ "Testament's Eric Peterson Collaborates With Celtic Folk Singer Leah On 'Winter Sun' Song". Blabbermouth.net. 2015-12-23. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :20 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Montini, Luca (2015-12-26). "Leah: il lyric video di "Winter Sun" con Eric Peterson dei Testament". True Metal (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  13. ^ "Winter Sun - Single by Leah & Eric Peterson". Retrieved August 24, 2024 – via Apple Music.
  14. ^ "Winter Sun - Single by Leah, Eric Peterson". Retrieved August 24, 2024 – via Spotify.
Kings & Queens
Studio album by
Leah
ReleasedFebruary 3, 2015
StudioGreen Room Studio, Canada • Spacelab Studios, Germany • Eroc's Mastering Ranch, Germany
GenreCeltic metal, gothic metal, power metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal
Length73:09
LabelEx Cathedra Records
Inner Wound Recordings
ProducerTimo Somers
Leah chronology
Otherworld
(2013) 		Kings & Queens
(2015) 		The Quest
(2018)
Singles from Kings & Queens
  1. "Enter the Highlands"
    Released: December 11, 2014
  2. "This Present Darkness"
    Released: January 10, 2015

Kings & Queens is the second studio album by the Canadian Celtic symphonic metal musician Leah, released February 3, 2015, through the Swedish outlet Inner Wound Recordings and Leah's own Ex Cathedra Records. It follows up her 2012 studio debut, Of Earth & Angels. On this release, Leah teamed up with Timo Somers (Delain, Vengeance), Barend Courbois (Vengeance, Blind Guardian), and Sander Zoer (Delain), whom she met during the recording of the Otherworld EP. Two singles were released in advance of the album: "Enter the Highlands", on December 11, 2014, and "This Present Darkness", on January 10, 2015. The album was generally well received by critics, who praised Leah's voice and diversity of influences, as well as the performance by the backing band; but received some criticism for becoming repetitive over the album's fourteen tracks, lacking catchiness, and somewhat burying Leah's voice in the mix in comparison to previous recordings.

Background and recording

[edit]

Leah McHenry, mononymously known as Leah, is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She released her debut album, Of Earth & Angels, in 2012, then a Christmas EP, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent, that December.[1] A second EP, Otherworld, was released in 2013. Christian Moos mixed that recording in Germany, and during that process heard from Leah that she was working on a new project and looking for musicians for it.[2][3] Moos introduced her to Timo Somers, a guitarist for Delain and Vengeance. Somers then in turn sought to help her find a bassist and drummer, and he introduced her to his bandmates Barend Courbois (of Vengeance and Blind Guardian) and Sander Zoer (of Delain), respectively.[4][3] Oliver Phillips of Everon rounded out her backing band.[5] On previous recordings, Leah, in her opinion, was still trying to find her sound, writing what she liked, exploring how heavy that she wanted to go and assessing public reaction. For the project that became Kings & Queens, she knew that she wanted to in a heavier, metal, and more progressive direction.[3][6] She states that she also wanted to emphasize different aspects of her voice more on the project. She told Metal Storm that "I've always admired people like Devin Townsend who have many different 'voices' that they use for different effects or dramatics, and I aspire to have that ability as well."[3] Her goal for Kings & Queens was to bring out both her "soft 'Enya'" voice and her "mix" voice – a combination of head and chest voice, "and a little bit of operatic style." She also worked in some soul stylings and "R&B runs".[3]

The songwriting process that Leah followed began the same way it had for previous releases. She wrote the core of the songs, working out the chord progressions, lyrics, and melodies.[3][6] Then she collaborated with Somers and the songs took on more shape. She would email Somers the demos, and would add sample guitars, bass, and drum lines and then he would email them back to her. The files then would be sent back and forth as each worked on them. Somers produced Courbois' and Zoer's bass and drum parts, respectively, in the studio.[6] Christian Moos mixed the album,[4] and the mastering was provided by Eroc.[7]

Release

[edit]

In advance of Kings & Queens, Leah released two singles from it, "Enter the Highlands", on December 11, 2014,[8] and "This Present Darkness", on January 10, 2015.[9] The album was released digitally on February 3, 2015, through Leah's own Ex Cathedra Records, and on April 10, 2015, on CD through the Swedish label Inner Wound Recordings. Inner Wound Recordings reissued the album on December 15, 2017, as a 300-copy limited-edition vinyl double album.[10]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Cross Fire7/10[11]
Hardrock Haven9/10[12]
Lords of Metal78/100[5]
Metal StormFirst reviewer: 8.2/10[13]
Second, third, and fourth reviewers: 8/10[14]
Fifth reviewer: 6/10[14]
Rock Castle Franken9/10[15]
Sonic Cathedral8/10[16]
Sputnikmusic3.5/5[17]
Stormbringer.at3/5[18]

Kings & Queens was generally well received by music critics. Steve Burdelak of the website Cross Fire rated the album 7 out 10, calling it a solid piece of work but opining that, at fourteen tracks long, the music becomes too repetitive and familiar, even with the "oriental-inspired" song "Alpha et Omega".[11] Joe Mis of Hardrock Haven rated the album 9 out of 10, summarizing that "There is enough variety and diversity to please even the pickiest of listeners, and the sheer breadth of performance talents and songwriting skills set Leah apart from the crowd."[12] They called "Enter the Highlands" the true apex of the album as its technical performances are "near perfection".[6] William Pezy for the online magazine Lords of Metal rated Kings & Queens 78 out of 100, stating that Leah was able to keep their attention through all fourteen songs, and in a crowded genre it stands out as a good album.[5]

Susan of the webzine Metal Storm rated the album 8.2 out of 10.[13] She described it a as a "grand symphonic opus" and praised the diversity of musical stylings on the recording and the "top notch" performances by the backing band.[13] Their one complaint was the mixing, which they felt somewhat buried Leah's voice compared to previous recordings where it was more prominent. Despite this, they considered Kings & Queens a "jewel of an album."[13] Three other staff members from Metal Storm rated the album 8 out of 10 and the editor-in-chief rated it 6/10.[14]

Rainer Kerber of Rock Castle Franken gave the album a 9 out of 10, considering it a fantastically beautiful album with fourteen tracks that will enchant the listener.[15] They felt that when they immersed themselves in the music, various scenes from The Lord of the Rings came to mind. They highlighted the songs "Arcadia", "Enter the Highlands", "Hourglass", "The Crown", and Leah's acoustic rendition of "Siúil a Rúin".[15]

John Thornburgh of Sonic Cathedral said that Leah's new team of musicians delivered and produced an album that was epic, heavy, and beautiful; they rated the album 8 out of 10.[16] They highlighted three songs which demonstrate Somer's guitar skill: "Enter the Highlands", "Save the World", and "Angel Fell". They did feel that these songs lacked the catchiness of songs that they liked on Of Earth & Angels, but they felt that this catchiness reappears later in the album, particularly on "Heart of Poison" and "Hourglass". Thornburgh considered the nearly eight-minute-long "Palace of Dreams" to be the heart of the album, with its strong guitar and piano and lyrical tie-in to the album title. They also considered "This Present Darkness", "Remnant", and "Siúil a Rúin" to be notable tracks. In addition to Kings and Queens not being as catchy as Of Earth & Angels, Thornburgh criticized the former for its excessive length, running nearly twice as long as its predecessor or The Human Contradiction by Delain. Nevertheless, he believed that Kings & Queens "cements Leah’s reputation as the metal Loreena McKennitt (or Enya)".[16]

Sputnikmusic staff writer Trey rated the album 3.5 out of 5, a designation of "great."[17] Lady Cat of the webzine Stormbringer.at rated the album 3.0 out of 5.0, considering the album nicely done, softened, and ironed-smooth, but also repetitive, too long, and lacking variety.[18] Bianca Riessinger of Metal Inside evaluated the album as technically rock-solid, but excessively long and without any catchy tunes that listeners will remember after they have heard them.[19] Edwin Knip of Rockportal.nl wrote that Kings & Queens contains strong lyrics and good music, and that Leah's voice remains beautiful and calm. Though they felt some songs could have used a more aggressive, sharper-edge voice, but the vocal approach taken by Leah provides something different.[20]

Style & lyrics

[edit]

The musical style of Kings & Queens was described variously as Celtic metal, gothic metal, power metal, progressive metal, and symphonic metal. Lyrically, the album metaphorically explores the topic of freedom verses power:

One theme in particular is the historical and metaphorical grip around our throats we feel from top-down agendas that threaten our freedoms. It seems to be a never-ending game of chess between those who demand power and those who would preserve freedom. It’s the theme of every good fantasy book and film, and the message rings true for even our modern world.

— Leah McHenry, Press release by Leah[21]

Lords of Metal categorized Kings & Queens as gothic metal, and the reviewer William Pezy said that the music is best described as "epic-, bombastic- and power metal" in which Leah's voice explicitly reveals her love of Celtic music.[5] Crossfire's Steve Burdelak considered the album to be power metal with Celtic influences. He found the style to be in the vein of Delain, Amaranthe, Lullacry, Within Temptation, Sirenia and Lunatica.[11] He compared Leah's voice to that of Enya, Amy Lee, and, in moments of pathos, Sharon den Adel.[11] Almost all the songs, according to Burdelak, are of the same character: "Angelic" classical singing, keyboard, "shallow" borrowing from folk music, and phrases of emotional ballads with acoustic instrumentation.[11] "Arcadia" and "Enter the Highlands" are, per Burdelak, more bombastic.[11] Burdelak highlighted the "oriental" inspirations on "Alpha et Omega",[11] and Bianca Riessinger from Metal Inside highlighted the same inspirations on "Save the World".[19] Riessinger also noted the Celtic folk elements on the album and the use of Gregorian chant on "Arcadia" and "There is No Farewell".[19] Susan from Metal Storm summarized the album as grand and symphonic and leaning occasionally into power metal, for example on the song "Into the Highlands".[3] She noted that while Leah is known for Celtic and new age influences, on Kings & Queens she also incorporates Middle Eastern music influences more than ever.[3] Stormbringer.at's Lady Cat also noticed Arabic and Middle Eastern influences on the album in addition to new age.[18] She described the overall sound as a meld of Celtic, symphonic, and progressive metal.[18] Edwin Knip of Rockportaal.nl described Kings & Queens as symphonic metal with Celtic influences. They noted the use of flute and violin and opined that the music ranges from dreamy and slow to exhilarating and aggressive.[20]

Joe Mis of Hardrock Haven described Leah as combining Celtic, world music, and progressive metal influences into "European-style" symphonic metal.[12] Her music, claims Mis, is comparable to Leaves’ Eyes, Lana Lane, and Blackmore’s Night with more of a metal influence. On the album "Celtic melodies and mythology bump into new age concepts and symphonic / progressive metal tones".[12] In Mis's opinion, Kings & Queens is heavier and more metal than previous releases, but still features the diversity of tone and tempo, strong lyrics, and folk stylization that was popular on Leah's previous recordings.[12] "Arcadia" starts off as "brutally heavy" with "massive bass and drums," according to Mis, but then "immediately softens to become a haunting and flowing mid to slow tempo rocker that highlights the diverse tone and atmosphere that characterize the rest of the album."[12] "Save The World" Mis described as "rollicking" folk metal with "lush orchestration and cool vocals".[6] "Angel Fell" is a medieval ballad built on the driving bass and Leah's "ethereal" vocals.[12] Mis described “Enter The Highlands,” as an epic, "tightly performed track with many tempo changes and symphonic elements."[12] He considered the technical performances the song to be "near perfection" and therefore making it the true apex of the recording. Mis also noted the variety of expression on “In the Palm of Your Hands” both in Leah's vocals, which range "from soft and sweet to smokey and sensuous on the slow rocker", and in Somers's guitar work, which on this track he considered to be at its most expressive.[12] Mis described "Alpha et Omega" as progressive and featuring Celtic and Middle Eastern influences.[12] The guitar opening of “Hourglass” paired with soft vocals Mis said brought a number of Blackmore's Night tunes to mind.[6] “Palace of Dreams” "ramps up the energy" and explores the more "mystical side of symphonic metal".[12] “The Crown” is a ballad which builds in intensity as Leah adds more and more sonic layers to the song. The bass and drums on “Remnant” are precise and energetic. “There Is No Farewell”, a folk metal track, combines choral vocals, acoustic instruments, "intriguing" bass work, and a "flowing" rhythm line.[6]

Rockcastle Franken's Rainer Kerber described the album as "Middle-earth meet heavy metal" with epic power metal ballads peppered throughout.[15] In Rainer's opinion, the blend of melodies, Celtic folk elements, and hard guitar riffs creates a unique sound.[15] They highlighted the Gregorian chant on "Arcadia" which is followed by powerful riffing.[15] They compared the opening guitar work on "Hourglass" to Mike Oldfield; the song then develops into a power ballad.[15] "The Crown" begins as an acoustic ballad and then becomes a metal anthem.[15]

John Thornbrough of Sonic Cathedral thought Leah's voice sound very similar to that of Liv Kristine – high, clear, and perfect.[16] He stated that the music, vocals, and lyrics all evoke a feeling of heroic stories and far-off lands.[16] He further noted that the lyrics are subtle and sometimes require careful listening to understand.[16] The single "Into the Highlands", a song about lost civilizations "with implications for our own", begins with aggressive guitar and drums before Leah's "otherworldly" vocals join in, then builds with intense rhythms, a galloping riff, and choral vocals.[16] "Save the World" starts off as folk metal and the develops into an anthem, transitions into a guitar solo from Somers, then finishes with delicate vocals and harp instrumentation.[22] "Angel Fell" also features a solo from Somers. The song begins with harpsichord, starts off quiet and powerful, and ends with a driving finish.[16] Thornbrough viewed "Palace of Dreams" as the real heart of the album and noted that it lyrically ties into the album title. The track is long and cinematic, with strong guitar and piano.[16] Thornbrough also highlighted "This Present Darkness", in which Leah's voice has a deeper sound, and "Remnant", which in the begins in a style very reminiscent of Loreena McKennitt and then builds into heavy guitars.[16]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Leah McHenry except where noted

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Arcadia"  6:27
2."Save the World"  5:00
3."Angel Fell"  5:37
4."Enter the Highlands"  6:29
5."In the Palm of Your Hands"  5:04
6."Alpha et Omega"  5:31
7."Heart of Poison"  5:08
8."Hourglass"  4:32
9."Palace of Dreams"  7:45
10."This Present Darkness"Leah McHenry and Nicki O'Donovan 6:35
11."The Crown"  5:02
12."Remnant"  4:45
13."There is No Farewell"  5:00
14."Siúil a Rúin (Acoustic Version)"TraditionalTraditional; McHenry5:09
15."Siúil a Rúin (Bonus Rock Version)"TraditionalTraditional; McHenry5:05
Total length:1:23:09

2017 limited edition vinyl pressing

[edit]
Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Arcadia"6:30
2."Save the World"5:02
3."Angel Fell"5:40
4."Enter the Highlands"6:31
Side B
No.TitleLength
5."In the Palm of Your Hands"5:06
6."Alpha et Omega"5:33
7."Heart of Poison"5:10
8."Hourglass"4:34
Side C
No.TitleLength
9."Palace Of Dreams"7:47
10."This Present Darkness"6:37
11."The Crown"5:04
Side D
No.TitleLength
12."Remnant"4:47
13."There is No Farewell"5:02
14."Siúil A Rún (Acoustic Version)"5:10
15."Siúil A Rún (Bonus Rock Version)"5:02
Total length:1:23:35

Pressed by MPO [fr]

Personnel

[edit]

Primary artist

[edit]
  • Leah McHenry – Vocals, piano, keyboards, songwriting, arrangements

Supporting personnel

[edit]
  • Timo Somers – Guitar, arrangements, production
  • Barend Courbois – Bass
  • Sander Zoer – Drums, percussion
  • Oliver Philipps – Piano, orchestration
  • Brent McHenry – Orchestration
  • Martin Acosta – Vocal production
  • Christian Moos – Mixing
  • Eroc – Mastering
  • Jan Örkki Yrlund – Album art
  • Ami Beth Photography – Photography
  • Jason Brown – Photography

Vocals recorded at Green Room Studio, Canada; drums recorded at Spacelab Studios, Germany.

Personnel credits adapted from album liner notes.

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Label Format Catalog
February 3, 2015 Ex Cathedra Records Digital (FLAC)
Sweden April 10, 2015[10] Inner Wound Recordings CD IW83044
Sweden December 15, 2017[23] Inner Wound Recordings Vinyl; Limited edition double album; gatefold IW83074

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference mortalflesh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ rkerber57 (2014-12-31). "Interview with Leah McHenry from LEAH – Rock / Metal singer and Songwriter from Canada". Keep on Rockin'. Retrieved 2024-06-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Susan (February 20, 2015). "Leah interview (02/2015)". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d Pezy, William (January 2015). "Leah - Kings & Queens". Lords of Metal. No. 154. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Mis, Joe (February 22, 2015). "Leah McHenry". HardrockHaven.net. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  7. ^ "Leah - Kings & Queens - credits". AllMusic. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  8. ^ McHenry, Leah. "Enter the Highlands (single)". Retrieved 2024-06-25 – via Bandcamp.
  9. ^ McHenry, Leah. "This Present Darkness (single)". Retrieved 2024-06-26 – via Bandcamp.
  10. ^ a b "Releases". Inner Wound Recordings. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Burdelak, Steve. "LEAH-KINGS & QUEENS". Cross Fire (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mis, Joe (2015-01-07). "Leah - Kings & Queens". Hardrock Haven. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  13. ^ a b c d Susan (January 13, 2015). "Leah - Kings & Queens review - Metal Storm". Metal Storm. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c RaduP; Ag Fox; Promonex; ScreemingSteelUS. "Leah - Kings & Queens - Rating details". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h Kerber, Rainer. "Leah - Kings & Queens (Review)". Rock Castle Franken. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thornburgh, John. "Leah - Kings & Queens". Sonic Cathedral. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  17. ^ a b Trey (June 14, 2016). "Leah - Kings & Queens User Opinions". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  18. ^ a b c d Cat, Lady (January 28, 2015). "LEAH - Kings & Queens | Review bei Stormbringer". Stormbringer (in Austrian German). Retrieved 2024-06-25.
  19. ^ a b c Riessinger, Bianca. "Kings & Queens". Metal Inside (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  20. ^ a b Knip, Edwin (2015-01-21). "Leah - Kings & Queens". Rockportaal.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  21. ^ "Leah – Kings & Queens Album Teaser Streaming". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. December 17, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference :17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Otherworld
EP by
Leah
ReleasedOctober 31, 2013
StudioEx Cathedra Records, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • Spacelab Studio, Kempen, Germany • Eroc's Mastering Ranch, Breckerfeld, Germany
GenreCeltic metal, symphonic metal, gothic metal
Length27:12
LabelEx Cathedra Records/independent
Leah chronology
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
(2012) 		Otherworld
(2013) 		Kings & Queens
(2015)
Singles from Otherworld
  1. "Dreamland"
    Released: October 31, 2013

Otherworld is the second extended play (EP) by the Canadian musician Leah, a Celtic symphonic metal artist, released independently through her label Ex Cathedra Records on October 31, 2013. It followed up a Christmas EP, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, and her debut studio album Of Earth & Angels, both of which were released in 2012. A single from Otherworld, "Dreamland", was released concurrently with the EP, and features guest vocals from Eric Peterson of Testament and Dragonlord.

Background and recording

[edit]

Leah McHenry, mononymously known as Leah, is a musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She released her debut album, Of Earth & Angels, in 2012, then a Christmas EP, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent, that December.[1] During the recording of Otherworld, Leah reached out to her friend Eric Peterson, a guitarist for Testament, to sing in duet with her on the song "Dreamland".[2] Peterson states that he has known Leah since 2001 and worked with her around 2005 or 2008, but at the time he was too busy to continue collaborating. When Leah contacted him and asked him to sing on the recording, he took her up on the offer.[2][3] Peterson would collaborate again with Leah for the 2015 single "Winter Sun", and Leah joined his symphonic black metal band Dragonlord for the recording of Dominion (2018).[4][3][5] Otherworld was mixed by Christian Moos at Spacelab Studio and mastered by Eroc.[6][7] Leah states that during the mixing process, she met future frequent collaborators Timo Somers of Delain and Vengeance, Barend Courbois of Vengeance and Blind Guardian, and Sander Zoer of Delain. When Leah told Moos that she was working on another full-length studio project, Moos introduced her to Somers, who then in turn introduced her to his bandmates.[8][9]

Release and reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Sonic Cathedral8/10[10]
Sputnikmusic3.0/5[11]

Otherworld was released on December 31, 2013, on Leah's own Ex Cathedra Records.[12] Concurrent with the EP's release, Leah released "Dreamland" as a single.[2] The EP was reissued the following year through Inner Wound Recordings on October 24 in Europe and October 28 in the United States.[13] A limited edition vinyl reissue was then released through Inner Wound on December 15, 2017.[14]

Pacific Prof of Sonic Cathedral rated Otherworld 8 out of 10,[10] and ranked it at No. 6 on their Top 10 list for 2013.[15] They praised Leah's voice as one of the best they had heard in years and highlighted her musical rendition of "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" as the best solo track on the recording.[10] They also praised the final track, stating that Leah gives her best in her duet with Eric Peterson.[10] Trey, a staff writer at Sputnikmusic, rated the EP 3.0 out of 5, a designation of "good".[11] Dimitris Kontogeorgakos at Metal Kaoz said that one's opinion of Otherworld would depend on whether they prefer metal without other styles mixed in, they would want to give the recording a pass, whereas if one likes metal mixed with other music genres, they should take a listen.[5] They focused their review on the EP's single, "Dreamland". Kontogeorgakos considered Leah's vocals a perfect fit for the melodies, but they disliked the production and sound of the song, which they considered too "modern", as well as the atmosphere of the opening before Peterson's segment comes in. They concluded that "the nice guitar-fills barely make this track a must-have, so might as well turn the page and move on to the next one."[5]

Style and lyrics

[edit]

The music on Otherworld was described by Dimitris Kontogeorgakos of Metal Kaoz as a combination of folk music and heavy metal.[5] Craig Newman of All Access Magazine wrote that the music could be variously categorized as symphonic metal, Celtic metal, folk metal, gothic metal, and gothic rock.[6] Leah's voice was compared to Enya, Moya Brennan, Loreena McKennitt, Hayley Westerna, Liv Kristine, and Sharon Den Adel.[5][10] "Shores of Your Lies" begins with ocean and rain sound effects, then Leah sings the opening line, the lyrics of which, Sonic Cathderal's Pacific Prof opined, provide a dark, foreboding beginning to the short production.[10] "The Northern Edge" they described as "slicing guitar, dreamy keyboard soundscapes and thundering drums" against Leah's soprano vocals, with soft guitar work near the end.[10] "Surrounded" opens with keyboard and synth effects.[10] "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" is set to keyboards, blowing wind sound effects, and "cinematic" soundscapes, and was described as a sweeping, "Clannad-like" Celtic epic.[10] The melodies on "Dreamland" were described by Dmitris Kontogeorgakos of Metal Kaos as medieval, folk, or Celtic-inspired, contrasted with the "almost symphonic" metal attitude of Peterson's vocals.[10] According to Kontogeorgakos, the song opens slow and mellow, with a dreamy "sweet / fairytale" atmosphere, before Peterson's feature causes the folk side of the song to disappear.[5] Leah herself stated that "my original demo went from having a mellow, Clannad-type feel to now almost dancing on the line of black-metal".[2] Susan, a staff writer for Metal Storm, when interacting with comments on her review for Leah's follow-up studio album, Kings & Queens (2015), said that Kings & Queens continues the style laid down on Otherworld, albeit more textured, intricate, and heavy.[16]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Leah McHenry except where noted; all music is composed by Leah McHenry

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Shores of Your Lies" 5:30
2."The Northern Edge" 5:21
3."Surrounded" 5:47
4."Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep"[note 1]4:37
5."Dreamland" (featuring Eric Peterson)Eric Peterson and Leah McHenry5:57
Total length:27:12

2017 limited edition vinyl pressing

[edit]
Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Shores Of Your Lies"5:32
2."The Northern Edge"5:23
3."Surrounded"5:49
Side B
No.TitleLength
4."Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep"4:39
5."Dreamland" (featuring Eric Peterson)5:58
Total length:27:21

Pressed by MPO [fr]

Personnel

[edit]

Primary artist

[edit]
  • Leah McHenry - vocals, synthesizer, piano, songwriting and composition

Supporting personnel

[edit]
  • Eric Peterson – Featured vocals and lyrics on "Dreamland"
  • Alexander Giles – Bass
  • Sean Lang – Drums, percussion
  • Cameron Smith – Guitar
  • Dave Hughes – Guitar
  • Jeff Caines – Audio engineering
  • Eroc – Mastering
  • Christian "Moschus" Moos – Mixing at Spacelab Studio
  • Ami Beth Photography – Photography
  • Jan Yrland – Artwork, layout

Personnel credits adapted from liner notes and AllMusic[7]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Label Format Catalog
Canada October 31, 2013 None CDr digipak; mini-album none
October 31, 2013 Ex Cathedra Records Digital (FLAC) none
Sweden October 24, 2014 Inner Wound Recordings CD digipak; reissue IW83038
Sweden December 15, 2017 Inner Wound Recordings 12" vinyl; limited edition reissue IW83076

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Credited to Mary Elizabeth Frye;[17] however, this is a common and most likely erroneous attribution for the poem supplying the lyrics; that poem is presumed to actually have been written by Clare Harner.[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McHenry, Leah. "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence". Retrieved 2024-06-23 – via Bandcamp.
  2. ^ a b c d Bowar, Chad (2013-11-01). "Testament's Eric Peterson Teams Up With Celtic Metal Singer Leah on New Track". Loudwire. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  3. ^ a b Bowar, Chad (2018-09-21). "Dragonlord Interview - Heavy Music HQ". Heavy Music HQ. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  4. ^ DiVita, Joe (December 23, 2015). "Eric Peterson and Leah, 'Winter Sun' - Exclusive Premier". Loudwire. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Kontogeorgakos, Dimitris (23 November 2013). "Leah - Otherworld". Metal Kaoz. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  6. ^ a b Newman, Craig (November 21, 2013). "Leah's new Otherworld EP featuring Eric Peterson of Testament". All Access Magazine. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ rkerber57 (2014-12-31). "Interview with Leah McHenry from LEAH – Rock / Metal singer and Songwriter from Canada". Keep on Rockin'. Retrieved 2024-06-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Susan (February 20, 2015). "Leah interview (02/2015)". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pacific Prof. "Leah - Otherworld EP". Sonic Cathedral. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  11. ^ a b Trey (June 14, 2016). "Leah - Otherworld User Opinions - sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  12. ^ "Otherworld - EP". October 31, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2024 – via Apple Music.
  13. ^ "LEAH - Otherworld EP Reissued This Week; "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep" Track Stream Available". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  14. ^ "Inner Wound Recordings - Releases". Inner Wound Recordings. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  15. ^ S. C. Staff. "Sonic Cathedral's Best Releases of 2013". Sonic Cathedral. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  16. ^ Susan (January 17, 2015). "Leah - Kings & Queens review - comment". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  17. ^ McHenry, Leah. Otherworld (Media notes). Canada. 4 018996 237641.
  18. ^ Norsworthy, Scott (September 1, 2018). "Clare Harner's 'Immortality' (1934)". Notes and Queries. 65 (3). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press: 423–428. doi:10.1093/notesj/gjy084. ISSN 0029-3970.
Of Earth & Angels
Studio album by
Leah
ReleasedJune 12, 2012
GenreCeltic metal, symphonic metal
Length49:25
LanguageEnglish, Latin
Leah chronology
Of Earth & Angels
(2012) 		Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
(2012)

Of Earth & Angels is the debut studio album by the symphonic Celtic metal musician Leah, released independently on June 12, 2012. The album was well received critically, with critics noting both Leah's vocal range and expressiveness as well as her similarity to the Irish singer Enya as well as to the Canadian musician Loreena McKennitt and the bands Delain and Nightwish.

Background and recording

[edit]

Leah McHenry, professionally known by the mononym Leah, is from the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. She taught herself piano and joined the band Ashur, which toured locally and released an EP.[1] She also taught herself a limited amount of guitar.[2] By the time she began recording for a debut album, she had written over a hundred songs, and uploaded many of them to her Soundcloud and YouTube channels. From what she had written, she spent weeks narrowing down a selection for the album, pre-producing some demos.[1] According to Leah, the tracks "Say Yes" and "Illusion" were written years before Of Earth & Angels was recorded. "Remember" and "Confess My Love", conversely, were written in a very short amount of time.[1] When writing songs, she first did the piano, synth, and vocals lines, and then the pieces were fleshed out as the rest of the instrumentation was added.[3] Because Leah is a studio artist and not touring, she found backing band members that she wanted for her recording; but she stated in 2013 that if she did go on tour, she had a solid line-up.[3]

Release and reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Sonic Cathedral10/10[4]
Metal StormFirst reviewer: 8/10[5]
Second reviewer: 7/10[6]
Sputnikmusic3.3/5[7]

Of Earth & Angels was released on June 12, 2012,[8] and Leah performed her first live show in December that year to support her follow-up EP.[1] Lindsay Schoolcraft of Sonic Cathedral gave a highly positive review, rating the album a 10 out of 10,[4] and listed it as No. 1 out of 10 in their list of Best Releases of 2012.[9] T.S. Johnson from Sonic Cathedral listed the album at No. 3 on their Top 10, and Sara Letourneau of the same publication listed it at No. 7.[9] Dave Scott from Rocktopia called the recording "magnificent", and stated that it would be among his top ten albums of 2013, possibly even their top five.[10] Susan from Metal Storm rated the album 8 out of 10, stating that on first listen, they thought it was just good, but upon repeated listens it became one of their favorites for the year.[5] Promonex, another staff member of Metal Storm, rated Of Earth & Angels 7 out of 10.[6] The recording was also voted no. 10 out of 14 in the Symphonic Metal category of Metal Storm's 2012 Best Album of the Year.[11] Trey, a staff writer for Sputnikmusic, rate the album 3.3 out of 5, designating it "great".[7] The album was re-issued on December 15, 2015 through Inner Wound Recordings.[12]

Style and lyrical themes

[edit]

The genre of Of Earth & Angels was described as symphonic metal and Celtic metal.[10] Rocktopia's Dave Scott wrote that if one wanted a comparison, they would describe the record as "Clannad/Enya meets Delain."[10] Lindsay Schoolcraft, writing for Sonic Cathedral, noted that Leah cites influence from Nightwish, Enya, and Loreena McKennitt, and, according to Schoolcraft, "she blends their aspects well to create her own unique sound".[4] Leah's voice, per Schoolcraft, ranges from ethereal folk to a "belting rock howl".[4] Scott likewise noted Leah's range, as well as her expressiveness, and felt that she is comparable to Sharon den Adel and Elize Ryd.[10] The lyrics of the album were noted for oceanic and sailing themes, which Leah says was unintentional but perhaps influenced by her living near the ocean all her life, plus her interest in the Scottish and Irish history of her family and the imagery that comes with that.[1] Most of lyrics are in English, and "Ex Cathedra" opens with Latin.[4] The title, Of Earth & Angels, refers to the overall content of the songs on the album, which Leah says "is a mix of earthly tales and woes and more inspirational and angelic folklore."[3] Sometimes, according to her, a song might be a specific story, but she prefers to write themes rather than stories as this allows the listener to find a meaning for themselves in the song.[3]

The opening song "Prisoner" was noted for its "bombastic" style, with a "colossal" riff, double-drumming, and numerous arrangements. The keyboard in the chorus was described as having an "Arabic" feel.[10] Scott found the vocals at the opening of "Remember" reminiscent of Enya and noted the blend of guitar and violin. Mid-song, more guitar is brought in and the song becomes a power ballad.[10] "Old World" is a symphonic rock song that consists of a Celtic-infused tune with a chuntering guitar,[10] with fantasy lyrics and an upbeat and folky sound that, according to Schoolcraft, could compete with The Corrs and The Cranberries.[4] "I Fade", the fourth track, was also noted for having a Middle Eastern feel, particularly with the male vocals at the end, as well as implementing sitar and a string quartet.[4] "Ex Cathedra" is an atmospheric gothic rock song with "a thick grinding progression and lots of held vocal notes"[10] and some use of folk harp.[4] Schoolcraft felt that "Ex Cathedra" would fit as part of the soundtrack to The Mists of Avalon.[4] "Ocean" and "A Thousand Years" are ballads, the latter with synth sounds accompanied by piano.[4] "Tragedy & Magic" is driven by acoustic guitar and on this track Leah's voice is folky and earthy.[4] The song then builds to a mid-tempo twist where the guitar comes in explosively.[10] "Confess My Love" features a soulful harp arrangement which flows into the soft verse prior to a guitar riff that then builds to the chorus. "Illusion" has a chiming guitar melody and striking strings which then also are joined by a riff, again building to a chorus.[10]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Leah McHenry

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Prisoner" 5:07
2."Remember" 4:16
3."Old World" 4:02
4."I Fade"Leah McHenry and Jay Martens3:46
5."Ex Cathedra" 4:29
6."Ocean" 3:30
7."A Thousand Years" 2:57
8."Tragedy & Magic" 3:10
9."Mainland" 5:01
10."Say Yes" 4:14
11."Confess My Love" 4:42
12."Illusion" 4:11
Total length:49:25

2017 limited edition vinyl pressing

[edit]
Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Prisoner"5:05
2."Remember"4:14
3."Old World"4:00
4."I Fade"3:44
5."Ex Cathedra"4:27
6."Ocean"3:29
Side B
No.TitleLength
7."A Thousand Years"2:54
8."Tragedy & Magic"3:10
9."Mainland"4:58
10."Say Yes"4:12
11."Confess My Love"4:40
12."Illusion"4:12
Total length:49:05

Pressed by MPO [fr]

Personnel

[edit]

Primary artist

[edit]
  • Leah McHenry – vocals, piano, synths, songwriting, liner notes

Supporting personnel

[edit]

Personnel credits adapted from liner notes and AllMusic[13]

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Label Format Catalog
Canada June 12, 2012 None CD none; IPJ23006
Canada June 12, 2012 None CD (cardboard sleeve) none
Canada June 12, 2012 None Digital (FLAC) none
June 12, 2012 None CDr; promo none
Sweden 2015 Inner Wound Recordings CD; reissue IW83048
Sweden 2017 Inner Wound Recordings Vinyl; limited edition IW83075
2022 Inner Wound Recordings /

Ex Cathedra Records

CD; autographed limited edition
2022 Inner Wound Recordings /

Ex Cathedra Records

Digital (MP3)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Stryker, Robin (February 2013). "LEAH Interview". Sonic Cathedral. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  2. ^ "Leah McHenry". Metal Divas. June 22, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Electronic Brain (June 17, 2013). "Interview with Leah". Rocktopia. No. 57. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Schoolcraft, Lindsay. "LEAH - Of Earth & Angels". Sonic Cathedral. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  5. ^ a b Susan (February 6, 2013). "Leah - Of Earth & Angels". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  6. ^ a b "Leah - Of Earth & Angels - Rating details". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  7. ^ a b Trey (April 14, 2016). "Leah - Of Earth & Angels User Opinions". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  8. ^ "Of Earth & Angels, by LEAH". Retrieved 2024-06-21 – via Bandcamp.
  9. ^ a b S. C. Staff. "Sonic Cathedral's Best Releases of 2012". Sonic Cathedral. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Scott, Dave (October 7, 2013). "Leah - 'Of Earth And Angels'". Rocktopia. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2012". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  12. ^ thrashboy (February 12, 2015). "'Leah' Special Edition of "Of Earth & Angels" Album to be Released in April". The Metal Resource. Retrieved 2024-06-22. Symphonic metal artist, Leah, has posted the following message: 'Proud to announce the re-issuing of a special edition of "Of Earth & Angels" with Inner Wound Recordings. It includes new photos, updated layout and artwork! It releases April 10th in Europe and April 14th in N.A. and everywhere else!!'
  13. ^ "Otherworld - Leah", AllMusic, retrieved 2024-06-22

Other Sivion stuff

[edit]

Scribbling Idiots

[edit]

Webpage, JFH data, HHDB entry, JFH review, Wade-O mention, Rapzilla (song link, JustMe and Cas Metah review, another review, and yet another review review), interview, CCM Magazine feature, Jam the Hype song link, Cross Rhythms articles (review, , news, news), Cas Metah website, Radio U mention, brief concert mention, RapReviews review, Tollbooth article (review), review, Sphere of Hip Hop retrospective of albums, another song, member, song, HM Magazine ([1], [2])

JustMe

[edit]

https://holyhiphopdatabase.com/album.php?id=600, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2014/10/interview-justme-scribbling-idiots/, http://www.syntaxrecords.com/podcast/episode-12-justme-of-scribbling-idiots-dirt-of-shadow-of-the-locust/, https://blog.chron.com/jesusmusik/2010/11/scribbling-idiot-justme-pushes-the-envelope-with-tragedy-dope/, http://www.casmetah.com/blog/scribbling-idiots-move-out-prod-theory-hazit/, https://7thboro.com/scribbling-idiots-ft-freddie-bruno-justme-muzeone-jurny-big-griffin-pass-it-neosonic-remix/, http://529atlanta.com/calendar/5728/, https://deadendhiphop.com/scribbling-idiots-good-morning-mourning/, https://amenworldwide.com/music/208, https://jamthehype.com/scribbling-idiots-move-produced-theory-hazit/, https://www.definitionradio.com/Artists/Artist/6ad35692c0764f5cadd5c04a5e9b9b8b, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/justme-mn0002020943/credits, https://www.wuky.org/post/local-music-monday-justin-long-aka-justme#stream/0, https://www.aceweekly.com/event/gigs-a-tribe-called-lex-als-bar/, https://www.facebook.com/TribeCalledLex/, JustMe review, JustMe bio, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2011/08/justme-portrait-of-the-rapper-as-a-real-person-interview/, https://www.hhhdb.com/index.php?id=596, https://killacasmetah.bandcamp.com/track/longevity-ft-ruffian-justme, https://music.apple.com/us/artist/justme/78960106, https://web.archive.org/web/20101226215044/http://www.dasouth.com/interviews/4610-scribbling-idiot-justme-pushes-boundaries-with-qtragedy-a-dopeq

Solseekers

[edit]

http://www.syntaxrecords.com/artist/solseekers/, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/artists/Solseekers.asp, https://hhhdb.com/artist.php?id=418, https://music.apple.com/us/artist/solseekers/62378472, https://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2003_04_halfway.html

Sev Statik sources

[edit]
  • Sources: Rapzilla ( [3]), Cross Rhythms ([4]), RapReviews ([5])

Falling Tsar

[edit]

https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Sev_Statik_JustMe_Wonder_Brown_Theory_Hazit/Falling_Tsar/29551/, http://www.platform8470.com/interviews/interview.php?intid=154, http://www.tollbooth.org/2007/reviews/tsar.html, https://www.discogs.com/Falling-Tsar-Falling-Tsar/release/6334686, https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Sev_Statik_JustMe_Wonder_Brown_Theory_Hazit/Falling_Tsar/29551/, https://illect.bandcamp.com/album/falling-tsar, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/FallingTsar.asp, https://www.hhhdb.com/index.php?id=1043

Sinderblock

[edit]

[6], https://jamthehype.com/sev-statik-say-peace/, https://rapzilla.com/2012-03-sev-statik-qsay-peaceq/, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/SinderblockEP.asp, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2012/04/sev-statik-vinylcologist-sinderblock-ep-album-review/, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/nylibertyradio/2012/04/04/sev-statik-of-goldtooth-interview, Indie Vision Music blurb

Sophy

[edit]

https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080746/http://www.rapreviews.com/news/View.php?ArticleID=19067, https://rapzilla.com/2013-03-sev-statik-sophy/, https://web.archive.org/web/20131101154409/https://www.indievisionmusic.com/2013/03/24/sev-statik-new-ep-free-download/, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2013/03/sev-statik-sophy-ep-album-download/, https://holyculture.net/free-sev-statik-take-it-light/, https://sevstatik.bandcamp.com/album/sophy-ep, https://www.thecomeupshow.com/2013/03/20/mixtape-sev-statik-sophy/, https://www.thecomeupshow.com/2013/05/12/video-sev-statik-ft-animal-cracker-i-believe-dir-lightsource-media/, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/SophyEP.asp,

Ill Harmonics albums

[edit]

Sources: NRT review, Exclaim!, Cross Rhythms ( [7], [8], [9], [10]), cMusicWeb, Rap Reviews, Christianity Today (review), CCM Magazine.[1][2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McCreary, David (April 1, 2002). "Ill Harmonics: Take Two" (PDF). CCM Magazine: 62–3. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  2. ^ DeBarros, Anthony (June 1, 2002). "One to Watch: Ill Harmonics; Quality Is Job 1 for Hip Hop duo" (PDF). CCM Magazine: 24. Retrieved February 17, 2016.

Soldiers for Christ

[edit]

P.I.D.

[edit]

Future Shock

[edit]

Interview, interview, review, feature, repost from Myspace, review,‎ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/future-shock/62377617, https://rapzilla.com/2015-01-illect-recordings-signs-new-artist-sojourn/, https://rapzilla.com/2007-05-ends-of-the-earth-vol1/, https://rapzilla.com/2008-06-thebreax-two-miles-an-hour/, https://rapzilla.com/2008-06-thebreax-releases-new-music-video-qtwo-miles-an-hourq/, https://rapzilla.com/2010-01-onemind-magazine-a-dasouthcom-founder-richard-qsaveq-douglas-dies-at-age-36/, http://www.syntaxrecords.com/artist/future-shock/, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/future-shock-mn0000244581, https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3651897, https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/JustMe_The_HipHop_Scene_Delivers_One_Mans_Trash_From_A_Scribbling_Idiot/27127/p1/, https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Future_Shock/The_Art_Of_Xenos_Entertaining_Aliens/6084/, https://rapzilla.com/2015-10-top-20-christian-rappers/3/, https://rapzilla.com/2016-09-throwback-thursday-future-shock-phenomenon/, http://www.cmusicweb.com/hiphop/soupthechemist/eargasmicarrangements.shtml, https://jamthehype.com/sojourn-signs-illect-recordings-label/, https://www.hhhdb.com/index.php?id=90, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/artists/FutureShock.asp, https://urbanfaith.com/project/30yearsofhiphop/.

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