Elvis Presley - can't help falling in love (Love Me Tender)
Hammerfall - stronger than all (Legacy Of Kings)
EMF - unbelievable
Viki Miljković - okrećem ti leđa, tugo (Okrećem ti leđa, tugo)
Ace Of Base - münchhausen [just chaos] (Happy Nation)
The Benedictine Monks Of Santo Domingo De Silos - os iusti (Chant)
Satyricon - delirium (Now, Diabolical)
Anathema - the beloved (Eternity)
Ten - yesterday lies in the flames (Essential Collection 1995-2005)
Virgin Steele - immortal i stand [the birth of adam] (Visions Of Eden)
L'Âme Immortelle - bitterkeit (In einer Zukunft aus Tränen und Stahl)
French & Saunders - celine dion-power of love
Virgin Steele - the wine of violence (The House Of Atreus, Act II)
Kreator - nonconformist (Outcast)


Oh boy, is there a better way to start tonight's Today than the King himself? No. He is still the greatest, and he will still be the greatest in a hundred years. He had it all, and although this song is not amoung my top favourites, of course there shouldn't be a person on this planet who could resist this romantic, perfectly delivered kitsch hit. 'stronger than all' is a very good track from the second Hammerfall album. They still sounded fresh back then. Granted, "Legacy Of Kings" was nowhere near as good as the once-in-a-hundred-years event "Glory To The Brave", but it was a quite strong album. Despite some nice songs on the follow-ups, I think it went downhill from there, the compositions just don't have it anymore and they don't sound as creative anymore to my ears. This is damn good Heavy Metal, and thanks to the unique voice of Joacim Cans, they preserved their own individual style which is not easy as a "True Metal" band, fighting in a genre where you'd think everything has been said already. Well, it hasn't.

The next song is a very famous tune, used in commercials (I think a car commercial) and also for example in the movie "Coyote Ugly". This is a nice track by this British band, who didn't have any other songs at all, did they? By the way, google says EMF stands for "Epsom Mad Funkers". I guess they are better off with the abbreviation ;-) I don't own the album the next track is taken from, I have it as "bonus" track of "Viki", or "Mariš li" (it's so difficult with "official" album titles in the Balkan states). This is very fine Turbofolk, a little less dynamic than the newer productions (the record is from 1998). When else can I say - she has a cool voice, and this is my kind of music. Next up, Ladies and Gentleman, is the first album I ever bought on CD! I loved Ace Of Base in this phase, and I remember very well how confused I was at this track. It was called 'münchhausen (just chaos)', and the chorus sort of was one of the boys (I always imagined it to be Jonas, but now I think it was actually Ulf) shouting "Just chaos, just chaos". So, what was I to do with that? Definitely not among the best tracks on that album, but I think I have opened my mind a little towards it a little. Strange composition.

Then we comfortably shiver as the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo chant their spiritual chorals. And this is the keyword here: spiritual. This is not about religion, or it doesn't have to be. It's what beyond all that, it is what unifies us all. It's spirituality. And funny enough, next up are Satyricon, and again: it's spirituality. Like the Benedictine Monks before, Satyricon want to spiritually evolve through music. Don't tell them I've compared them to monks though! Thanks. 'delirium' is one of the slower, maybe less approachable tracks from their newest album. Partly it feels like lava that blazes its trail through stones and mud, but what remains is a fascinating piece of music. The faster parts vibrate masterly and the song remains incredibly interesting. By the way, this is an awesome album title. Satyricon deserve nothing but respect for the way they follow their very own vision of Black Metal. Anathema are a special band for me - their album "Alternative 4" has stayed with me through some confusing times, and they wrote some of the saddest songs I know. 'the beloved' is from the 1998 album "Eternity" that I don't know that well. Not unlike Paradise Lost, they've turned from Death/Doom Metal to Dark Metal/Rock, and this album is their "Shades Of God": it's the turning point, and with ex-guitar player and new vocalist Vincent Cavanagh, clear vocals were introduced. Also not unlike Paradise Lost, who's "Shades Of God" I'm ashamed that I still don't totally understand, I didn't totally understand this track here either.

'yesterday lies in the flames' is off the balad disc of the "Essential Collection". I've heard a quite scary Ten ballad some days ago, so I was pleasantly surprised at this song. It's a nice ballad and the lyrics are about - what do you know - "I need you so", and yada yada. And of course, as if it needs to be said, Gary Hughes has a great voice. Nice Hard Rock solo, too. And I was surprised to learn that ex-Paradise Lost drummer Lee Morris can be heard on this album. "Visions Of Eden" totally flew under the radar, I never heard of it again after release. The first thing I think of is, as always with this band, the sound. If you had a better sound, oh Mastermind David deFeis, this would be great. But you don't, so we are left with typical Virgin Steele melody lines, deFeis' distinctive voice and a pathos-heavy, well done epic with a good chorus. Not the most motivating album title is then presented by L'Âme Immortelle. I have to say, the variety of genres Today picked this time is pretty amazing. This band is one of the cult acts in Darkwave/Gothic. This song sounds very typical, has morbid lyrics and is not bad. Might take another listen as it wasn't as catchy as I was hoping after hearing the first minute.

Okay, this next song was never officially released or something. I taped it from the British comedy series "French & Saunders". Why? Because I have never heard (and seen!) something quite as amazing as French & Saunders' musical parodies. As in most cases, Jennifer Saunders is singing this, and I can never believe how much she always sounds like the singer she's impersonating. Incredibly funny and impressive, and props to the genius who writes the songs - the songs in those parodies are originals, yet they sound exactly like the band and also exactly like the decade they were supposedly written in. I cannot praise this enough - Jen sounds just like Celine Dion in this, and the song is actually great... So, Today honey, this time it's Virgin Steele? Well, bring it! :-) This is from the second part of "The House Of Atreus", where deFeis deals with "Oresteia", the famous Greek tragedy. Great stuff for a Metal album, and I have a weak spot for the two "House Of Atreus" albums. Again, very typical Virgin Steele track, mediocre production in my humble opinion, but interesting and very epic stuff. To wrap it up, some "modern" Thrash Metal. Kreator have returned to a more traditional sound, but back in 1997 they were aiming towards a more modern interpretation of Thrash. I remember this being praised by the (or at least "some") critics, but 'nonconformist' sounds more like a cover version for a B-Side. Nothing special, and I recall not liking the rest of this album a lot more either.

Is it just me or is this getting longer and longer? Please, let's not make a rule that says "Thou shalt not rant" - I'd be in big trouble.


--MightySapnish--