Heathen - goblins blade (Breaking The Silence)
Giuseppe Verdi - ch'io gli parli (Rigoletto)
Therion - enter the depths of eternal darkness (Beyond Sanctorum)
Pink Floyd - a great day for freedom (The Divison Bell)
Highlord - breath of eternity (Breath Of Eternity)
Nevermore - the seven tongues of god (The Politics Of Ecstasy)
Emperor - ærie descent (Scattered Ashes: A Decade Of Emperial Wrath)
Mercyful Fate - at the sound of the devil bell (Melissa)
Manowar - hatred [live] (Hell On Stage Live)
Mercyful Fate - desecration of souls (Don't Break The Oath)
Connie Francis - die liebe ist ein seltsames spiel (Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel)
Take That feat Lulu - relight my fire
Entombed - living dead (Clandestine)
Peter Cornelius - du entschuldige - i kenn di


Heathen are cool thrashy US Metal, worth checking out - the first two albums are available for free on their website. The piece of Verdi's Rigoletto was a quite featureless extract from an average recording of a great opera. As much as I admire Mozart, Verdi is my favourite composer, combining lightness and virtousity... Then, after Therion's middle phase yesterday (Theli), UnholyMightyToday gave me a cool song from their Death Metal phase that I don't like quite as much, but that still catches one's attention - they definitely were a cool Death Metal band. 'enter the depths of eternal darkness' not only has the best song title in the world, but also awesome tempo changes.

Pink Floyd then sing a nice ballad from their newest album (1994) - not what they used to be, but very nice. Solemnity ends with Highlord and the title track of their best album - always a secret favourite of mine, typical Italian Speed Metal, but so well done (song writing, the vocals by Andrea Marchisio) that I can't get enough of it, very catchy stuff. Well, I never quite got Nevermore, and I still don't. They always sounded a little too crooked for me - here, we got a song from one of their earlier albums, there were some nice riffs and a beautiful floating chorus... interesting, strange, maybe worth another listen. Emperor then present a whirring and as always fascinating cover of a song by Thorns (who also are whirring and fascinating), and then the outro - bow down to the mighty Emperor, for ever and eternal.

The track from "Melissa" is then a little to rock'n'rolly for me. I don't mind the King's unusual infamous vocals, but the songwriting never really got me. Nice early 80ies sound though. 'hatred' is originally off the album "Into Glory Ride", I have to say the much better live sound appeals to me (something I can't get over is the weak sound of the first classic Manowar albums). I would NEVER criticize Manowar's lyrics - they're an important part of the whole appeal. But what the hell does "I kill your face" mean? Do I want to know? Quite a nice epic, but not a new favourite. Haha, Today, I got it - you give me another Mercyful Fate track that is NOT rock'n'rolly. You're my pal, thanks. It's a lot more spooky and cooler, like it. Connie Francis has one of those voices that I would die for, I cannot even try to express in written letters how much I like Connie Francis Schlager songs (and "classic rock'n'roll", which she also did). This track is very famous, and how true the lyrics... well... Connie Francis is the greatest, no doubt about that.

Originally by Dan Hartman & Loleatta Holloway, Take That covered this song in 1993 - I never really liked them musically (too Gary-Barlow-balladesk), or otherwise, actually, but I've always liked this peppy song. Nobody needs Lulu here, though. Could you leave the room until we're done? Thanks. Entombed are one of the ultimate, groundbreaking Sweden-Death bands - legendary sound from the legendary Sunlight Studios in Stockholm. Other than that, I can't really say... they just don't really work for me. This is not uncool, but it sort of passes you by. Wow, Peter Cornelius had a great voice. Very famous Austropop song, not my favourite Cornelius track (that would be 'segel im wind'), but one of my boss's favourite tracks - she knows it by heart :-) Classic.


--Mighty Sapnish--