A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

  • Pagan Metal: Music Getting Unexpectedly Spiritual

    Now Playing: Moonchariot by Elvenking Spirituality is nothing new in the realm of music, not by a long shot. (See the Church controlling the composing and production of music for centuries across history for examples of this.) Where it becomes interesting is within the realm of modern pagan music and especially within the realm of…

  • Range Practice: Singing Baritone in a Genre of Tenors

    Now Playing: Stormseeker by Heroik In the realm of singing, there are six main categories of voice range: soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass. Each of these ranges, split into two broader categories of treble/higher (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and alto) and lower (tenor, baritone, and bass). Each range has a distinct sound and range, though…

  • The Grand Inferno: My Thoughts on the New Tungsten Album

    Now Playing: Anger by Tungsten So, the much awaited fourth studio album from Swedish power metal band Tungsten is here. (I know, it was released on the 8th, but I’ve been busy with other posts that had to go out sooner.) Now, this album is interesting, with almost half of it being released as singles…

  • Damna: A Passion that Cannot be Ignored

    Now Playing: Twilight of Magic by Elvenking Damnagoras (aka Davide Moras) has been the singer for Elvenking since their conception, with a brief time away from the band for the recording and release of Wyrd in 2003-2004. (During this time, he was replaced by Kleid, who, while not the perfect fit for a band such…

  • Recycling Lyrics and Doing It Well in Metal

    Now Playing: A Cloak of Dusk by Elvenking When writing music, lyrics can get a little tricky. Between balancing the story, the rhythmic quality of the words, and how the words sound together overall, it’s not a task that comes easily to everyone. But there is a trick that some people use to make it…

  • Superiority in Metal: Recognition, Avoidance, and Overcoming

    Now Playing: Chronicle of a Frozen Era by Elvenking So something that comes up sometimes in metal spaces, especially online, is gatekeeping and a certain air of superiority about the kinds of metal one listens to. I’m not immune to this, I’ve been that uptight bitch about the metal I listen to, though I try…

  • Powerfolk and Other Melody Centric Metal and their Classical (ish) Influences

    Now Playing: Neverending Nights by Elvenking “But wait, there’s melody centric metal? That’s a thing? I thought metal was all just really angry screaming and growling and walls of noise!” I hear you cry. And yes, a lot of metal is just screaming and growling and walls of noise. But there’s a lot more to…

  • Chance Encounters: People We Remember

    Now Playing: Forest of Destiny by Twilight Force So one thing that I think is interesting is that sometimes, we meet someone by chance and we remember them for years to come, even though we’ll probably never meet them again. These people may not have been anyone of any particular note, they may not have…