Nicolandia - Playlist No. 22 (02.03.2010)

01. Derdian - Preludio
02. Derdian - The Spell
03. Derdian - Battleplan

Taken from "New Era Pt. 3 - The Apocalypse (2010)".

04. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Night Enchanted
05. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Mountain
06. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Night Castle
07. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Toccata - Carpimus Noctem
08. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Moonlight and Madness
09. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Time Floats On
10. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Nutrocker
11. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Carmina Burana

Taken from "Night Castle (2009)".

Radio Broadcast on Radio Aktywne.

Nicolandia - Playlist No. 21 (23.02.2010)

01. Mattsson - Never Stand Down
02. Mattsson - Tango

A Finnish guitarist Lars Eric Mattsson recently recorded his 5th album under the banner of Mattsson (2010 Lion Music). Female vocal parts are performed by Adrienn Antal who also sang on his earlier release "Dreamchild" (2008). A guest singer is Markku Kuikka of Status Minor. Lasse Mattsson has a recognizable guitar style blending symphonic, neoclassical, progressive and melodic metal elements.

03. Dimitar Nalbantov - HyperSonic
04. Dimitar Nalbantov - End of Summer
05. Dimitar Nalbantov - Orpheus
06. Dimitar Nalbantov - The Wide

Taken from "Universe (2006)".

07. Dimitar Nalbantov - Shangri La
08. Dimitar Nalbantov - Inundation
09. Dimitar Nalbantov - Terrestrial Paradise

Taken from "Mother Earth (2008)".

10. Ivan Mihaljevic - Sandcastle
11. Ivan Mihaljevic - Cascading Mirrors
12. Ivan Mihaljevic - Empathy

Taken from "Sandcastle (2008)".

Radio Broadcast on Radio Aktywne.

The Great Kat - Beethoven’s Guitar Shred (DVD) (2009) TPR Music

Kat, in Polish language, means... executioner. But this is the review of The Great Kat’s DVD. Katherine Thomas, since it is her real name, self-called The High Priestess of Guitar Shred. She is a Juilliard School of Music graduate violinist and guitar virtuoso. Katherine was mentioned in the following pools: „50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time“ (Guitar World Magazine), „Top 10 Fastest Shredders of All Time“ (Guitar One Magazine) and „The 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes“ (Classic Rock Magazine). Elle Magazine called her one of the „12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists“ next to the likes of Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Jennifer Batten, Nancy Wilson, Orianthi and others. All these titles will not seem to be strange, when we realize that Katherine also played the violin on Carnegie Recital Hall.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Night Castle (2009) Atlantic Records

Trans-Siberian Orchestra was founded in 1996 by the three brains - Paul O’Neill (producer, guitarist, author of stories), Robert Kinkel (co-producer, keyboardist) and Jon Oliva (keyboardist; Savatage, Doctor Butcher). The year 2009 brought us not only a new logo of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but, what most important, their fifth full-length studio album „Night Castle“.

The band are 18 members, e.g. the aforementioned three, Al Pitrelli (Savatage, Megadeth, Asia, Widowmaker, Dee Snider), Chris Caffery (Savatage, Metalium, John West, Doctor Butcher, Circle II Circle, Eidolon), Johnny Lee Middleton (Savatage), Anna Phoebe (Jethro Tull), Jeff Plate (Savatage, Metal Church), Alex Skolnick (Testament, Savatage), Jane Mangini (Van Helsing’s Curse) and so forth. But this is not all. There are additionally 7 lead vocalists (e.g. Jeff Scott Soto), 2 guide singers, 9 strings’ players, 29 backup vocalists, 4-member gospel choir, 7 additional instrumentalists, 4 Vietnamese dialogue performers, The American Boychoir and the special guest - a legendary bassist Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame! A very cool counting-out rhyme! Yes, Trans-Siberian Orchestra act like a music corporation with their legal representation, accountants and A&R professional. This is a huge artistic and commercial venture. They are very popular in the USA selling million copies of their releases.

Derdian - New Era Pt. 3 - The Apocalypse (2010) Magna Carta

Derdian is a legendary fortress, but also an Italian band founded in the year 1998. They started as thrash metal cover group, but then turned to contemporary power metal. Their first releases were two demos, however the official full-length album „New Era Pt. 1“ was published only in 2005. The band became popular between melodic metal fans, especially in Asia and the USA, and this fact helped them sign a deal with an American record label Magna Carta. Being in a new record company, Derdian released his second album „New Era Pt. 2 - War of the Gods“ and the newest one - „New Era Pt. 3 - The Apocalypse“.

The third part of „New Era“ series were recorded by the following sextet: Joe Caggianelli (vocals, choirs), Enrico Pistolese (guitars, backing vocals), Marco Garau (keyboards), Dario Radaelli (guitars), Marco Banfi (bass guitar; Darksky, Cyclops) and Salvatore Giordano (drums). All female vocals, female choirs and flute parts were performed by the guest artist - Lisy Stefanoni (Evenoire).

Derdian play symphonic progressive power metal with neoclassical influences, and their lyrics tell about an epic history of a mythical land, wars between gods and men, battle and conquest and so forth. They are very typical of contemporary power metal. This release is full of high vocal parts, orchestrations, lofty and majestic atmosphere, harpsichord-like keyboard passages, operatic female voice, choral parts and fast tempos. Derdian’s music is epic as well as vocally and instrumentally complex. I can sincerely recommend this album to the fans of cinematic metal grounded on melodic parts and ubiquitous pathos. If you like the music of Morifade, Dark Moor, Holy Knight, Angra, Luca Turilli, Zonata, Reptilian, Majestic, Time Requiem and Opus Atlantica, „New Era Pt. 3 - The Apocalypse“ should meet your expectations.