What music are you listening to?

What happens when you crossbreed symphonic metal with black metal? Apparently, Norwegian band Dimmu Borgir (who, oddly, take their name from a place in Iceland), who are described as "symphonic black metal".

You know, if someone had told me even 5 years ago that I would be listening to and enjoying something like this, I'd have said they were nuts. Something seems to have really changed in my musical inclinations.

Chanced upon this whilst trawling through YouTube.

Maledia - She And Her Darkness

The first solo single from Dianne van Giersbergen of Ex-Libris and previously Xandria.

After the Storm

Quote by AnnaMayZing

The first solo single from Dianne van Giersbergen of Ex-Libris and previously Xandria.

After the Storm

And a damn fine one, too. Will be interesting to see where she goes with her solo album but this song is a good sign.

Not much to say about the late Tina Turner that hasn't already been said elsewhere by others. This song, recently covered by Ghost, was part of her eighties revival and also tied to her role as the antagonist in Beyond Thunderdome, the third Mad Max movie. RIP, Tina.

RIP Tina Turner.

An early performance (1966) wit her then-husband, Ike Turner.

Listening to the new album 1977 by Sirenia last night. The band is currently a duo (Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Morten Veland and French mezzo Emmanuelle Zoldan) with two other musicians who join them for live performances. This is a cover of a song that I quite liked back when it came out from Tanita Tikaram and it's a heck of a good cover, too. The shipboard footage is from the band's appearance on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise in January.

And a Sirenia original that came out with the album on Friday.

Trivia: Emmanuelle has been lead singer since 2016 but prior to that she sang as part of the band's chorus for over a decade.

It is so hard to believe that Suzanne Vega released Luka Thirty-five years ago! Where has that time gone? 😳

We've been singing this for two frikkin days. Passing the earworm to you:

Remember Annette Olzon? Briefly with Nightwish, particularly for the album and movie, Imaginaerum.

Here she is with False Memories. A track from their recent album Hybrid Eco System, here is The Storm Inside.

Quote by AnnaMayZing

Remember Annette Olzon? Briefly with Nightwish, particularly for the album and movie, Imaginaerum.

Oh, do I ever. I've really been loving her recent work. Between The Dark Element, Allen/Olzon, her solo album, and various guest appearances like this one, Anette is really hitting on all cylinders right now. I am actually hoping she's going to shed the "ex-Nightwish" label at some point and just have them as a line on a very long resume. After all, she's now done as many albums with each of The Dark Element and Allen/Olzon as she did with Nightwish.

New Concrete Castles is pretty dark as their stuff goes. Audra as a killer with the guys as her cleanup crew. They do alt-rock and even border on metal at times so it's not totally surprising, but it is kind of new for them.

Right now, my number two metal band after Nightwish is German power metal band Blind Guardian. They play fast and heavy with songs based heavily on literature (Tolkien is a favourite). And lead vocalist and lyricist Hansi Kursch packs a terrific metal voice. He's no Pavarotti but he's perfect for power metal, capable of good, lyrical clean vocals mixed with some terrific screams.

Performance is from 2016, but the song is the title cut from their 1995 album Imaginations From the Other Side.

Got bored of current metal or something so kickin' it old school. Today's band du jour is British heavy metal stalwarts Iron Maiden. Founded in 1975 and still at it in 2023.

Nightwish are burning through their final concerts before an indefinite break. Here's a performance of one of my all-time favorite NW songs from their recent festival gig in Athens, Greece. And take note of the unofficial seventh member tucked away in the tummy of lead singer Floor Jansen. If this kid isn't born singing (or at least headbanging), I'll be shocked. Even before they're born, they've been on two Nightwish tours and their mother's solo tour.

For those of you who enjoy Swing, or Electro Swing as it is known these days, here is the latest single from Elle and the Pocket Belles, released today. Never Wanna Say Goodbye.

Not sure I get what makes the difference between swing and "electro-swing". Electro- uses modern electric/electronic instruments instead of just an acoustic band?? Still sounds like classic swing to me, anyhow.

Nightwish are playing on home turf tonight. In a baseball stadium. But they are not playing baseball. Kitee, Finland is where the original members of the band came from and where things got started. Today, while the band is now multinational (with Dutch and English members as well as Finns), two of those originals are still in the band: keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen and guitarist Emppu Vuorinen. Tonight Finland time, they are going to rock their home town.

One of my favorite Nightwish songs from a performance in Gelsenkirchen, Germany four days ago.

And Floor Jansen is holding up very well given how far along her pregnancy is. She is even still doing her signature "windmill" style headbanging which requires her to bend over.

This is so inspirational!

Quote by NumberOneAngel

This is so inspirational!

Great. Another song for the Tiktok set to overuse (Unstoppable is now my most hated song and it is entirely due to that overuse).😒

One of the heavy metal bands that I was studiously turning up my nose at in the eighties (being a metalhead is a recent thing for me) was the legendary Judas Priest. No more. I had their great album Defender of the Faith (1984) on in the car today. Rocks hard even after 40 years. "Love Bites" is the one song from the album that I actually remember from the eighties.

I have not listened to Delain a great deal, but maybe that should change.

Here is the original lineup from 2017 with Charlotte Wessels, and an additional vocalist who only improves their sound (he needs no introduction). This is The Gathering.

Quote by AnnaMayZing
I have not listened to Delain a great deal, but maybe that should change.

Highly recommended, both the older work with Charlotte and the new lineup with Diana Leah. And Charlotte's solo albums Tales from Six Feet Under and Tales..., Vol. 2 as well. This is from Volume 2.

Also, band is led by Martijn Westerholt who is the brother of Robert Westerholt of Within Temptation and did play keys briefly in that band.

Feeling a bit this way lately. 🙁

Not sure I need to say more. Metal cover of a great rock tune with two fantastic voices, Daughtry and Lzzy Hale. Rock on!

Linda Ronstadt - Tumbling Dice

A track from Visions of Atlantis. This is Winternight.

I am not overly familiar with this band but, as you see from the beginning of the video, their original singer, Nicole Bogner sadly became a member of the '27 Club' in 2012. I find it incredible that so many musicians have passed away at the young age of 27. Coincidence? I suppose so, but even so...

Sharon and Floor, what a combination!

Quote by AnnaMayZing
Sharon and Floor, what a combination!

Nothing like two great voices getting together, eh.

Watched this band's set from Hellfest 2023 on the weekend. Amazing Mongolian folk metal.

There has previously been mention here of Joni Mitchell. I am a fan of hers, and I am also a fan of Lissie, whose cover of Mitchell's Rivers is, in my humble opinion, superb.

Quote by AnnaMayZing

There has previously been mention here of Joni Mitchell. I am a fan of hers, and I am also a fan of Lissie, whose cover of Mitchell's Rivers is, in my humble opinion, superb.

Which reminds me, I saw a new video from Lissie go up recently and have not listened yet. She's been rather quiet of late so I was excited to see it go up (I subscribe to her channel).

This one: