Heavy Metal never looked so good

If I were to poll most Americans and asked them about heavy metal bands, I'm willing to bet that among the top five responses would be Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, Disturbed, and maybe Iron Maiden.  Now, don't get me wrong, they are all awesome (well, Metallica was, until they released St. Anger; another rant for another time), but there's one small problem with them.  They're unimaginative.  With the possible exception of Iron Maiden (then again, Iron Maiden is English), they all cover the same basic range of topics.  Again, not judging too harshly because, well, they kick ass.

However, my own personal love affair with heavy metal started not with any of those titans, but with a relatively unknown band (in America, anyway) called Nightwish.  I heard one song by them, Sleeping Sun, and I was instantly hooked.  Here was a heavy metal band (of the Symphonic Metal sub-genre) that produced really complex and hauntingly beautiful music.  The lead singer was, at the time, a trained opera soprano by the name of Tarja Turunen.  I own all of their records.

Now, several years ago, they fired Tarja.  In the intervening years I grew much more in touch with all the other varied genres of Metal.  Much of it thanks in part to becoming a heavy metal radio DJ for UMaine.  It was sweet.  I was exposed to a lot of other metal bands that have gone on to warp my soul (Nightrage, Shadows Fall, Blind Guardian, Slayer, Power Symphony, Metallica, Megadeth, etc, etc.).  However, I was unable, initially, to find a band to plug the hole left by a distinct lack of Nightwish.

Enter, a few years later, the band Within Temptation.  Less symphonic metal and more goth rock, they filled the gap for a bit.  Then, along came Lunatica.  Again, I found the kind of heavy metal sound that I, personally, crave.  Clean and clear operatic vocals, heavy guitars and complicated rhythms, powerful bass lines and thundering drums; it was glorious.

I have since found a few others; Epica, Sirenia, Mary's Blood (all female Japanese Heavy Metal \m/).  Still, I am hungering for Nightwish; even with their new singer, who is much more heavy rock.  Anette Olzon isn't bad.  Indeed, she kicks ass.  Still, there's part of me that finds the best Nightwish songs are the ones sung by Tarja.

Now, there is another thing all these bands have in common: all of them have really beautiful leading ladies.

Nightwish-
Tarja Turunen:

Anette Olzon:

Within Temptation-
Sharon den Adel:

Epica-
Simone Simons:

Sirenia-
Ailyn (she's on the right):

Mary's Blood-
All of them:

Now, compare any of them to most heavy metal male leads...  You get my point.

That said, there are the exceptions to this.  The guys of Galneryus are, what I would call acceptable eye candy.  I'd rather watch them than James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine, or Lemmy (actually, I'd readily go to any of their concerts, but my point stands about their looks).


All that said; a good band looks do not make.  Every female-fronted band I've listed above kicks ass.  Trust me, I could go on for days about the power metal bands from Europe that kick the shit out of most metal produced in the US (Blind Guardian, Dragonforce, Iced Earth, Helloween, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, the list goes on).

Catch ya all later!


P.S.  In case you couldn't guess, I'm a real big power metal fan, and not so big a fan of thrash and speed metal.

P.P.S.  Nightwish tops them all.  Hands down, they are far and away my favorite heavy metal band.  And, for your consideration, my top five favorite songs (and the album they are on):
1) Sleeping Sun (Oceanborn)
2) The entire Wishmaster album (because I can)
3) The entire Century's Child album (you get the picture)
4) Over the Hills and Far Away (Over the Hills and Far Away EP)
5) Amaranth (Dark Passion Play)