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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Skylark - Fairytales + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Aug-19-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2005 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........08 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.skylarkrock.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Skylark Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Fairytales Label : Scarlet ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Boy oh boy...this sure is different terriority ║ │
│║ once again for Skylark. I don't know if they are ║ │
│║ trying to re-create their old sound with this or ║ │
│║ what, but it sounds completely different than ║ │
│║ everything else they've released. First I'll ║ │
│║ point out the very noticible differences. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ First off, the new girl singer Kiera sings over ║ │
│║ half the album. This is for some (that hate ║ │
│║ Fabio Dozzo) a welcome change and it leaves ║ │
│║ others puzzled as to what the band is trying to ║ │
│║ achieve. Really, I believe that this move will ║ │
│║ probably gain the band more fans actually as it ║ │
│║ makes their sound more accessible. What I like ║ │
│║ about Kiera is that her voice doesn't sound like ║ │
│║ every other female singer in metal. She doesn't ║ │
│║ sing soprano like the singers in bands like ║ │
│║ Nightwish or After Forever but rather to me is ║ │
│║ more akin to Dark Moor's female singer in that ║ │
│║ she uses a more mid ranged "power metal" style ║ │
│║ of singing. Her accent doesn't get in the way ║ │
│║ either. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Her finest performance here would have to be ║ │
│║ "Lions are the World". Sure, the production ║ │
│║ doesnt help her voice at all when you can ║ │
│║ actually hear the limitations of said production ║ │
│║ (why's the vocals so damn loud in the mix?) but ║ │
│║ she puts forth a solid and emotive effort in ║ │
│║ this 11 minute long epic. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The first 3 mintues or so of this song (Lions ║ │
│║ are the World) is in ballad format consisting of ║ │
│║ mostly piano and Kiera's sweet, sublime and ║ │
│║ mostly subdued voice. They really went poppy ║ │
│║ with certain sections of this song as it sounds ║ │
│║ as if they could've came off a Mandy Moore ║ │
│║ record or something, but really it works here in ║ │
│║ contrast with the rest of the song's (the entire ║ │
│║ middle of it) very powerful and fast power metal ║ │
│║ backbone. The middle section is suberb. It goes ║ │
│║ from its 'Maiden-in-their-prime' galloping twin ║ │
│║ leads to the the solo here that freakin' rules ║ │
│║ all ass as well..so much that you'd think that ║ │
│║ its Kai frickin' Hanson playing it some 16 years ║ │
│║ ago. The feelings conjured here throughout just ║ │
│║ this one song range from calm and subdued to ║ │
│║ excitable and jumpy. Really pretty and genious ║ │
│║ stuff!s ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The guitars on this record are highly impressive ║ │
│║ as well. At times its nice and crunchy and other ║ │
│║ times its just plain heavy. The main thing to ║ │
│║ marvel though about the guitarwork is not just ║ │
│║ the excellent neo-classical solo-age found ║ │
│║ thoughout but its how he can make such simple ║ │
│║ twin harmonization (which is usually placed ║ │
│║ before he starts shredding...just like Maiden ║ │
│║ has always done splitting up their solos and ║ │
│║ harmonizing) sound so beefy and orgasmic?!? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The basswork is so thick that its actually in ║ │
│║ front of the guitars. They actually gave the ║ │
│║ bassist several bass-solos thoughout the course ║ │
│║ of the record. And wow..sometimes his gymnastic ║ │
│║ and head spinning prog-rock basslines can ║ │
│║ distract you from the rest of the song. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The drums are one of the drawbacks however. ║ │
│║ Drummer Carlos was already gone from the band so ║ │
│║ they brought in Mark Hal (he's drummed before on ║ │
│║ some earlier Skylark songs but was never in the ║ │
│║ band) to play them. Well surprise ║ │
│║ surprise...he's no Carlos and he's no (drummer ║ │
│║ before Carlos) Federico Ria either. He doesn't ║ │
│║ do any gymnastic drum rolls or anything outside ║ │
│║ of what any metal drummer in the world can ║ │
│║ do..he fills his spaces and nothing more. I just ║ │
│║ wish he'd lay off the hi-hat cause he relies on ║ │
│║ it so much as if he's afraid he'll spontaneously ║ │
│║ combust if he stops.....this wouldn't be so much ║ │
│║ of a problem if the cymbals weren't so loud and ║ │
│║ overbearing in the mix at times. Thankfully, ║ │
│║ this doesn't detract too much from the whole ║ │
│║ scheme of things albiet it is a blimish on a ║ │
│║ whole.s ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Back to the vocals again....Fabio Dozzo (who ║ │
│║ should've sang alot more than he did) does sing ║ │
│║ on the last two tracks "Little Red Riding Hood" ║ │
│║ and "Love". His performance is emotive and ║ │
│║ articulated as ever. His voice still makes some ║ │
│║ cringe every time but for me Fabio Dozzo is the ║ │
│║ real singer for Skylark and has been since the ║ │
│║ beginning so why give him so little time on this ║ │
│║ record? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Anyway, "Little Red Riding Hood" is one of the ║ │
│║ best things this disc has to offer. This was ║ │
│║ actually recorded back in 2003 (the track "Love" ║ │
│║ was also)though so it sounds just like it came ║ │
│║ from the Wings album (it was intially supposed ║ │
│║ to be on a part 2 of Wings) and so Carlos played ║ │
│║ the drums since it was before he left the band. ║ │
│║ So every facet of the production for this song ║ │
│║ has the same "classic" feel that Wings had to ║ │
│║ it. But yes..basically, its Skylark doing what ║ │
│║ they do best for 18 minutes. Everything they are ║ │
│║ known for including but not limited to ║ │
│║ expressive vocals, grandoise symphonies, loads ║ │
│║ of piano/harpsichord with a fantasy-themed ║ │
│║ approach. This song is so complex that I don't ║ │
│║ see how they'd remember it all if they played it ║ │
│║ live. Theres 2 seperate choruses and whoknows ║ │
│║ how many little neo-classical keyboard ║ │
│║ interludes in between. Chorus number one (right ║ │
│║ where Fabio starts singing the words "Fly..send ║ │
│║ me a sign..") for this song is simply the most ║ │
│║ intense and dramatic moment that I think I've ║ │
│║ ever heard in rock or metal music. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The production overall for this record is still ║ │
│║ not right. Its really on par with the production ║ │
│║ on Wings except for the drums don't sound like a ║ │
│║ drum machine is playing them and the guitars ║ │
│║ here actually have distortion making this album ║ │
│║ one that actually is of the heavy metal genre. ║ │
│║ It may be light and sugary but its still metal. ║ │
│║ Also, that vocal production is the biggest flaw ║ │
│║ as far as the production goes. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Also, this album does feature quite a fine and ║ │
│║ varied array of moods. And some of this material ║ │
│║ -- (probably more notably the midpaced AOR-based ║ │
│║ rocker "A Rose in Her Hand" and the emotive ║ │
│║ ballad "Love", which, when it picks up at the ║ │
│║ end, almost sounds like a popular emo band would ║ │
│║ play it if it were arranged a bit differently.) ║ │
│║ --will probably increase their fanbase. ║ │
│║ Furthermore, in the context of the same cd ║ │
│║ theres some of the riff heaviest songs they've ║ │
│║ ever done (like "Music" and "I'm the Evil") and ║ │
│║ some of the lightest most accessible material ║ │
│║ also (like "A Rose in her Hand" and "First ║ │
│║ Night") Prettymuch this album is taking a ║ │
│║ stripped down version of Skylark (which at times ║ │
│║ is reminiscent of a "more bottom end and palm ║ │
│║ muting savvy" version of Edenbridge) and piecing ║ │
│║ it together with the beautiful melodic and ║ │
│║ emotive power metal Skylark heard on their first ║ │
│║ few albums. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Also, there is a heightened display of talent ║ │
│║ and virtuism from all Skylark members (except ║ │
│║ for the drums) that really does make this album ║ │
│║ quite a creative and refreshing performance. I ║ │
│║ say well done on another fine record from this ║ │
│║ band. No, this isn't their best album but ║ │
│║ instead another gem in their catelog but I'd ║ │
│║ like to believe this album is a sign of things ║ │
│║ to come and raises my expectations for Skylark ║ │
│║ and that they will soon unleash the Ultimate ║ │
│║ Power Metal album upon this world...they just ║ │
│║ need to fix their production problems. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Kiara - Lead Vocals ║ │
│║ Fabrizio "Pota" Romani - Guitar ║ │
│║ Roberto "Brodo" Potenti - Bass ║ │
│║ Eddy Antonini - Keyboards, Piano, Harpsichord ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Fabio Dozzo - Additional Vocals ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Music [05:56] │
│ 02 - First night [06:21] │
│ 03 - A rose in her hand [03:04] │
│ 04 - Lions are the world [11:35] │
│ 05 - I'm the evil [04:36] │
│ 06 - Moonlight shadow [03:10] │
│ 07 - Little red riding hood [18:07] │
│ 08 - love [05:08] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [57:57 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
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