A Cup of Tea & Biscuits

Heavy metal, or simply metal, is a misunderstood genre. While there is very little of mainstream music I admire or even listen to, metal has been a good friend through my teenage years and has followed me into adulthood.  There is an element of metal music that hits home. It's not just the loudness and the bass and distortions. There is feeling in it, the lyrics are more intense, the music conveys a far deeper meaning. It's not noise. It's larger than that. I'm an 80's child that grew up in the 90's so I know what pop music is supposed to be and I've enjoyed my share of boy bands and solo artists. But most of the artists I like and songs I bobbed to were before my time. They were from the 70's and 80's. I couldn't enjoy a lot of the late 90's music because of the importance given to performance than actual singing or music. It became more about the 'oompf' factor. Metal, on the other hand, goes for the subtle bang. Yes, most to all me...

I never realized how much I liked and appreciated history, ancient and modern world, for a very long time. I hated studying for history tests at school, but the stories stayed with me. I admit that I do not recall dates and periods, but I remember, quite accurately, the happenings and most particulars surrounding it. So when I found a bunch of songs relating these tales, I was positively delighted. The first is an instrumental project - E.S. Posthumus . Brilliant compositions, moving sounds. I've listened to and falled in love with all of their compositions, possibly because they are classical and epic! Tikal  - from their debut album  Unearthed On to power metal and Sabaton , not the foot covering of an armor - I didn't have to look on Wikipedia for that :P, I just happen to know it! - but a Swedish metal group that focuses its musical and songwriting abilities on historical wars. Lyrically they cover the World Wars, but there are some other battles too. From their album The...

Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt Tom & Jerry is an all time favorite cartoon. I have, from a very young age, enjoyed and admired the creativity in each of these shorts that dominated my TV watching. This being a cartoon from the early 1930's there were a lot of classical elements to it, musically speaking, and I was delighted to note that one of my favorite rhapsodies was used in this cartoon! Tom's and Jerry's rivalry takes a musical twist in this one, with Jerry trying to get back at a Tom, a concert pianist, for not letting him sleep in peace in the piano! I love how their rivalry, the need to beat and hurt each other, is integrated into this absolutely beautiful song! Liszt was genius and this is my favorite composition of his - probably because of the cartoon I associate with it, but it's still my favorite and definitely one of the highlights of my childhood!

Ruska by Apocalyptica from Apocalyptica (2005) Again, something that I haven't given thought to, but something that crosses my mind when I'm reading of, listening to or watching some grand departure. I'm not sure I would ban crying, because whatever is said, you do want someone to grieve for you at least a little bit. Because when you lose someone close and important to you, there is a void that gapes in your heart and soul and you know that it cannot be filled. I suppose for me, in this case, I would prefer a song that speaks of that void. The path to its healing come after, but at my funeral I believe I would like to listen to Apocalyptica. This song, whose title means 'autumn leaves' in Finnish, has all of the elements of sorrow and distress oozing out of it. The 'crescendo' always makes my heart wrench, always. It can be interpreted in many ways - like in this video for LOTR. I think it would be apt for me - it personifies my taste in music, my love fo...

Symphony No. 9 in E minor: From the New World by Antonín Dvořák This is probably Dvořák's most famous composition and I'm sure most would've heard it somewhere because it figures significantly in modern repertoire. I've loved the romantic movements of the period so it's rather obvious that I should like this one. I associate this composition with happiness because I think the first time I heard it I was happy about something a friend had told me and I felt my senses being elevated with the surges and drops in this symphony. It has an epic feel to it and yet it soft and soothing enough to allow me to let my feelings unfold. I'm putting up only the 4th Movement 'cause it is my favorite part of the whole composition, but I do love the whole set!