"Amaranth" by Nightwish from Dark Passion Play

"Tears of snow-white sorrow…"

Not many bands produce dark songs with upbeat music and tones. Nightwish combines an almost-light pretty pop tone with some dark symphonic and gothic-influenced undertones. The symbolism in "Amaranth" and the music video confuse many viewers, but at least the video stems from the picture "Wounded Angel" by Hugo Simberg.

The "Amaranth" video interprets the picture (two boys carrying a blindfolded sitting angel on a stretcher) as the boys finding the girl unconscious, her eyes bleeding. They bind her eyes and carry her home to treat her, but in the process they pass by the elderly neighbors who see the angel. The neighbors become a mob who swarm the house, drag the boys away, and set the house on fire with the trapped angel inside. The angel escapes up to heaven.

"Amaranth" and I think the angel symbolize eternity in the song, so I think the song's talking about how some people welcome the idea of eternity and some seek to destroy it when it doesn't conform to their expectations. Some people believe "but what [they] see", it says. But some "dare" to go beyond. (Not that any of this is really clear without the video.)

You might think that pop rock added to Nightwish's symphonic metal would sound strange, but the band melds it so it flows naturally. None of it feels out of place.

Anette Olzon reminds me of a mix between Amy Lee and Charlotte Wessels in "Amaranth". Sometimes she sounds comparable to one, sometimes the other. But she does have her own sound that's definitely different than that of Nightwish's old singer, Tarja Turunen.

Overall, it's a fun pop rock song with some metal aspects and more thoughtful lyrics than most bands produce.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 9/10

"Love Song Requiem" by Trading Yesterday from The Beauty and the Tragedy

Every so often on my random song searches for something to review, I'll find something surprising. In this case, it's a Christian emo band in the original "emotionally-charged" sense of emo.

Started in 2004 by David Hodges, formerly a keyboarder in Evanescence, the members of Trading Yesterday self-produced The Beauty and the Tragedy in 2004. Demand surpassed supply, so they rereleased it for exclusive selling through their website.

If "Love Song Requiem" well represents the rest of the CD, I can hear why they're popular. It's a soothing meld of piano with other echoing things in a way that actually reminds me of Enya despite the male vocals. For Christian music, it's a bit better done than most, but I still don't remember any of it after listening to the song besides the overall feel.

The vocals remind me of Jars of Clay. I wouldn't call it a Jars of Clay wannabe, but if you liked that band's first CD and its more soothing songs I suspect you'll like the sound of "Love Song Requiem".

Lyricwise, I personally find the song uncomfortably vague. The confused tone may be part of the point, since love (and infatuations) are so confusing, but it seems that for some reason he cannot have the girl he longs for. ("She belongs to fairytales that I could never be"). In the least, some line's been crossed or has been neared that shouldn't have been.

(Note that the band has recently—in August—changed their name to The Age of Information and had a bit of turnover in members and sound, as demonstrated in the EP Everything Is Broken that they released last month. Nonetheless, you can still find this song on the band's previous MySpace page.)

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 7/10

"Good Riddence (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day from Nimrod

If my brother's in Mom's car when Green Day comes on, I have to resign myself to not hearing it. He complains till Mom changes the station; and if Mom doesn't to tease him, I still don't get to hear much over his whines and groans. While I can hear why someone might find the band's sound annoying, I can also hear why they're one of a friend's favorite bands.

"Good Riddence (Time of Your Life)" was an experiment as a pop ballad. The guitar, accented by violin, reminds me some of Jars of Clay's "Art in Me", or at least Jars of Clay's musical style in their original CD. It's a very pleasing, soothing sound.

Billy Joe Armstrong provides vocals that you'll likely either hate or appreciate. Like Flyleaf's Lacey Mosley, he sings in an unusual style that accents his band's distinct sound. You've probably heard it at some point; Green Day's been around since I was a toddler.

As one of the less psychotic songs by Green Day—to borrow an adjective some of my friends use to describe the band—"Good Riddence (Time of Your Life)" speaks of how situations suddenly crop up in life that require change. The band's language is clean in this song—for once—though parents might not want their younger children exposed to the imagery of "tatoos of memories and dead skin on trial".

It's a soothing song with an interesting encouragement to make the most of the opportunities for change.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"My Immortal" by Evanescence from Fallen

Two versions exist to this song. Those who've heard and disliked the other album single "Bring Me to Life" have often been surprised to learn that this is the same artist, particularly for the regular piano-violin version.

The band version (Fallen's bonus track) climaxes with the addition of drums, cymbals, and electric guitar. You may not recognize this song when it's spoken of, but chances are you'll recognize the song the instant someone starts playing the piano part on the radio.

Different people prefer different versions, though I personally perfer the band version. It sounds better mixed, and Amy Lee's voice is less "fuzzy."

"I'm so tired of being here… suppressed by all these childish fears…" but Amy Lee sadly still can't seem to get past her little sister's death. "My Immortal" and "Hello" are Fallen's tribute to that sister.

The lyrics are clean, like much (though not all) of Evanescence, without a blaspheme or curse. The song laments a loved one's death and the song narrator's inability to get past it. "My Immortal" was meant to refer to Amy Lee's sister, true, but it's written in such a way that it's more universally applicable, as well, which I believe is part of its power.

Amy Lee's voice is at top (digitalized?) quality, at least in the band version of "My Immortal". (I'm not sure if I want to hear her voice live, after the live version of "Going Under" I heard from Anywhere But Home.) "My Immortal" is a pleasing song to hear, but…

I'm still convinced that similar-styled rock ballad beauties like "Eva" by Nightwish and "See Me in Shadow" by Delain are better.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"End of All Hope" by Nightwish from Century Child

The title "End of All Hope" sounds familiar, so I click on the song in curiosity. "Is this—the end of—all hope?!" I jerk in my seat, pulse skyrocketing from the hectic beat and clipped chorus. You would think that I'd know to be careful with Nightwish by now. (I promise I won't always review so many Nightwish songs.)

The beat in itself is done as a form of music, with more added. It's unapologetically synthetic in its almost techno declaration of apocalypse. The chorus can be followed without much trouble, but much of the verses of the song is hard to follow from the intentional emphasis.

Nightwish as usual manages to produce lyrics able to give the Christian pause. The narrator has lost innocence and faith, a common premise with what I've heard of Nightwish, and not only from Century Child. The narrator of "End of All Hope" might be suggesting that having "This life unforgiven" "is the birth of all hope", a distinctly unappealing premise. "It will end with a birth" doesn't seem to fit in that, though, so I am again confused.

Beyond that, the lyrics of "End of All Hope" are clean, using metaphor instead of the crass language some artists resort to. Tarja Turunen's operatic voice particularly suits the apocalyptic tone of this compelling song from Century Child.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocalist(s): 5/5
Overall: 8/10

"Hello" by Evanescence from Fallen

Those who like Evanescence's hit "My Immortal" will likely enjoy the sound of this soft lament for Amy Lee's lost baby sister and her struggle to come to terms with it.

"Has no one told you she's not breathing? Hello?!" she asks. Her sister is missing from life, where she should be, and one seems to realize it. She might tell others she's fine, but "I'm the lie, living for you so you can hide… Don't cry." If you're not disturbed by someone's obvious lingering scars from a sibling's death, you'll likely enjoy this song and its clean lyrics.

The piano is lovely, that element alone making it one of Evanescence's best on the music. A slightly "wet" (echoing) quality further encourages the image of emptiness developed in the song, with accents of the type of sound that make "Haunted" sound so much like the ghost story it is. The accents are just enough to give the imagery that someone's likely died without making you feel like someone's physical ghost is supposed to be present.

Amy Lee has an excellent voice (on this album), and she uses it well in this lament for her baby sister. "Hello! I'm still here—all that's left of yesterday…"

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 9/10

"Headstrong" by Trapt from Trapt

"Headstrong to take on anyone" probably best personifies punk rock, music aiming for shock effect with foul language and such. Trapt has a "clean" version of the CD, but evidently even that isn't properly edited. The band limits its cussing in "Headstrong" to shit, but it's still cussing… why? There are other ways to express that someone's "full of sh—", and their choice to use the uneccesary direct cuss distinctly lowers their quality, in my opinion.

Trapt at least admits its anti-convention mindset with the implications in the lyrics. In essence, they say they know where you stand. "Back off; I'll take you on!" "This is not where you belong." They'll take you on for countering them. Most people live in a fantasy world, and they're the ones who see it properly. (Hey, at least you can get a chuckle.)

On the music level, it's rock with a bit of rap, something like the chorus of Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" but of lower quality and with cussing. Ironic that a song that did as well as "Headstrong" can be interpreted as insulting its listeners.

That brings us to the vocalist, Chris Brown, who reputedly can't sing too well in person and therefore probably has cleaned up the recording on his albums. And the screaming wasn't necessary to suit the song. No offense intended to any heavy or black metal fans reading this, but I don't find either a legitimate form of singing. Rap is debatable. Trapt does at least manage to make the rap quasi-singing in "Headstrong".

The song's still catchy, but it would be a lot better if someone else sang it—and without the cuss.

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Lyrics: 2/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 3/5
Overall: 5/10

"The Truth Beneath the Rose" by Within Temptation from The Heart of Everything

"Forgive me my sins!" may be grammatically incorrect with the strong type, but it's the best written way I know to express the plea you have to hear to fully appreciate. Some songs should be heard by anyone at least once just so they can appreciate it on any one of its artistic levels. Within Temptation's "The Truth Beneath the Rose" from The Heart of Everything is one of those.

"Pray with me, for I have lost my faith in holy wars!" pleads Sharon Den Adel as narrator of the song. Jaded by the "cruelty of the beast" within her, evidently released by the Crusades, the narrator struggles with the faith because of the violence it presumably requires. She's not giving up entirely, though; she wants the truth. "Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?" she asks in the line that provides the song with its name.

Bells put a medieval aura from the beginning of "The Truth Beneath the Rose." The rock element starts with a tone that brings marching to mind without being directly martial. This long song on The Heart of Everything provides an astonishing meld of music in its gothic rock. "The Truth Beneath the Rose" is notably longer than most songs, though, so some might not want to sit and listen to it for 7 minutes straight.

This latest CD from Within Temptation, The Heart of Everything, takes full advantage of Sharon Den Adel's variable voice. She sings beautifully, the power of the words and emotions to the song pounding through. Sharon Den Adel has admitted she thinks her good imagination helps her get into the songs, and I have to agree.

The Heart of Everything, will be released in the United States this July, providing the US its first official exposure to Within Temptation, and "The Truth Beneath the Rose" is one of the several excellent songs on that CD.

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Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Vocalist(s): 5/5
Overall: 10/10

"Ever Dream" by Nightwish from Century Child

Pity I don't know more about music genres; "Ever Dream" is a fun song to classify. It has a definite foundation that I understand as power metal, but above that is something else entirely. It's not just Tarja Turunen's operatic voice that appears again in Century Child, producing a love/hate response in listeners. I'm tempted to call the song "Ever Dream" something comparable to Evanescence's "My Immortal" (band version) meets power metal.

The music to "Ever Dream" is easily among the best I've heard from Nightwish, not that I've heard too many of their songs, but it's certainly better than the music element of even the hit "She Is My Sin". Of the Nightwish songs I've heard so far, "Ever Dream" and "Nemo" rank as my favorites on a purely musical level.

On a lyrical level, however, "Ever Dream" is another story entirely. "Give in for my touch, for my taste, for my lust," Tarja Turunen sings. No, thank you, and I think I'll keep my brother away from you, pretty lady. If "yours I truly wish to be," then why does the narrator seem to be speaking of a one-night fling? Maybe I'm misunderstanding it, but I don't think so. At least it's more oblique than explicit.

Sadly, the "eh" lyrics dramatically lower the quality of an otherwise lovely song.

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 5/5
Vocalist(s): 5/5
Overall: 6/10

"Anywhere" by Evanescence from Anywhere But Home

"I have dreamt of a" song that's better than this one, though "Anywhere" is certainly beautiful as the narrator asserts that the twosome can only love each other somewhere else free of deterrents (like their station and others' prejudices, from my impression). It's a pretty cliché addition to Evanescence's song listing on Anywhere But Home.

The lyrics themselves go a bit beyond such songs as Fefe Dobson's "Take Me Away" by mimicking a discussion instead of the demands that narrator makes of her love interest. The lyrics are still cliché, though they like those of "Take Me Away" don't swear, cuss, blaspheme, or have inappropriate topics.

"Anywhere" demonstrates the fetching voice of Amy Lee many call the soul of Evanescence—or at least they did before Evanescence lost it in The Open Door. Now they realize how big a part the songwriter played, who left the band after the production of Anywhere But Home.

The music of "Anywhere" is more than just a beat, with only somewhat stock music. "Anywhere" is one of the band's softer songs, like the hit "My Immortal". It's not Evanescence at its best, but it's not the band at its worst, either. Anywhere But Home was mainly a release of live versions of Fallen's songs, from what I understand, so maybe Evanescence wasn't too worried about the new songs on the CD.

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Lyrics: 3/5
Music: 4/5
Vocalist(s): 5/5
Overall: 7/10