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With a well-earned vacation on the outlook, I start to review the first CD after our last printed issue of Metal Maidens. Don’t confuse this CD of ANGEL with the American band ANGEL that had Gregg Giuffria on keyboards and Punky Meadows on guitar. And although this may have some connections to IMPERIA, it’s still a completely different band. The most important member is Helena Iren Michaelsen, who is the lead singer in both ANGEL and IMPERIA. The music of ANGEL however takes a very personal look into the deepest emotions of this beautiful lady singer. She opens her heart completely on these twelve songs, and combines this emotional trip with bombastic sounds, which makes this CD a very passionate masterpiece. It’s less bombastic than IMPERIA and sometimes I get this feeling that she shares a passion for the middle ages as well. A song like “Little Princess” wouldn’t look bad on an album of BLACKMORE’S NIGHT for example. We’ve witnessed a live show of IMPERIA some time ago and that was very emotional. I foresee that the live shows of ANGEL will have an even bigger impact. After all, this is the musical diary of Helena, as the title suggests already. And as everybody probably will know, a diary has its sunny side but it also may contain some black pages of your life, which you’d rather forget about. The band of ANGEL consists of Jan ‘Orkki’ Yrlund (ex-LACRIMOSA, DANCE MACABRE) on guitars, John Stam (ex-MAC 11) on guitar, Gerry Verstreken (ex-MANIC MOVEMENT) on bass, Steve Wolz (ex-BETHLEHEM) on drums and Audun Gronnestad on orchestrations. All vocal outings are done by the magnificent Helena Iren Michaelsen herself. To call this metal would go much too far. The music is a mix of pop, gothic, wave and rock, but at a time where there are hardly any bounds, it doesn’t look strange to review this for a metal website. Especially considering the high quality music, that is played on this album. In fact, you may think that you are dealing with an angel here, but when you take a good look at Helena, she’s more like a hungry wolf in sheeps clothing with devil horns on her head. Highlights on the album for me are: “Lead You Through Fire”, “Flames Of Desire” and the KATE BUSH-like and very spooky sounding “Darkness”. Website: http://www.helena-michaelsen.com. [8 points] (Toine van Poorten) www.metalmaidens.com |
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