Nightwish

Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the original bassist, Sami Vänskä, has been replaced by Marco Hietala, who also took over the male vocalist part; previously male vocal-parts were done by Tuomas or guest singers.

Although Nightwish has been prominent in their home country since the release of their first single, “The Carpenter” (1997) and debut album Angels Fall First, they did not achieve worldwide fame until the release of the albums Oceanborn, Wishmaster and Century Child, which were released in 1998, 2000 and 2002 respectively. Their 2004 album, Once, which has sold more than 1 million copies,led to the broadcast of Nightwish video clips on MTV in the United States and inclusion of their music in US movie soundtracks. Their biggest US hit single, “Wish I Had an Angel” (2004), made it onto three US film soundtracks as a means to promote their North American tour.The band produced three more singles and two music videos for the album, as well as “Sleeping Sun”, from the 2005 “best of” compilation album, Highest Hopes, prior to vocalist Tarja Turunen’s dismissal.

In May 2007, former Alyson Avenue frontwoman, Anette Olzon, was revealed as Tarja Turunen’s replacement, and in the autumn, the band released a new album, Dark Passion Play, which has sold almost 2 million copies, with their big single, "Amaranth", being released one month before. The supporting tour started on October 6, 2007 and ended on September 19, 2009.A new E.P./live album, Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places), was released in March 2009 as a MCD/DVD, and a seventh studio album, titled Imaginaerum, set for release on December 2, 2011.

Nightwish is the third-best-selling band and the third-best-selling musical entity in Finland with sales of over 827,000 certified copies. The group is also the most successful Finnish band abroad with more than 7 million records sold worldwide, and having collected over 60 gold and platinum awards.

Musical style

Nightwish performs symphonic metal with soaring female operatic vocals. Their music has been described as “bombastic heavy, symphonic and cinematic, with keyboards and strings creating a gothic atmosphere”.

The band's music is also known to be complex and layered. Their approach is epic, theatrical and operatic. Critic Chad Bowar notes that the music is "always very melodic with memorable choruses and a lot of hooks." Some would also list Nightwish as heavy metal.

The usage of a female vocalist has become a sort of trademark, though less so since the outbreak of new female fronted metal bands in the mid-2000s with the popularization of bands such as Evanescence, Within Temptation, Leaves' Eyes, and several gothic metal bands mixing female and male vocals, such as Lacuna Coil, Tristania, Epica and the early Within Temptation.

Bassist and vocalist Marco Hietala describes the style of the band's music as "melodic symphonic gothic metal." but this is not a view shared by all members of the group, including band composer Tuomas Holopainen. Nightwish was perceived to shift from their trademark power metal style for a more "commercial" gothic sound on their albums Century Child and Once. The music of Nightwish had been "distinguished by the operatic voice" of soprano Tarja Turunen, a "charismatic frontwoman with a powerful voice". Critics observed that her vocals became less operatic with the release of Once. Following the departure of Tarja Turunen from the group, Nightwish left behind the "signature operatic vocals" of their earlier albums.

While the music of Nightwish is centered around a female lead singer, the band has also featured some male vocals on their albums ever since their debut release Angels Fall First.
This debut album also included "elements of folk music and ambience" that were discarded on their subsequent album Oceanborn.Their 2007 release Dark Passion Play featured a return to folk metal territory with the songs "The Islander" and "Last of the Wilds". 

Line-up

Current members

• Anette Olzon - vocals (2007–present)
• Tuomas Holopainen - keyboards, main songwriter (1996–present)
• Emppu Vuorinen - guitars (1996–present)
• Marco Hietala - bass, vocals (2002–present)
• Jukka Nevalainen - drums, percussion (1997–present)

Former members

• Tarja Turunen - vocals (1996–2005)
• Sami Vänskä - bass (1998–2001)

Discography

• Angels Fall First (1997)
• Oceanborn (1998)
• Wishmaster (2000)
• Century Child (2002)
• Once (2004)
• Dark Passion Play (2007)
• Imaginaerum (2011)

if you want to get the songs from this artist

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock. The band consists of founding members Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass), alongside longtime drummer Chad Smith and recently added guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

The band's original line-up featured guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons, albeit not playing on the debut album, The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Cliff Martinez was the drummer for the first two records, filling in for Irons, and guitarist Jack Sherman played on the first only. Slovak performed on two albums with the band, Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan; he died of a heroin overdose in 1988, resulting in Irons' departure. Former Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro briefly replaced Irons before the band found a permanent replacement in Smith. Guitarist John Frusciante replaced Slovak. The line-up of Flea, Kiedis, Frusciante and Smith was the longest-lasting, and recorded the band's fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth albums, Mother's Milk (1989), Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), Californication (1999), By the Way (2002) and Stadium Arcadium (2006).

Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the group's first commercial success, has sold over 13 million copies. Frusciante grew uncomfortable with the success of the band and left abruptly in 1992, in the middle of the album tour. His use of heroin increased. After recruiting guitarist Arik Marshall to complete the tour, Kiedis, Flea, and Smith employed Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction for their subsequent album, One Hot Minute (1995). Although commercially successful, the album failed to match the critical or popular acclaim of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, selling less than half as well as its predecessor. Navarro left the band shortly after the album's release. Frusciante, fresh out of drug rehabilitation, rejoined the band in 1998 at Flea's request. The reunited quartet returned to the studio to record Californication (1999), which sold 15 million copies—the band's most commercially successful album. That album was followed three years later by By the Way, which was also successful. In 2006, the group released the double album Stadium Arcadium, their first number one album in America. After a world tour, the group went on an extended hiatus. Frusciante announced he was amicably leaving the band to focus on his solo career. Josh Klinghoffer, who had worked both as a sideman for the band on their Stadium Arcadium tour and on Frusciante's solo projects, joined as lead guitarist. The band released their tenth studio album, I'm with You, on August 29th 2011.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have won 7 Grammy Awards. The band has sold over 70 million albums worldwide, charting nine singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 (including three in the Top 10), six number one singles on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and they currently hold the record for most number one singles on the Alternative Songs chart at 12.

 

Musical style

Techniques

The Peppers' musical style is a mix of funk, alternative rock, hard rock and punk rock. The band's influences include Defunkt, Parliament-Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Gang of Four, Bob Marley, Sly and the Family Stone, Ohio Players, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Black Flag, Ornette Coleman, Led Zeppelin, Bad Brains, Fugazi, Fishbone, Marvin Gaye, Billie Holliday, Santana, Elvis Costello, The Stooges, The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Devo, and Miles Davis. Even bands of their own generation were a big inspiration and influence, like Radiohead, Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and Sublime. Flea toured with Thom Yorke, the frontman of Radiohead, in their band called Atoms for Peace.

Kiedis provided multiple vocal styles. His primary approach up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik was spoken verse and "rapping". Complemented with traditional vocals, he helped the band maintain a consistent style.Nevertheless, as the group matured, starting with Californication the group reduced the number of rapped verses. By the Way contained only two rap-driven-verse/melodic chorus form. Kiedis' more recent style was developed through ongoing coaching.

Hillel Slovak's style was strongly based on blues and funk. Slovak was primarily influenced by hard rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix, KISS and Led Zeppelin.His playing method was highly based on improvisation, a style commonly used in funk music. He also was noted for his aggressive playing style; he would often play with such force that his fingers would "come apart." Kiedis observed that his playing evolved during his time away from the group in What Is This?, with Slovak adopting a more fluid style featuring "sultry" elements as opposed to his original hard rock techniques. On The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, Slovak experimented with genres outside of traditional funk music including reggae and speed metal. His guitar riffs would often serve as the basis of the group's songs, with the other members writing their parts to complement his guitar work. His melodic riff featured in the song "Behind the Sun" inspired the group to create "pretty" songs with an emphasis on melody. Kiedis describes the song as "pure Hillel inspiration". Slovak also used a talk box on songs such as "Green Heaven" and "Funky Crime", in which he would sing into a tube while playing to create psychedelic effects.

Frusciante's musical style has evolved over the course of his career. His guitar playing employs melody and emotion rather than virtuosity. Although virtuoso influences can be heard throughout his career, he has said that he often minimizes this. Frusciante brought a more melodic and textured sound to albums such as By the Way, Californication and Stadium Arcadium. This contrasts with his previous abrasive approach in Mother's Milk, as well as his dry, funky and more docile arrangements on Blood Sugar Sex Magik. On Californication and By the Way, Frusciante derived the technique of creating tonal texture through chord patterns from post-punk guitarist Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column, and bands such as Fugazi and The Cure.He originally intended By the Way to be made up of "these punky, rough songs", drawing inspiration from early punk artists such as The Germs and The Damned. However, this was discouraged by producer Rick Rubin, and he instead built upon Californication's melodically-driven style. During the recording of Stadium Arcadium, he moved away from his New Wave influences and concentrated on emulating flashier guitar players such as Hendrix and Van Halen.

Navarro brought an entirely different sound to the band during his tenure, with his style based on heavy metal, progressive rock and psychedelia.

Flea's electric bass style is an amalgamation of funk, psychedelic, punk, and hard rock. The groove-heavy, low-tuned melodies, played through either finger–picking, or slapping, contributed to their signature style. While Flea's slap bass style was prominent in earlier albums, albums after Blood Sugar Sex Magik have more melodic and funk–driven bass lines. He has also used double stops on some newer songs. Flea's bass playing has changed considerably throughout the years. When he joined Fear his technique centered largely around traditional punk rock bass lines, however he was to change this style when the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed. He began to incorporate a "slap" bass style that drew influence largely from Bootsy Collins.Blood Sugar Sex Magik saw a notable shift in style as it featured none of his signature technique but rather styles that focused more on traditional and melodic roots. His intellectual beliefs on how to play the instrument were also altered: "I was trying to play simply on Blood Sugar Sex Magik because I had been playing too much prior to that, so I thought, 'I've really got to chill out and play half as many notes'. When you play less, it's more exciting—there's more room for everything. If I do play something busy, it stands out, instead of the bass being a constant onslaught of notes. Space is good."

Smith blends rock with funk. He mixes funk, rock, metal and jazz to his beats. Influences include Buddy Rich to John Bonham. He brought a different sound to Mother's Milk, playing tight and fast. In Blood Sugar Sex Magik, he displays greater power. He is recognized for his ghost notes, his beats and his fast right foot. MusicRadar put him in sixth place on their list of the "50 Greatest Drummers Of All Time", behind Mike Portnoy, Neil Peart, Keith Moon, Rich and their number one choice, Bonham.

Band members

• Michael "Flea" Balzary – bass, trumpet, piano, keyboards (1983–present)
• Anthony Kiedis – lead vocals (1983–present)
• Chad Smith – drums, percussion (1988–present)
• Josh Klinghoffer – guitar, backing vocals (2009–present)

Discography

• The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)
• Freaky Styley (1985)
• The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)
• Mother's Milk (1989)
• Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
• One Hot Minute (1995)
• Californication (1999)
• By the Way (2002)
• Stadium Arcadium (2006)
• I'm with You (2011)

if you want to get the songs from this artist

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

Keane

Keane are an English alternative rock band from Battle, East Sussex, formed in 1997. The group currently comprises Tim Rice-Oxley (piano, backing vocals), Tom Chaplin (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Hughes (drums, percussion) and Jesse Quin (bass guitar, percussion), who first played with the band in late 2007 during the concerts of the single The Night Sky. Their original line-up included founder and guitarist Dominic Scott, who left in 2001.

Keane achieved mainstream success with the release of their debut album, Hopes and Fears, in 2004. The album won multiple awards and was the second best-selling British album of the year. Their second studio album, Under the Iron Sea, continued the band's success, topping the album charts in the UK and debuting at number-four on the Billboard 200 chart. Their third album, Perfect Symmetry was released in October 2008. In May 2008, both Hopes and Fears (number 13) and Under the Iron Sea (number 8) were voted by readers of Q magazine as among the best British albums ever, with Keane, The Beatles, Oasis and Radiohead the only artists having two albums in the top 20. Their fourth record, Night Train, was released in May 2010, debuting at number 1 on the UK Chart and at number 25 at Billboard 200 US chart.

Keane are known for using a piano (or a synth) as the lead instrument instead of guitars, differentiating them from most other rock bands. The inclusion of a distorted piano effect in 2006 and various synthesisers were a common feature in their music that back then combined the piano rock sound used during their first album and the more electronic sound which developed on the second and third albums. Since the start of their career, the band has sold over 10 million albums worldwide. From their album Perfect Symmetry in 2008, they included the electric guitar, making the sound of the band much more varied, but not leaving aside the traditional piano.

Musical style and themes

Tim Rice-Oxley and Dominic Scott were the main writers of the band's songs during their early years. When Scott left in 2002, Rice-Oxley became the main composer. However, Rice-Oxley credits the rest of the band on all compositions, so that royalties for song credits are shared.

The band has been known as "the band with no guitars", because of its heavily piano-based sound. By using delay and distortion effects on their piano sound, they often create sounds that aren't immediately recognisable as piano. Rice-Oxley said during an interview in Los Angeles that they tend to think piano-related music is boring and what they really wanted to do was try something different. He referred to the piano as an odd instrument to form part of a rock band instrumentation, comparing it to The Beatles' set of instruments. Rice-Oxley's distortion piano has been key to most of Keane's multifaceted style, varying from Hip Hop on "Dirtylicious" to house on "Tyderian".

During their early years most songs were about love or broken relationships (most notably "She Has No Time" and "On a Day Like Today"). However, other themes — including the relationship between Rice-Oxley and Chaplin — have emerged in more recent compositions. Other themes have been explored; for example, "Is It Any Wonder?" and "A Bad Dream" are both about war.More recent themes have included the impact of being a celebrity in "Better Than This" and "Clear Skies" and criticism of religious violence in "Perfect Symmetry"

Keane have cited artists such as Rufus Wainwright, U2, Nick Drake, Blur, Oasis, Depeche Mode, R.E.M., Massive Attack, David Bowie, The Beatles, Paul Simon, Genesis, Radiohead, A-ha, The Cult, Simple Minds, Pet Shop Boys, Queen, Blondie, Talking Heads and Michael Jackson as influences. "I guess it's classic song writing that is the main influence rather than one band in particular - we love people like Nick Drake who can convey so much emotion and write songs and albums that will be loved and cherished for many years - the things that will be in people's record collections for their whole lives."

Members

Current

• Tim Rice-Oxley - piano, keyboards, synthesisers, electric guitar, backing vocals (1997–present)
• Tom Chaplin - lead vocals, organ, piano, lead electric guitar, acoustic guitar (1997–present)
• Richard Hughes - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1997–present)
• Jesse Quin - bass guitar, rhythm guitar, electric guitar, synthesisers, additional percussion, backing vocals (2007–present)

Former

• Dominic Scott - backing vocals, lead electric guitar (1997–2001)

Discography

• Hopes and Fears (2004)
• Under the Iron Sea (2006)
• Perfect Symmetry (2008)
• Night Train (2010)

if you want to get the songs from this artist

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

Within Temptation

Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal/rock band founded in 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt.Their music is described as symphonic metal, although their earlier material, such as Enter, was gothic metal. In an interview, Den Adel said they fell into a symphonic rock genre with various influences. In a later interview with 3VOOR12, Sharon stated that "we consider ourselves more a symphonic rock band ... we are in my opinion no gothic band".

After the release of their first album Enter, the band became prominent in the Dutch underground scene. It was not until 2001 that they became known to the general public, with the single "Ice Queen" from the album Mother Earth, which reached #2 on the Dutch charts. Since then, the band won the Conamus Exportprijsfour years in a row. Their next albums The Silent Force and The Heart of Everything debuted at #1 on the Dutch charts. In 2008, they released a live DVD and CD, Black Symphony, recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. This collection was followed in 2009 with An Acoustic Night at the Theatre.

In 2009, the British DJ/Producer Steve Birch released a single called The Temptation Within, which samples the intro from The Silent Force.

The band's fifth studio album The Unforgiving, was released in March 2011, alongside both a comic book series and a series of short films that together encompass a story. The first single, "Faster", was released on January 21, and the first short film, Mother Maiden, was released on January 31. The band sold more than 3 million copies worldwide.

Lineup

The band's current members are:

• Sharon den Adel – lead vocals (1996–present)
• Robert Westerholt – rhythm guitar, grunts (Studio Only) (1996–present)
• Jeroen van Veen – bass guitar (1996–present)
• Ruud Adrianus Jolie – lead guitar (2001–present)
• Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards (2001–present)
• Mike Coolen – drums (2011–present)
• Stefan Helleblad - Rhythm Guitar (Live Only) (2011-present)

Former members include:

• Michiel Papenhove – lead guitar (1996–2001)
• Martijn Westerholt – keyboards (1996–2001)
• Dennis Leeflang – drums (1996)
• Richard Willemse – drums (1996)
• Ivar de Graaf – drums (1996–1998, 1999–2001)
• Marius van Pyreen – drums (1998)
• Ciro Palma – drums (1998–1999)
• Jelle Bakker – lead guitar (2001)
• Stephen van Haestregt – drums (2002–2010)

 Discography

• Enter (1997)
• Mother Earth (2000)
• The Silent Force (2004)
• The Heart of Everything (2007)
• The Unforgiving (2011)

 

 

 

if you want to get the songs from this artist

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

 

P.O.D.

Payable on Death (stylized as P.O.D.) is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.

They have released seven studio albums and have sold over 10 million records worldwide. Over the course of their career, the band have also received three Grammy Award nominations, contributed to numerous motion picture soundtracks and toured internationally. With their third studio album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, they achieved their initial mainstream success; the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2000. Their following studio album, Satellite, continued the band's success with the hit singles, "Alive" and "Youth of the Nation", pushing it to go triple platinum.

Style and influences

The band's name, Payable on Death (P.O.D.), derives itself from the Christian doctrine that how an individual lives their life on Earth does not determine their eternal destination, but rather that Jesus Christ paid for the sins of people who put their faith in him (from which will come a transformation in their life evident of their stance as a new creation, righteous before God by the blood of Christ). P.O.D.'s style has evolved over the years, from the rap metal sound on their early albums to the nu metal and Reggae infused alternative metal styles for which they're most well known. Their latest album, When Angels & Serpents Dance, is a combination of alternative rock, reggae rock and Latin influenced metal with almost none of the rap metal or nu metal sound of their older releases. P.O.D.'s influences include Santana, Bad Brains, Bob Marley, The Police, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine and Black Sabbath.

 Band members

Current members

• Sonny Sandoval − lead vocals (1992–present)
• Wuv Bernardo − drums, percussion, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1992–present)
• Traa Daniels − bass guitar, backing vocals (1994–present)
• Marcos Curiel − lead guitar, glockenspiel, programming, backing vocals (1992–2003, 2006–present)

Former members

• Gabe Portillo − bass (1992–1994)
• Jason Truby − guitar, backing vocals (2003–2006)

Live/session members

• Tim Pacheco − percussion, keyboard, backing vocals (2005–2006)
• ODZ − second guitar (2005–2006)
• DJ Circa − turntables (1999)
• Mike$ki Degracia − turntables, samples (1996)

Discography

• Snuff the Punk (1994)
• Brown (1996)
• The Fundamental Elements of Southtown (1999)
• Satellite (2001)
• Payable on Death (2003)
• Testify (2006)
• When Angels & Serpents Dance (2008)

if you want to get the songs from this artist

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

Incubus

Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell; both of whom were eventually replaced by bassist Ben Kenney and DJ Kilmore respectively.

Incubus has received both critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching multi-platinum sales, as well as releasing several highly successful singles. The band started branching out creatively and earned mainstream recognition with the release of their 1999 album Make Yourself. In 2001, Incubus became even more successful with the single "Drive" and their follow-up album Morning View. Their sixth studio album, Light Grenades, debuted at No. 1 in 2006 and has received Gold certification in the U.S. Incubus released their first greatest hits album Monuments and Melodies in June 2009, accompanied by a tour of the United States, Japan and Canada. The band recently completed a seventh album, If Not Now, When?, which was released on July 12, 2011.

Musical style

Over the course of their career, Incubus has utilized elements from a variety of genres and styles, including alternative rock, heavy metal, electro, funk, funk metal, jazz, hip hop, nu metal, rap metal, techno and trip hop. With many critics praising the band's ambition, it has also made them difficult to correctly classify. The band has issued a wide variety of instruments into their music, that are not traditionally associated with use in rock music, including a djembe, sitar, didgeridoo, and bongos on many of their earlier tracks and during live performances, and with the use of a pipa (played by Einziger) in the song "Aqueous Transmission". The pipa was lent to the band by guitarist Steve Vai. 

Band members

Current members Brandon Boyd – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion (1991–present) Mike Einziger – lead guitar, piano, backing vocals (1991–present) Jose Pasillas II – drums (1991–present) Chris Kilmore – turntables, keyboards (1998–present) Ben Kenney – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)

Former members Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich – bass guitar (1991–2003) Gavin Koppell – turntables, keyboards (1995–1998)

Discography

Studio albums

• Fungus Amongus (1995)
• S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (1997)
• Make Yourself (1999)
• Morning View (2001)
• A Crow Left of the Murder... (2004)
• Light Grenades (2006)
• If Not Now, When? (2011)

if you want to get the songs from this artist

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD