So I'm in a good mood.

Well, I had an idea what I was going to blog about today, and it wasn't a particularly happy one. But I just started playing some music and now I'm in a pretty good mood. So I shant risk losing my mood, that blog can wait.


Onto the topic of music. It pretty much runs my life, dictates my mood (or adds to it) and serves as a best friend when I don't have one or they have gone overseas for extended periods of time (bitch). So I am going to blog about my favourite bands, say why I like them and suggest songs to listen to by them. I might even do the legwork and stick in the youtube links to the songs I like. I don't particularly mind if you listen to any of them, but if you do, let me know what you thought.


Here we go. So I'm gonna split the bands up into genres (these will be VERY rough genres so please don't bitch and moan if I've put something in what you think is the wrong genre.) just so that I have a rough structure. 
I may stop after the first genre and turn this into a series if I get too tired to finish it all now. 


Hmm. Half of me wants to do symphonic metal first. Other half says ''leave the best to last''. 
Nah, I'll do it now.


SYMPHONIC METAL


Within Temptation: 
Anyone who knows me to any extent will know I was gonna put this band if not at top spot, in the top 3. I am extremely happy to say I am travelling down to London to see them live next March. I own all of their albums, including that difficult-to-find-at-a-manageable-price version of The Heart of Everything that has the bonus DVD and 4 bonus songs. I love that their albums are all very different. If you were to listen to them all, all the way through in order, you could see clearly how the band has developed their sound from ''Enter'' to ''The Heart Of Everything''. Even your most favourite band is going to get boring if they churn out 6 albums that sound exactly the same. Obviously no band is perfect, I'll admit that some elements of some of their songs do sound similar. Anyhoo, for those interested I suggest looking up The Cross, Never-Ending Story, Blooded and Aquarius. 
I just found a few songs I've never heard by Within Temptation. Happy camper :')


Delain:
Again, another band that were always going to come top. I have seen them live this year, and am going to see them live again next year. I have been in love with their vocalist, Charlotte Wessels, since I heard their collaboration song No Compliance with Sharon Den Adel of Within Temptation (hence how I found them). Fell in love with them after reaching the song See me in Shadow from that video (for the version of it that is a duet with Liv Kristine [Leaves' Eyes] click here) because of the pure emotion in it. If you're wondering why all the collaborations, it's because Delain started off as a project band- with the only firm members being Charlotte Wessels [vocals] and Martijn Westerholt [keys] and the rest of the parts being filled by guest members from different bands. The popularity of their first album demanded a tour and for that hey needed touring members. They are now a band with their feet firmly on the ladder to more widespread popularity (but I will be one of the people who say ''I knew them before they were famous'' cause I'm sad like that). Their second album April Rain brought yet more fantastic tracks such as it's title track, ''fortune smiles on you / you're not watching / create your own faith'' and Start Swimming.
With Delain, I would urge y'all to click at least one of these links then explore youtube for all of Delain's songs. Chances are you'll find at least one you like.


(Andrew, remind me what time I started this? Cause it's now 5 to midnight...)


Epica:
This band (oh Simone Simons, how I love thee...but not as much as Charlotte) is different to both Within Temptation and Delain (yes, I'm aware that those two are extremely similar) in that they are much heavier, their vocals are much more heavily operatic and they rely much more on elaborate orchestrations than the other two. I do not own all of their material, simply because their first two albums (Consign to Oblivion and The Phantom Agony) are simply too expensive for a poor student like me to buy (*cough* Christmas presents *cough*). I was introduced to them through their album The Divine Conspiracy. This was an impulse buy because I'd heard they were ''vaguely like Within Temptation'' and it had a pretty awesome album cover (find it here, then guess why I liked it so much :3). It was a bloody expensive impulse buy too, at £16 it took over half my EMA and I am a stingy person. Still not fully certain why I was willing to just grab it and buy it without taking a second to think ''SIXTEEN POUND ZOEH!''. Their guitarist, Ad Sluijter also featured on Delain's song Frozen. This is where it gets complicated. Scuse meh while I go find a specific video for this next link. This video actually features the first two songs from The Divine Conspiracy but they absolutely MUST be listened to together for that absolutely beautiful transition between the songs. Songs I heartily recommend are Unleashed and Burn to a Cinder of Design Your Universe and Safeguard to Paradise of The Divine Conspiracy.


And finally...
Stream of Passion:
I'm not even gonna rant about these guys. Their music will tell you what you need to know.
Passion - I once described this song as delicious. Nerdy, but appropriate.
Haunted - I've had this song stuck in my head all day. Simply beautiful.
Embrace the Storm - <3 <3 <3
Calliopeia - That first 10 seconds...
When You Hurt Me the Most - deserves a link purely because of my epic lyric misinterpretation... you'll see.
Games We Play - ''How have I let you down / what do you mean? / You can't just take the pain / in all that you see / and blame me for it'' this helped me with a lot of anger at one point this year.
Street Spirit - Originally by Radiohead yes, but a fantastic cover. 


A final finally...
Achilla: 
Unfortunately there's not that much I can say/link you to about the band because all there is on youtube are live performances that are badly recorded because they have not yet brought out their first album. I discovered them having found the song Arashi on a free CD from Metal Hammer and listening to it after finding out the wee supporting Delain last March. They are excellent. You can find their music here. Yes, also a band I will be showing off that I have seen live before they were famous. Eagerly awaiting the release of their album!




Hell, I know none of you will listen to any of these even though I've made it painfully simple for all of you. But should anyone decide they will listen to the music, tell me what you listened to and what you thought of it. 
Either down there                  or on my Facebook page.
                                 VVVVVVV


Toodles!