024: Arjen Lucassen: Metal Opera Giant – Part II
In this episode, we continue our conversation with Arjen Lucassen. Not just the tallest guitar player in the world, Arjen has consolidated his love of movies, music, and the concept of time travel on his newest project, Star One. Not only that, it’s a collaboration-filled project with other great artists as they make music and […]
023: Arjen Lucassen: Metal Opera Giant – Part I
What exactly goes into making an opera metal? Or is it the other way around – do you make metal operatic? Today’s guest is Arjen Lucassen, the mastermind composer, multi-instrument player, and producer of both Ayreon and Star One. Arjen is known, not only for his massive collaborative projects but also for having a knack […]
022: Allen/Olzon: Veteran Duo – Part II
Last week, we began this interview with two incredible artists Russell Allen and Anette Olzon, who have now released two albums together. Interestingly, this episode is the first time they’re meeting face-to-face. Russell and Anette are having fun talking about their love of music and family, and also joking about growing old in the music […]
021: Allen/Olzon: Veteran Duo – Part I
Today’s conversation is made twice the fun as we feature two veteran vocalists, Russell Allen and Annette Olson, who are legends on their own. Russell Allen is known for his work with Symphony X and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Annette Olson is known for her work with Nightwish. Russell and Annette recently collaborated and released […]
020: Will Ramos: Make Weird Noises – Part II
It’s time for yet another episode of healthy screaming with Will Ramos, the lead vocalist of the deathcore band, Lorna Shore. Last week, we looked at how Will Ramos nurtured his voice to sound like a Nazgul. Today, we continue the conversation by talking more about how to NOT mess up your voice while screaming. […]
019: Will Ramos: Make Weird Noises – Part I
Imagine a goblin meeting a Nazgul, and together they decided to sing an epic opera using only harsh vocals. That’s what our guest today, Will Ramos sounds like. Will is the lead harsh vocalist of the deathcore band, Lorna Shore – and the sounds he makes are almost unreal! Many traditional singing teachers would point […]
018: Simone Simons: Life Balance as a Metal Mother – Part II
Last week, we started a conversation with Simone Simons, the lead singer of Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. We discussed how she got into singing and blending classical and contemporary techniques. This week, we continue the conversation as Simone talks about online singing lessons, taking pride in pregnant bellies, what singing felt like after giving […]
017: Simone Simons: Life Balance as a Metal Mother – Part I
Simone Simons may look like a supermodel – she has the blog, photographs, and beauty partnerships to back it up – but she is much more than just the face of the Dutch metal band, Epica. Simone has a voice and a lifestyle to be reckoned with. Simone’s vocals are widely recognized for both their […]
016: Maria Franz: Voice of Our Ancestors – Part II
If you’re a fan of the television series, Vikings, then you’ve most likely already heard the beautiful music created by the folk music band, Heilung. This is the second part of my interview with Heilung’s female lead, Maria Franz. She’s also the lead vocal for two other bands, Euzen and Songleikr. In this episode, Maria […]
015: Maria Franz: Voice of Our Ancestors – Part I
No one knows what music from the Bronze or Iron Ages sounds like, but the musical group Heilung presents a version of what music in that era could have sounded like. Their music is often described as “amplified history” and it evokes something primal in audiences around the world. In this two-part episode, we sit […]