Edenbridge - The Moment is Now

I have been casually listening to Edenbridge for years. They crept into my algorithm a long time ago and they were a welcome addition. Because I have been listening casually to Edenbridge, many of their song titles escape my memory. I know them better for parts of their songs from many a playlist. Only a handful of individual songs have created permanent space in my waking thoughts. Easily “The Moment is Now” stand above the rest, currently, in my thoughts about Edenbridge.

Edenbridge hail from Austria, this is exciting for me, because this is the first time I am rambling about a band from that country. Man, there is so much beauty in the world. The driving force behind Edenbridge appears to be twofold; guitarist and keyboard player Lanvall and trained soprano singer Sabine Edelsbacher. So Edenbridge is tapping into the proud metal tradition of employee a highly trained professional female vocalist to rock the house.

It is a formula that works. As far as I know, it works every time. It worked for Edenbridge; they rock. Edelsbacher is a great singer, and her voice is the flame that burns brightest in an illuminous metal band.

To date, Edenbridge has had eleven studio albums, that averages a new album every other year. A very workman like effort. After producing four albums in five, maybe seven, years, Edenbridge joined the best music producing company in the world Napalm records and recorded their fifth studio album “The Grand Design.” Their 2017 album “The Great Momentum” is the album that holds my favorite track of theirs’ (currently). These two albums pop out to me, for two main reasons. First, “The Grand Design” and “The Great Momentum” are the two albums I am most familiar with by Edenbridge. Second, there is a theme we can project here; just the naming conventions of these two albums share something, “Grand” vs “Great,” but also, perhaps pinnacle moments in the career of the band? As in, with the badass label of Napalm Records a grand design as laid out for what Edenbridge would become going forward? Then eleven years later, the momentum, great that it is, has reached a powerful peak? I do not know, but my mind likes to wander.

Lyrically, “The Moment is Now” is about exactly what the title states, do not wait, act now. Act fast.

“The moment is now for igniting the fire.”

“The moment is now or never.”

Criticism is easy. Creativity is hard. We all struggle with our creative projects, and only the most talented, lucky, and engineered, are professionally successful enough to make their art a career. So, for most of us, through out all time, struggle to find the time and energy. Edenbridge’s “The Moment is Now” is a really good pick up. I relate the artistic side to lack of motivation because the source of the message is from the high art of power metal, so the struggle for them, would be principally creative. Then again, given Edenbridge’s output, I suspect they are masters of finding inspiration.

A reoccurring opinion I see and hear expressed is that Edenbridge is very overlooked. I highly doubt, my little blog on the internet carries any weight, but I agree with the sentiment. To me, Edenbridge, exists in the same vein as Nightwish and Within Temptation. For all I know, Edenbridge is Austria’s answer to those aforementioned bands. A worthy addition to the European power metal scene. A most worthy addition to my playlist. Thank you for existing Edenbridge. Perhaps the album title ties directly into this. Perhaps the great momentum is a surge of creative genius for Edenbridge, and that would ring true at least for a fan like myself.

Now I got to go, I have a bunch of Edenbridge and Dream Evil music I have not listened to yet.

- King of Braves

Dream Evil - The Chosen Ones

I have been busy. Life comes at us hard and I have been up to a lot. Got a new job, and finally bought a car for the first time. Trying to get my finances together after the major purchase and the seven weeks in Europe. I am breathing easier, but all this real-life stuff is getting in the way of my not actually important hobby of blabbing about songs I like into the abyss that is the Internet. I finally have a car. My bank account is growing again. I have finally been to Ireland. I have finally been to Norway. I have finally been to Sweden.

I have finally been to Gothenburg.

Of all the places I visited, Gothenburg was among my favorites. Cork, Limerick, Killarney, and Galway were all great to me, but outside of these locations of my ancient ancestry, Gothenburg was probably my favorite place I visited. The city was beautiful, I loved the zoological and botanical gardens in the massive city park. The bars were great, I found some great little rock and roll places to hang out and meet people. Ah, the people, they are always the best part of traveling, and the people of Gothenburg were beautiful (everyone already knows that Scandinavian people are beautiful), and they rocked, at least the ones I befriended. What a great place. What great people.

Hi Linus.

It is no surprise that Sweden’s second largest city would give us a great number of rock and metal bands. This is my clumsy way of introducing the band of the hour, Dream Evil.

Dream Evil, comes to us from Gothenburg. Started in 1999, when producer and rhythm guitarist Fredrik Nordstrom finally found others to share in his evil dream of a power metal band. A dream worth pursuing.

Perhaps appropriately, I have started listening to Dream Evil via their first album “Dragonslayer,” typically the beginning in the logical place to start. There is no denying that a dark fantasy theme is rife throughout Dream Evil’s music, and certainly in their debut album. The song of theirs that has captured my attention uppermost is “The Chosen Ones.”

“The Chosen Ones” rocks. It is the perfect example of what everyone wants a power metal song to be. Heavy, powerful, bad ass, awesome, fantastic, fantastical, and add your own adjectives as you will. It tells a story, about great warriors, perhaps knights, fighting in many battles and wars, slaying dragons, (as the album title demands) and raising their most noble leader to the seat of king.

“Heroes of the day, legends forever.”

This song would be a-typical, fantasy tropes, which I would never complain about, but Dream Evil lean so hard into the epic nature of their over-the-top tale, it becomes more. More of the same fantasy elements, only intensified to a most satisfying grand journey without end. Sometimes I ponder the lyrics and try to figure out if Nordstrom and his crew are referring to another piece of art telling such a story. I do not know, so like most people I project what I know onto “The Chosen Ones.”

In this complicated life, I have the habit of connecting dots that creatively may have had no influence on each other. It is fun trying to be anthropological with music and arts. And I read a lot. I read a lot of fantasy, and I have recently finished the first three novels in Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. It is this, that I project onto “The Chosen Ones.”

Early on in the first novel of the Stormlight Archive “The Way of Kings,” one of our protagonists, Dalinar, is described as “The Knight who never lied.” Dalinar was already my favorite character in the book, but this description locked it for me. I too, am a knight, who never lied; or at least the closest equivalent the human species can produce within our current zeitgeist. This is no boast, I mean, it is, but I say it with supreme confidence; I am a knight who never lied, and I would have done a lot of what Dalinar did in those books, should I have his talents and have found myself with his life. Including his dark terrible mistakes.

Barbarian and knight, Colin Kelly, King of Braves; I mean, High Prince Dalinar… no, I mean both.

We can avoid spoilers by having me tell you how Dalinar became a High Prince of Alethkar, since that takes place before the events of “The Way of Kings.” Dalinar’s older brother Gavilar, and his best friend Amaram, decide they are going to unite the ten princedoms of Alethkar, and rule them, in the great honour of what once was the Alethkar empire. And they succeed, with a lot of help from Gavilar’s younger brother Dalinar, who must be the greatest warrior to ever live. Dalinar is a barbarian throughout the conquest, but his heart gentles in time, and since the brute never lied about anything his whole life, and refuses to play the stupid game of politics, he is looked down on after the wars, but everyone respects and fears him. Despite his many flaws, Dalinar, virtue of honesty and courage is the only truly honourable person maybe in the whole damn world.

The point is this, Gavilar, Amaram, and our main man Dalinar, they made it happen.

“No more living in fear it’s time to raise our king,
We made it happen we’re the chosen ones.”

That’s where my brain goes when I hear the chorus. Dalinar helping his brother take over the ten princedoms of Alethkar. For me, and presumably only me, “The Chosen Ones” by Dream Evil is about Dalinar and his brother taking over Alethkar.

We all get different joys from the music we enjoy. Often, I like to dream, and let my imagination drift, when listening to power metal. Reminded of all the fantastic stories I have read and will read in time. Dream Evil has connected to me with that in a big way, and they have a bunch of albums I have not heard any songs from yet, so I got that to look forward too.

I just have to find more time to relax. I am not complaining though, the real world demands my attention sometimes, and while I like to visit fantasy worlds, there is no place I would rather live then reality. We got so much good music in the real world. Sweden, and Gothenburg, are in the real world, and I am a big fan.

Until next time,

Rock on Gothenburg.

Rock on Brandon Sanderson.

Rock on Dream Evil.

- King of Braves

Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness

The second show, and third band I saw on the Coca-Cola Stage during the 2023 Calgary Stampede, was none other than Jimmy Eat World.

Jimmy Eat World is probably best remembered for their song “The Middle” which was used for the hit show “Malcolm in the Middle.”

Not me though. Never me though. I like “The Middle” very good song, but I will always be a “Sweetness” kind of guy.

“Whoa oh-oh-oh-oh.”

I was also always a big fan of “Lucky Denver Mint,” but we can touch on that a little more later.

A whole slew of friends and I attended the double feature that was, Death From Above, and, Tegan and Sara; which is fun to say, no matter how many times I describe it. When I went to see Jimmy Eat World, I was joined by one friend, a great friend, but all of them are. Anyway, my friend was a much bigger Jimmy Eat World fan than I was, he had a t-shirt and everything. I realized quickly that I had only really been paying attention to Jimmy Eat World for a limited period of time, and that I had missed the entire content of the past fifteen years or so. They had multiple albums release in that time, and I knew none of it. My friend knew. He was far better prepared for this kick ass concert then I was.

With one exception. I knew “Lucky Denver Mint” and he had forgotten that one. That made me feel at least useful. You know because I need to be useful while enjoying a rock concert with a friend.

So, it turns out, if you are not paying attention for nearly two decades, a band that does not break up will continue to make music, and if they are as good as Jimmy Eat World, they will produce a lot of great music. As a clown pretended to act like he knows things about music on the internet, this is embarrassing. As an ordinary human being, and fan of good rock and roll, this is the greatest thing of all, as it means I have more great music to listen to that I did not know about.

However, somethings are locked in, and can never be changed. I will forever be a “Sweetness” kind of guy.

“Whoa oh-oh-oh-oh.”

Now, if you remember “Sweetness,” from 2001, you need no explanation why this song is such a highly effective catchy song. When in doubt, don’t use lyrics, use a “whoa oh.” Of all the songs that have ever used “whoa” and “oh” as primary lyrics in their chorus, I dare say “Sweetness” by Jimmy Eat World is probably among the very best ever. In pop music this could be considered a cheap trick, but in the case of Jimmy Eat World, I suspect the creative process was something more organic. It just fits really well.

At a casual listen, “Sweetness,” could come across as an excellent party rock song.

“If you’re listening.”

However, if we pause to consider what the “sweetness” is there is more. An even more casual google search reveals to us, that from interview(s) of Jim Adkins, that “sweetness” is the love of another. The concept of the song being, that is you connect all your hopes of happiness onto other people, you will be chasing happiness forever. This is not just a good idea for a popping song, but also solid life advice. It is an unreasonable thing to place your joy in the hands of someone else, it is an unfair burden to place on someone else. Unrequited love is probably the most common kind of love human beings will ever experience. So in reality, you can be sure that more often then not, “the Sweetness will not be concerned with me.”

Also, great rock and roll energy in “Sweetness.” Just a perfect song to rock out to.

“Whoa oh-oh-oh-oh.”

Until next month, keep on rocking in the free world.

- King of Braves

Tegan and Sara - The Cure

One of my very favorite Tegan and Sara songs is “The Cure” from their “Sainthood” album. I have never heard this song live. It is not one of their more well-known songs. But it is probably in my top five favorites of theirs.

“Sainthood” is absolutely Tegan and Sara’s most rock and roll album. Which is why it is my favorite. Which is a crazy thing to say given how near perfect “So Jealous” and “The Con” are. Even, I think I am crazy for liking “Sainthood” more then those two albums.

“The Cure” is a highly emotional song, but saying that, I guess the majority of Tegan and Sara’s songs are deeply emotional. It has a verse that sticks with me as a mantra, as much, or more then “Where Does the Good Go’s” chorus.

“I know the world's been mean to you.
I've got a cure; hold tight.
I know the world's not fair to you.
I've got a cure for its crimes.”

I say this as a mantra all the time. But, for me, the song “The Cure,” is equal parts song and riddle. What is the cure for all the pain Tegan describes in the track?

Like many, maybe even most, Tegan and Sara songs, there are a lot of lyrics implying a broken relationship. Those girls must have had a rough go at love for a long time… no wonder I find their songs so easy to connect with. “The Cure” is loaded with lyrics describing a collapsing relationship. The chorus pretty says exactly that.

“All I dreamed up,
All that seemed like luck,
Seems silly to you now.
All I said to you,
All I did for you,
Seems so silly to me now.”

The songs with the repeating information:

“I’ve got a cure.
I’ve got a cure for you.”

What is the cure? Well I do not believe it is a complicated riddle. The second verse basically tells us:

“I know that bad’s got to fix itself,
Correct over time.
And, I know 'cause I've got the cure.
I've got a cure for your crimes.”

It's time right?

Like, I do not know if that is exactly what Tegan Quin is suggesting in this song, but that is always how I have taken it. The cure for the heartbreak, is time. The cure of all the cruelty and pain is time. The song feels infinitely universally relatable. All our ails, all of them, can be cured in time.

It is the only cure for the world’s crimes.

So, to literally everyone I have ever met, I say to you:

“I know the world's been mean to you.
I've got a cure; hold tight.
I know the world's not fair to you.
I've got a cure for its crimes.”

See why I like that second verse so much?

Stay strong everyone. The cure is time.

Tegan and Sara - Where Does The Good Go

The 2023 Calgary Stampede’s Coca-Cola stage was blessed with a home coming return of our girls, Tegan and Sara. I sure think it was cool of them to do a free show, surely, they are popular enough to have performed at one of the larger venues during the Stampede, this is their hometown, they are popular here. So, a free show is a wonderful gift, and I was very happy to see them again. I believe this was the fifth time I have seen Tegan and Sara live. It was an interesting double feature, Death From Above, and, Tegan and Sara. I can only count four things they have in common, they are both Canadian, duo acts, became established musicians around the same time, and most importantly, both are freaking great.

While I really enjoyed Death From Above, being the more intense fan of Tegan and Sara, I very much enjoyed them. It did not hurt that they played many, perhaps, most, of my favorite songs of theirs. I think it was the second, or perhaps third, song they played was “Where Does the Good Go.”

Sometimes, passage of time, modifies our appreciation of things. Small differences in perspective and memory can cause some songs to become more or less loved in our hearts in time. “Where Does the Good Go” for me, is a song that is endlessly wonderful. This song connected to me when I first heard it, and has only strengthened my appreciation for it.

As it happens sometimes, I will quote a song often enough that the quote becomes part of my casual vernacular, and the line from “Where Does The Good Go” that has accomplished that in my conversation pieces is from the chorus;

“It's love that leaves and breaks,
The seal of always thinking you would be,
Real happy and healthy, strong and calm.
Where does the good go?
Where does the good go?”

It is a good chorus.

Like many before me, on a great number of different songs, I was singing the words to this chorus wrong, in multiple different ways, until I finally figured out the correct lyrics. Mostly, I kept breaking out the adjectives to be applied to two people. As in, you will be happy and healthy, and I will be strong and calm. Perhaps this is my unrelentingly masculine perspective, but a primary goal of any relationship for me is to ensure, that she, is happy and healthy, meanwhile, I must be strong and calm.

“Happy and healthy.”

As a knight, I want to rescue princesses. But, I want to do this, with the hope, the dream, that they will be forever afterward happy and healthy. Drop the metaphor, and a goal I always held in my mind for romantic relationships would be to support my bride to be those two things.

“Strong and calm.”

As a knight, I feel it is extremely important to remain strong and calm. Strong, obviously because dragons need slaying. Calm, because that aids enormously in maintain the honourable codes of chivalry. Again, drop the metaphor, it was always important to me to be those two things. Not just towards woman of my desire, but always professionally, and in everything I do.

Admittedly, I am a lot better at the former than the later. I am always very strong. Sometimes I am a hot head.

That is the linchpin of my perspective, and thus, these two adjectives reoccurring in my verbal expressions. I have re-written, the chorus to where does the good go so many times in my head, that it is funny. We are all guilty of it, singing along to a song with the wrong words. I sang dozens of different versions of this chorus until finally getting it right.

There actually are not many lyrics in “Where Does The Good Go.” The repetition is appropriate, as the statements being made are powerful. Love, and heartbreak, and longing, and wanting, can take things away from us, including the positive characteristics, that make us who we are. We can lose our happiness, and our strengthens. We can lose our kindness.

“Where does the good go?”

As much as plea, as a question.

It has been one of my favorites of Tegan and Sara’s for years. I enjoyed hearing it with an small army of friends.

Thanks again for the free show Tegan and Sara.

- King of Braves

Carolesdaughter - Violent

The misadventures of Colin Kelly continue.

I was on the public transit train and three youths were beginning the early phases of fighting a lone older man. As the vocal threats intensified and the juvenile behavior escalated while the older man repeated his wish to let it go and not resort to fighting, it become apparent to me that this could get ugly without some early intervention, and since I worry a lot about the bystander syndrome, I stepped forward.

Standing between the youths and the older man, I said something to the effect that no one was going to fight on this train. The lead, I guess he was the lead “gang member,” began to threaten me, and on instinct I responded with these exact words:

“Gentlemen, do not make me get violent.”

Trust me, those words were appropriate after what they said to me. Or don’t trust me, I don’t care.

Anyway, my words worked. They silently returned to their seats. Both parties involved exited the train before me, and at different stops, so I can take some comfort in knowing my involvement most likely prevented a physical confrontation.

“Don’t make me get violent.”

I like that. I stole it from a song… because of course I did.

Only now am I beginning to learn much of anything about the identity and existence of Carolesdaughter, all one word, the band, or more probably singer/song writer.

When I randomly happened upon the song “Violent” by Carolesdaughter, it stuck with me. It stuck with me hard.

This earworm, by Carolesdaughter, keeps coming back into my life, and presumably for entirely different reasons then what her lyrics describe. The violence in Carolesdaughter’s “Violent” stems from an escalating fight between former lovers. Diamonds are expensive, so I can respect the extreme importance of sorting out the proper ownership of such a material item. It is a catchy two-minute pop song, with a lot of edge to it. Knowing as little as I do about the young musician, she looks nothing like a pop star. She does not look like anyone other than herself, and I respect that a lot. Art, and music with it, needs outsiders and their perspectives. So, there is some hope that something special is going to come from this young talent.

That fight I stopped on the C-Train, it was not the first time. COVID did something to the City of Calgary, the homeless took over the mass transit centres, because of course they did, they were outside whether they liked it or not, and now all us ordinary people with somewhere to lay our heads and call home, were gone, so they took over. The dark change that happened alongside this was the drug culture intensified. I guess the police just gave up fighting it, but crystal meth, and other drugs I have never even heard of before, begun becoming popular. Try sleeping rough without the assistance of substances? I have never had to, but I easily empathize how that slope could be slipped on. I am not suggesting this has become something as severe as an epidemic or anything, but a problem has arisen.

With the drugs and the painful nature of sleeping rough, fights are breaking out. I don’t watch idol, I intervene. I have no flight mechanism.

Time passes. I am in Europe, and for the first time in fifteen plus years someone decides to get physical with me. I tie him up and set him up for a head and arm throw, once on the ground all I have to do is tighten the headlock and then snap, crackle, pop, and his neck is never the same ever again. I’ve done it before; I can do it again. For all intents and purposes, I tell him, “don’t make me get violent.”

I was rattled by the experience. I knew what to do to. The muscle memory was in full affect, even with alcohol in my veins. Winning that “fight” by destroying that clown’s neck, would have been exciting and satisfying in the moment, but then I would have to live with knowing I wrecked someone permanently, over something stupid; and I do not even fully understand what that something stupid was.

So, like seriously, “don’t make me get violent.”

Once again, I am listening to this song “Violent” by Carolesdaughter. It is such a short simple song, and it is not about hand-to-hand combat, bar fights, or preventing drug fueled hooligans from fighting each other, but it’s chorus really resonates with me.

I try to keep this blog about music, not me, but I have only so much musical insight, so this review is more for me. Sorry Carolesdaughter, you deserve better.

A few facts about me, I grew up fighting any and all bullies who tried anything. I wrestled in high school. My last name is Gaelic for “warrior.” I will be forty years of age in November, when I look back in my life, I can say with absolute certainty that I am a fighter. This is not a brag, but an observation about my personality. If you want to fight, I will fight you, and I will do everything in my power to make you regret it. I am under no illusions that I can win every potential fight in the world, trained combat athletes surely would humble me in a heartbeat, but to the untrained and uninitiated, watch yourselves, you could get yourselves hurt very badly.

I think about it all the time. I overcompensate constantly. I want to be a gentleman, but inside of me is a barbarian. That is never going to change… because I like it. I like the idea of being a violent gentleman. It is my personality.  However... I do not feel very good about hurting people in previous brawls.  Sometimes winning a fight is no victory at all.

So, I am very serious when I say to would be gangsters, and belligerent drunks, “don’t make me get violent.”

I am probably going to die trying to break up a knife fight or something ridiculous.

A variety of intense emotions plague the mind after confrontations like mine, so there is an awful lot on my mind. I mentioned I am a wrestler. I like grappling. I like being in control. That way I can avoid actually hurting someone when I have to fight them. As I right this, I am three days away from attending AEW All In in London. After that silly little “fight” in Copenhagen, I am freaking ready for some professional wrestling, where the goal is to not hurt each other. So, I have a huge massive positive outlet for my current headspace. Looking forward to it.

I am all over the place in this music in review. People do like it when you are topical.

Anyway, thank you Carolesdaughter for the new mantra, “don’t make me get violent.”

- King of Braves

Death From Above - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine

2023 was a good year for the Calgary Stampede Coca-Cola stage. The band line up included several bands I wanted to see, I ended up going three days and seeing four bands.

The first band I saw was Death From Above.

The duo that is Death From Above consists of Jesse F. Keeler on bass and Sebastien Grainger on drums and vocals. My experience with Death From Above is limited to listening to their album “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine” on vinyl numerous times at my friends place. He really liked that album. With that I went into their show at the Coca-Cola stage fairly ignorant, but open minded. Sometimes that is the best way to go to a show, because your mind is open to witness whatever comes. It was a very good show. Helped in no small part that I was accompanied by a healthy number of friends. Several times during the show, I was reminded of the drinks, joints, UFC fights and hockey games that I now associate with Death From Above, whenever they played a song that sounds familiar, which, would presumably be from their 2004 debut album “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine.”

There are not many bands that consist of only two members. There are even fewer that consist of a bass player and drummer. Conventional wisdom is that a musical group should include four basic components: rhythm, accompaniment, melody, and harmony. Conventionally you would use the following instruments in a rock band to satisfy this setup, drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, and rhythm guitar. However, there are no rules that must be followed, ever, especially in rock and roll.

The use of a base guitar for melody is always a bold approach. The four strings will limit the theoretical variety of notes that can be used, compared to the six strings. Bass guitar is designed to hit heavy and hard, so putting that instrument to the front position of your sound will unavoidably result in final product being a heavy hard hitting rock song. This is not a technique that should be implemented thoughtlessly.

The use of drums for the melody… that is insane, and I think that might be what is going on with Death From Above.

I sure hope I am using the terms, melody, harmony, rhythm and accompaniment correctly.

Operating under a level of ignorance on the subject matter, I dare say that I suspect, that Death From Above is led by the drummer Grainger. I have a stronger suspicion that it is a duo creative effort, it is just that Grainger is on vocals, and that usually implies frontman status. Surely, the vocals are the functioning melody, right?

Here is what I really like about Death From Above, look at how I am struggling to explain their sound. I do not know what I am talking about, and I actually really like that I cannot fit them into any sort of conventional design.

Now the hardest part, picking an individual song to talk about. I am only beginning the process of familiarizing myself with Death From Above’s catalogue of songs. At this time, their songs I know best are the ones from the album “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine.” However, my experience with that album being is something of a blur, as I listened to it in it’s entity multiple times, never singling out a single track for dissection. However, I do like the title track.

If nothing else, I like telling me people the name of the album and title track, “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine.” I have been in Europe for the last nineteen days, Norway and Sweden, and everyone I have mentioned to about Death From Above, find the concept of a drummer and bass player duo fascinating, and every time I mention their debut album “You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine,” I get the same reaction, “dude that sounds fucking awesome.”

They are not wrong.

So let’s start with the title track of Death From Above’s debut album and grow from there, since that is pretty much what I am doing right now.

Keep on rocking in the free world.

- King of Braves