User:3family6/sandbox

Kings & Queens is the second studio album by the Canadian Celtic symphonic metal musician Leah, released February 3, 2015, through the Swedish outlet Inner Wound Recordings and Leah's own Ex Cathedra Records. It follows up her 2012 studio debut, Of Earth & Angels. On this release, Leah teamed up with Timo Somers (Delain, Vengeance), Barend Courbois (Vengeance, Blind Guardian), and Sander Zoer (Delain), whom she met during the recording of the Otherworld EP. Two singles were released in advance of the album: "Enter the Highlands", on December 11, 2014, and "This Present Darkness", on January 10, 2015. The album was generally well received by critics, who praised Leah's voice and diversity of influences, as well as the performance by the backing band; but received some criticism for becoming repetitive over the album's fourteen tracks, lacking catchiness, and somewhat burying Leah's voice in the mix in comparison to previous recordings.

Background and recording
Leah McHenry, mononymously known as Leah, is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She released her debut album, Of Earth & Angels, in 2012, then a Christmas EP, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent, that December. A second EP, Otherworld, was released in 2013. Christian Moos mixed that recording in Germany, and during that process heard from Leah that she was working on a new project and looking for musicians for it. Moos introduced her to Timo Somers, a guitarist for Delain and Vengeance. Somers then in turn sought to help her find a bassist and drummer, and he introduced her to his bandmates Barend Courbois (of Vengeance and Blind Guardian) and Sander Zoer (of Delain), respectively. Oliver Phillips of Everon rounded out her backing band. On previous recordings, Leah, in her opinion, was still trying to find her sound, writing what she liked, exploring how heavy that she wanted to go and assessing public reaction. For the project that became Kings & Queens, she knew that she wanted to in a heavier, metal, and more progressive direction. She states that she also wanted to emphasize different aspects of her voice more on the project. She told Metal Storm that "I've always admired people like Devin Townsend who have many different 'voices' that they use for different effects or dramatics, and I aspire to have that ability as well." Her goal for Kings & Queens was to bring out both her "soft 'Enya'" voice and her "mix" voice – a combination of head and chest voice, "and a little bit of operatic style." She also worked in some soul stylings and "R&B runs".

The songwriting process that Leah followed began the same way it had for previous releases. She wrote the core of the songs, working out the chord progressions, lyrics, and melodies. Then she collaborated with Somers and the songs took on more shape. She would email Somers the demos, and would add sample guitars, bass, and drum lines and then he would email them back to her. The files then would be sent back and forth as each worked on them. Somers produced Courbois' and Zoer's bass and drum parts, respectively, in the studio. Christian Moos mixed the album, and the mastering was provided by Eroc.

Release
In advance of Kings & Queens, Leah released two singles from it, "Enter the Highlands", on December 11, 2014, and "This Present Darkness", on January 10, 2015. The album was released digitally on February 3, 2015, through Leah's own Ex Cathedra Records, and on April 10, 2015, on CD through the Swedish label Inner Wound Recordings. Inner Wound Recordings reissued the album on December 15, 2017, as a 300-copy limited-edition vinyl double album.

Reception
Kings & Queens was generally well received by music critics. Steve Burdelak of the website Cross Fire rated the album 7 out 10, calling it a solid piece of work but opining that, at fourteen tracks long, the music becomes too repetitive and familiar, even with the "oriental-inspired" song "Alpha et Omega". Joe Mis of Hardrock Haven rated the album 9 out of 10, summarizing that "There is enough variety and diversity to please even the pickiest of listeners, and the sheer breadth of performance talents and songwriting skills set Leah apart from the crowd." They called "Enter the Highlands" the true apex of the album as its technical performances are "near perfection". William Pezy for the online magazine Lords of Metal rated Kings & Queens 78 out of 100, stating that Leah was able to keep their attention through all fourteen songs, and in a crowded genre it stands out as a good album.

Susan of the webzine Metal Storm rated the album 8.2 out of 10. She described it a as a "grand symphonic opus" and praised the diversity of musical stylings on the recording and the "top notch" performances by the backing band. Their one complaint was the mixing, which they felt somewhat buried Leah's voice compared to previous recordings where it was more prominent. Despite this, they considered Kings & Queens a "jewel of an album." Three other staff members from Metal Storm rated the album 8 out of 10 and the editor-in-chief rated it 6/10.

Rainer Kerber of Rock Castle Franken gave the album a 9 out of 10, considering it a fantastically beautiful album with fourteen tracks that will enchant the listener. They felt that when they immersed themselves in the music, various scenes from The Lord of the Rings came to mind. They highlighted the songs "Arcadia", "Enter the Highlands", "Hourglass", "The Crown", and Leah's acoustic rendition of "Siúil a Rúin".

John Thornburgh of Sonic Cathedral said that Leah's new team of musicians delivered and produced an album that was epic, heavy, and beautiful; they rated the album 8 out of 10. They highlighted three songs which demonstrate Somer's guitar skill: "Enter the Highlands", "Save the World", and "Angel Fell". They did feel that these songs lacked the catchiness of songs that they liked on Of Earth & Angels, but they felt that this catchiness reappears later in the album, particularly on "Heart of Poison" and "Hourglass". Thornburgh considered the nearly eight-minute-long "Palace of Dreams" to be the heart of the album, with its strong guitar and piano and lyrical tie-in to the album title. They also considered "This Present Darkness", "Remnant", and "Siúil a Rúin" to be notable tracks. In addition to Kings and Queens not being as catchy as Of Earth & Angels, Thornburgh criticized the former for its excessive length, running nearly twice as long as its predecessor or The Human Contradiction by Delain. Nevertheless, he believed that Kings & Queens "cements Leah’s reputation as the metal Loreena McKennitt (or Enya)".

Sputnikmusic staff writer Trey rated the album 3.5 out of 5, a designation of "great." Lady Cat of the webzine Stormbringer.at rated the album 3.0 out of 5.0, considering the album nicely done, softened, and ironed-smooth, but also repetitive, too long, and lacking variety. Bianca Riessinger of Metal Inside evaluated the album as technically rock-solid, but excessively long and without any catchy tunes that listeners will remember after they have heard them. Edwin Knip of Rockportal.nl wrote that Kings & Queens contains strong lyrics and good music, and that Leah's voice remains beautiful and calm. Though they felt some songs could have used a more aggressive, sharper-edge voice, but the vocal approach taken by Leah provides something different.

2017 limited edition vinyl pressing
Pressed by MPO (company)

Primary artist

 * Leah McHenry – Vocals, piano, keyboards, songwriting, arrangements

Supporting personnel

 * Timo Somers – Guitar, arrangements, production


 * Barend Courbois – Bass
 * Sander Zoer – Drums, percussion
 * Oliver Philipps – Piano, orchestration
 * Brent McHenry – Orchestration
 * Martin Acosta – Vocal production
 * Christian Moos – Mixing
 * Eroc – Mastering
 * Jan Örkki Yrlund – Album art
 * Ami Beth Photography – Photography
 * Jason Brown – Photography

Vocals recorded at Green Room Studio, Canada; drums recorded at Spacelab Studios, Germany.

Personnel credits adapted from album liner notes.

Background and recording
Leah McHenry, mononymously known as Leah, is a musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She released her debut album, Of Earth & Angels, in 2012, then a Christmas EP, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent, that December. During the recording of Otherworld, Leah reached out to her friend Eric Peterson, a guitarist for Testament, to sing in duet with her on the song "Dreamland". Peterson states that he has known Leah since 2001 and worked with her around 2005 or 2008, but at the time he was too busy to continue collaborating. When Leah contacted him and asked him to sing on the recording, he took her up on the offer. Peterson would collaborate again with Leah for the 2015 single "Winter Sun", and Leah joined his symphonic black metal band Dragonlord for the recording of Dominion (2018). Otherworld was mixed by Christian Moos at Spacelab Studio and mastered by Eroc. Leah states that during the mixing process, she met future frequent collaborators Timo Somers of Delain and Vengeance, Barend Courbois of Vengeance and Blind Guardian, and Sander Zoer of Delain. When Leah told Moos that she was working on another full-length studio project, Moos introduced her to Somers, who then in turn introduced her to his bandmates.

Release and reception
Otherworld was released on December 31, 2013, on Leah's own Ex Cathedra Records. Concurrent with the EP's release, Leah released "Dreamland" as a single. The EP was reissued the following year through Inner Wound Recordings on October 24 in Europe and October 28 in the United States. A limited edition vinyl reissue was then released through Inner Wound on December 15, 2017.

Pacific Prof of Sonic Cathedral rated Otherworld 8 out of 10, and ranked it at No. 6 on their Top 10 list for 2013. They praised Leah's voice as one of the best they had heard in years and highlighted her musical rendition of "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" as the best solo track on the recording. They also praised the final track, stating that Leah gives her best in her duet with Eric Peterson. Trey, a staff writer at Sputnikmusic, rated the EP 3.0 out of 5, a designation of "good". Dimitris Kontogeorgakos at Metal Kaoz said that one's opinion of Otherworld would depend on whether they prefer metal without other styles mixed in, they would want to give the recording a pass, whereas if one likes metal mixed with other music genres, they should take a listen. They focused their review on the EP's single, "Dreamland". Kontogeorgakos considered Leah's vocals a perfect fit for the melodies, but they disliked the production and sound of the song, which they considered too "modern", as well as the atmosphere of the opening before Peterson's segment comes in. They concluded that "the nice guitar-fills barely make this track a must-have, so might as well turn the page and move on to the next one."

Style and lyrics
The music on Otherworld was described by Dimitris Kontogeorgakos of Metal Kaoz as a combination of folk music and heavy metal. Craig Newman of All Access Magazine wrote that the music could be variously categorized as symphonic metal, Celtic metal, folk metal, gothic metal, and gothic rock. Leah's voice was compared to Enya, Moya Brennan, Loreena McKennitt, Hayley Westerna, Liv Kristine, and Sharon Den Adel. "Shores of Your Lies" begins with ocean and rain sound effects, then Leah sings the opening line, the lyrics of which, Sonic Cathderal's Pacific Prof opined, provide a dark, foreboding beginning to the short production. "The Northern Edge" they described as "slicing guitar, dreamy keyboard soundscapes and thundering drums" against Leah's soprano vocals, with soft guitar work near the end. "Surrounded" opens with keyboard and synth effects. "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" is set to keyboards, blowing wind sound effects, and "cinematic" soundscapes, and was described as a sweeping, "Clannad-like" Celtic epic. The melodies on "Dreamland" were described by Dmitris Kontogeorgakos of Metal Kaos as medieval, folk, or Celtic-inspired, contrasted with the "almost symphonic" metal attitude of Peterson's vocals. According to Kontogeorgakos, the song opens slow and mellow, with a dreamy "sweet / fairytale" atmosphere, before Peterson's feature causes the folk side of the song to disappear. Leah herself stated that "my original demo went from having a mellow, Clannad-type feel to now almost dancing on the line of black-metal". Susan, a staff writer for Metal Storm, when interacting with comments on her review for Leah's follow-up studio album, Kings & Queens (2015), said that Kings & Queens continues the style laid down on Otherworld, albeit more textured, intricate, and heavy.

2017 limited edition vinyl pressing
Pressed by MPO (company)

Primary artist

 * Leah McHenry - vocals, synthesizer, piano, songwriting and composition

Supporting personnel

 * Eric Peterson – Featured vocals and lyrics on "Dreamland"
 * Alexander Giles – Bass
 * Sean Lang – Drums, percussion
 * Cameron Smith – Guitar
 * Dave Hughes – Guitar
 * Jeff Caines – Audio engineering
 * Eroc – Mastering
 * Christian "Moschus" Moos – Mixing at Spacelab Studio
 * Ami Beth Photography – Photography
 * Jan Yrland – Artwork, layout

Personnel credits adapted from liner notes and AllMusic 

Background and recording
Leah McHenry, professionally known by the mononym Leah, is from the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. She taught herself piano and joined the band Ashur, which toured locally and released an EP. She also taught herself a limited amount of guitar. By the time she began recording for a debut album, she had written over a hundred songs, and uploaded many of them to her Soundcloud and YouTube channels. From what she had written, she spent weeks narrowing down a selection for the album, pre-producing some demos. According to Leah, the tracks "Say Yes" and "Illusion" were written years before Of Earth & Angels was recorded. "Remember" and "Confess My Love", conversely, were written in a very short amount of time. When writing songs, she first did the piano, synth, and vocals lines, and then the pieces were fleshed out as the rest of the instrumentation was added. Because Leah is a studio artist and not touring, she found backing band members that she wanted for her recording; but she stated in 2013 that if she did go on tour, she had a solid line-up.

Release and reception
Of Earth & Angels was released on June 12, 2012, and Leah performed her first live show in December that year to support her follow-up EP. Lindsay Schoolcraft of Sonic Cathedral gave a highly positive review, rating the album a 10 out of 10, and listed it as No. 1 out of 10 in their list of Best Releases of 2012. T.S. Johnson from Sonic Cathedral listed the album at No. 3 on their Top 10, and Sara Letourneau of the same publication listed it at No. 7. Dave Scott from Rocktopia called the recording "magnificent", and stated that it would be among his top ten albums of 2013, possibly even their top five. Susan from Metal Storm rated the album 8 out of 10, stating that on first listen, they thought it was just good, but upon repeated listens it became one of their favorites for the year. Promonex, another staff member of Metal Storm, rated Of Earth & Angels 7 out of 10. The recording was also voted no. 10 out of 14 in the Symphonic Metal category of Metal Storm's 2012 Best Album of the Year. Trey, a staff writer for Sputnikmusic, rate the album 3.3 out of 5, designating it "great". The album was re-issued on December 15, 2015 through Inner Wound Recordings.

Style and lyrical themes
The genre of Of Earth & Angels was described as symphonic metal and Celtic metal. Rocktopia's Dave Scott wrote that if one wanted a comparison, they would describe the record as "Clannad/Enya meets Delain." Lindsay Schoolcraft, writing for Sonic Cathedral, noted that Leah cites influence from Nightwish, Enya, and Loreena McKennitt, and, according to Schoolcraft, "she blends their aspects well to create her own unique sound". Leah's voice, per Schoolcraft, ranges from ethereal folk to a "belting rock howl". Scott likewise noted Leah's range, as well as her expressiveness, and felt that she is comparable to Sharon den Adel and Elize Ryd. The lyrics of the album were noted for oceanic and sailing themes, which Leah says was unintentional but perhaps influenced by her living near the ocean all her life, plus her interest in the Scottish and Irish history of her family and the imagery that comes with that. Most of lyrics are in English, and "Ex Cathedra" opens with Latin. The title, Of Earth & Angels, refers to the overall content of the songs on the album, which Leah says "is a mix of earthly tales and woes and more inspirational and angelic folklore." Sometimes, according to her, a song might be a specific story, but she prefers to write themes rather than stories as this allows the listener to find a meaning for themselves in the song.

The opening song "Prisoner" was noted for its "bombastic" style, with a "colossal" riff, double-drumming, and numerous arrangements. The keyboard in the chorus was described as having an "Arabic" feel. Scott found the vocals at the opening of "Remember" reminiscent of Enya and noted the blend of guitar and violin. Mid-song, more guitar is brought in and the song becomes a power ballad. "Old World" is a symphonic rock song that consists of a Celtic-infused tune with a chuntering guitar, with fantasy lyrics and an upbeat and folky sound that, according to Schoolcraft, could compete with The Corrs and The Cranberries. "I Fade", the fourth track, was also noted for having a Middle Eastern feel, particularly with the male vocals at the end, as well as implementing sitar and a string quartet. "Ex Cathedra" is an atmospheric gothic rock song with "a thick grinding progression and lots of held vocal notes" and some use of folk harp. Schoolcraft felt that "Ex Cathedra" would fit as part of the soundtrack to The Mists of Avalon. "Ocean" and "A Thousand Years" are ballads, the latter with synth sounds accompanied by piano. "Tragedy & Magic" is driven by acoustic guitar and on this track Leah's voice is folky and earthy. The song then builds to a mid-tempo twist where the guitar comes in explosively. "Confess My Love" features a soulful harp arrangement which flows into the soft verse prior to a guitar riff that then builds to the chorus. "Illusion" has a chiming guitar melody and striking strings which then also are joined by a riff, again building to a chorus.

2017 limited edition vinyl pressing
Pressed by MPO (company)

Primary artist

 * Leah McHenry – vocals, piano, synths, songwriting, liner notes

Supporting personnel

 * David Hughes – Lead and rhythm guitar, sounds
 * Briton Liakakos – Bass
 * Sean Lang – Drums, percussion
 * Martin Acosta – Acoustic guitar, vocals, production engineer
 * Jay Martens – Executive producer, creative consultant, lyrics to "I Fade", vocals on "Mainland"
 * Delwyn Brooks – Mixing engineer
 * Greg Reely – Mastering
 * Brent Nelson – Album cover
 * Dan Tiffany – Logo
 * Ami Beth Photography – Photography
 * Jan Yrlund – Layout for 2015 release on Inner Wound Recordings

Personnel credits adapted from liner notes and AllMusic 

Other Sivion stuff

 * Sources: Sivion bio 1, Cross Rhythms review, Cross Rhythms blurb, Cross Rhythms blurb, Rapzilla, Rapzilla, RapReviews, RapReviews podcast, RapReviews interview, RapReviews mention, AllHipHop interview, interview
 * Sivion's group Phat Kats: Wade-o Radio, BandCamp

Scribbling Idiots
Webpage, JFH data, HHDB entry, JFH review, Wade-O mention, Rapzilla (song link, JustMe and Cas Metah review, another review, and yet another review review), interview, CCM Magazine feature, Jam the Hype song link, Cross Rhythms articles (review,, news, news), Cas Metah website, Radio U mention, brief concert mention, RapReviews review, Tollbooth article (review), review, Sphere of Hip Hop retrospective of albums, another song, member, song, HM Magazine

JustMe
https://holyhiphopdatabase.com/album.php?id=600, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2014/10/interview-justme-scribbling-idiots/, http://www.syntaxrecords.com/podcast/episode-12-justme-of-scribbling-idiots-dirt-of-shadow-of-the-locust/, https://blog.chron.com/jesusmusik/2010/11/scribbling-idiot-justme-pushes-the-envelope-with-tragedy-dope/, http://www.casmetah.com/blog/scribbling-idiots-move-out-prod-theory-hazit/, https://7thboro.com/scribbling-idiots-ft-freddie-bruno-justme-muzeone-jurny-big-griffin-pass-it-neosonic-remix/, http://529atlanta.com/calendar/5728/, https://deadendhiphop.com/scribbling-idiots-good-morning-mourning/, https://amenworldwide.com/music/208, https://jamthehype.com/scribbling-idiots-move-produced-theory-hazit/, https://www.definitionradio.com/Artists/Artist/6ad35692c0764f5cadd5c04a5e9b9b8b, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/justme-mn0002020943/credits, https://www.wuky.org/post/local-music-monday-justin-long-aka-justme#stream/0, https://www.aceweekly.com/event/gigs-a-tribe-called-lex-als-bar/, https://www.facebook.com/TribeCalledLex/, JustMe review, JustMe bio, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2011/08/justme-portrait-of-the-rapper-as-a-real-person-interview/, https://www.hhhdb.com/index.php?id=596, https://killacasmetah.bandcamp.com/track/longevity-ft-ruffian-justme, https://music.apple.com/us/artist/justme/78960106, https://web.archive.org/web/20101226215044/http://www.dasouth.com/interviews/4610-scribbling-idiot-justme-pushes-boundaries-with-qtragedy-a-dopeq

Solseekers
http://www.syntaxrecords.com/artist/solseekers/, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/artists/Solseekers.asp, https://hhhdb.com/artist.php?id=418, https://music.apple.com/us/artist/solseekers/62378472, https://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2003_04_halfway.html

Sev Statik sources

 * Sources: Rapzilla, Cross Rhythms , RapReviews

Falling Tsar
https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Sev_Statik_JustMe_Wonder_Brown_Theory_Hazit/Falling_Tsar/29551/, http://www.platform8470.com/interviews/interview.php?intid=154, http://www.tollbooth.org/2007/reviews/tsar.html, https://www.discogs.com/Falling-Tsar-Falling-Tsar/release/6334686, https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Sev_Statik_JustMe_Wonder_Brown_Theory_Hazit/Falling_Tsar/29551/, https://illect.bandcamp.com/album/falling-tsar, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/FallingTsar.asp, https://www.hhhdb.com/index.php?id=1043

Sinderblock
, https://jamthehype.com/sev-statik-say-peace/, https://rapzilla.com/2012-03-sev-statik-qsay-peaceq/, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/SinderblockEP.asp, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2012/04/sev-statik-vinylcologist-sinderblock-ep-album-review/, https://www.blogtalkradio.com/nylibertyradio/2012/04/04/sev-statik-of-goldtooth-interview, Indie Vision Music blurb

Sophy
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080746/http://www.rapreviews.com/news/View.php?ArticleID=19067, https://rapzilla.com/2013-03-sev-statik-sophy/, https://web.archive.org/web/20131101154409/https://www.indievisionmusic.com/2013/03/24/sev-statik-new-ep-free-download/, https://www.sphereofhiphop.com/2013/03/sev-statik-sophy-ep-album-download/, https://holyculture.net/free-sev-statik-take-it-light/, https://sevstatik.bandcamp.com/album/sophy-ep, https://www.thecomeupshow.com/2013/03/20/mixtape-sev-statik-sophy/, https://www.thecomeupshow.com/2013/05/12/video-sev-statik-ft-animal-cracker-i-believe-dir-lightsource-media/, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/SophyEP.asp,

Ill Harmonics albums
Sources: NRT review, Exclaim!, Cross Rhythms, cMusicWeb, Rap Reviews, Christianity Today (review), CCM Magazine.

Soldiers for Christ

 * Sources: Breathecast, Relevant, SPIN, Rapzilla, Crosswalk,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

P.I.D.

 * Sources: SPIN (same as S.F.C above), LA Times, Frontline bio 1, Frontline bio 2, NewH2O, Philly (deals mainly with other artists), Cross Rhythms on name change, Cross Rhythms blurb, Cross Rhythms review, Cross Rhythms review, Cross Rhythms review

Future Shock
Interview, interview, review, feature, repost from Myspace, review,‎ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/future-shock/62377617, https://rapzilla.com/2015-01-illect-recordings-signs-new-artist-sojourn/, https://rapzilla.com/2007-05-ends-of-the-earth-vol1/, https://rapzilla.com/2008-06-thebreax-two-miles-an-hour/, https://rapzilla.com/2008-06-thebreax-releases-new-music-video-qtwo-miles-an-hourq/, https://rapzilla.com/2010-01-onemind-magazine-a-dasouthcom-founder-richard-qsaveq-douglas-dies-at-age-36/, http://www.syntaxrecords.com/artist/future-shock/, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/future-shock-mn0000244581, https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3651897, https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/JustMe_The_HipHop_Scene_Delivers_One_Mans_Trash_From_A_Scribbling_Idiot/27127/p1/, https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Future_Shock/The_Art_Of_Xenos_Entertaining_Aliens/6084/, https://rapzilla.com/2015-10-top-20-christian-rappers/3/, https://rapzilla.com/2016-09-throwback-thursday-future-shock-phenomenon/, http://www.cmusicweb.com/hiphop/soupthechemist/eargasmicarrangements.shtml, https://jamthehype.com/sojourn-signs-illect-recordings-label/, https://www.hhhdb.com/index.php?id=90, https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/artists/FutureShock.asp, https://urbanfaith.com/project/30yearsofhiphop/.