Euro 2012 Rock Off!

With the slight hope built from England’s surprising journey to the quarter-finals it felt all too familiar to see the team crash out yet again at a major tournament. It was worse seeing it done in a way that can only be described as England’s kryptonite…the penalty shootout. But have no fear! Whilst this caused most people to lose interest in Euro 2012, YH World aims to bring back that excitement (well at least for the duration of time it will take you to read this article). Welcome to the Euro 2012 Rock Off, where we will explore what each of the semi-finalists have to offer in the realm of home grown talent. We will be exploring the top two rock/metal bands each country has to offer and why they rock!

Germany

Known for its production of hard rock hits, one of Deutschland’s most notable contributions to the world of music is none other than Rammstein. The eerie, and at times slightly frightening , vocals of lead singer Till Lindemann are widely accepted as being part of the Neue Deutsche Härte scene, a term invented by the press after the release of their debut album Herzeleid. The term is translated to German electronic metal or dance metal, a sub-genre of rock music. Being in existence for over 15 years, the band are veterans of the electronic metal scene and keep loyalties to their home nation by singing majority of their songs in German (something that a lot of European bands neglect in order to ‘make it’ in a much larger market that consists in North America). The band are known for their pyrotechnic live performances guaranteeing fan satisfaction at any gig.

Songs to check out: Sonne, Du Hast and Engel.

Tokio Hotel are another German band breaking out of the rock scene that Rammstein created pure dominance in. However if Rammstein are a bit too full on for your taste then don’t let the look of lead singer Bill Kaulitz fool you, as you may find the soft rock tones of Tokio Hotel more of a treat for your ears. Consisting of identical twins Bill and Tom (even though they couldn’t look any more different) Tokio Hotel mainly sing in English, however with breakout album Scream they released alternative copies, one in English and the other in German, to stay in touch with their native fans. Tokio Hotel have won countless of awards in their 10 year existence ranging from album of the year for Scream as well as best World Stage Performance at the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards, pretty impressive for a band where its members are 22/23 years old. The flamboyant and dark style of lead Bill mixed with his soft vocal styling’s is an element of the band that have made them popular at such a young age and with a new album coming the end of 2012, Tokio Hotel could become even bigger.

Songs to check out: Monsoon, World Behind My Wall and Ready, Set, Go.

Italy

Anyone who has had a music lesson from the age of 10 can tell you that Italy is known for its strong classical music, but there are plenty of rock bands that have emerge from the country in the last decade. Milan metal band Lacuna Coil are one that have found success across Europe and the United States mixing gothic imagery along with gothic type music. A slightly different view of the sun, sea and sand we associate with the beautiful city. Lacuna Coil combine mid-tempo guitar riffs along with shared vocals from Christina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, in which the interchanging sound of female to male (back to female) method works very well. With every release the band adopt a heavier style further cementing their place in the metal genre, a new look to a side of Italy most tourists associate with a Andrea Bocelli like era.

Songs to check out: Heaven’s A Lie, Spellbound and Swamped.

Another band to come out of the Italian Rock/Metal scene are one known as Dark Lunacy, a melodic metal band that have been flying under the radar. Judging by their name it is of no surprise that their songs reflect on issues such as death, loss and mourning and often juxtapose violins and pianos to the sound of electric guitars and heavy drumming. Dark Lunacy have released four studio albums, however their last being the most controversial. Before the release of Weaver of Forgotten, Dark Lunacy went through a radical shake up with all members other than lead singer Mike Lunacy going their separate ways. Of course this came through some scrutiny with existing fans, however the Dark Lunacy doesn’t neglect the elements which made them popular in Northern Italy and are a band that should be a lot more recognised across the world.

Songs to check out: Dolls, Heart of Leningrad and Snowdrifts

Spain

Viva España! Sorry that was too tempting to do and no I didn’t throw my hands in the air at the same time (insert shifty eyes icon). In the Spanish corner are quartet Dark Moor, a neo-classical metal band hailing from Madrid since 1993. Known for its creation of the Flamenco (an extremely popular form of music and dance) Spain do not have a distant history of churning out big rock/metal bands, however it has been on the rise in the modern era. Dark Moor are one main reason for this. In 19 years Dark Moor have released eight studio albums, the first three involving several different members before their departure to create a new band entitled Dreamaker. The existing three found more than satisfying replacements and their 2003 self-titled album proved that hadn’t lost their touch. Dark Moor found international success from their 1999 release Shadowland and then started working with producer Luigi Stefanini, who is the mastermind behind many of their releases.

Song to check out: A New World, The Chariot and Love from the Stone.

Another band found from the home of the Galacticos are Mago De Oz, a heavy metal band that formed in 1989 and arguably became a band that revolutionised rock in Spain. The bands name translates to Wizard Of Oz and are known to incorporate violins and flautists into their hard Celtic type heavy sound. The band were finalists in the Villa de Madrid competition, and just after a year of their debut release they were announced as a Revolution Rock Band by critics alike. Throughout the many years the band have stayed true to their native tongue and continue to release all their material sung in Spanish. This hasn’t handicapped their existence across the sea, as although they may not be a household name they are deservedly respected within the metal music industry.

Songs to check out: Fiesta Pagana, Molinos De Viento and La Costa Del Silencio

Portugal

Most of the time we are told to never judge a book by its cover, however at times people can appear by the certain look they perceive. Moonspell is the latter. Their gothic fashion sense translates to their music as the dark metal tone is apparent in their instrumental sound converged with Fernando Ribeiro’ deep vocals. Much like Mago De Oz, Moonspell have been around since the early 90’s and soon became one of the most recognizable metal bands in Portugal. Moonspell’ influence on its nation was further justified when in 2010 Portuguese Postal Service would release a collection of stamps that celebrated the most significant rock moments in its countries history, which included their first album Wolfheart. Moonspell continue to dominate in their trade with their first double release with new album Alpha Noir/Omega White in April which drew great critic reviews as a band that has not lost their touch.

Songs to check out: Axis Mundi, Alpha Noir and White Skies.

Topping of the line up for Team Portugal comes death metal band Sacred Sin. After receiving rave reviews for their 1992 debut album Darkside, Sacred Sin flew under the radar quickly becoming the first Portuguese band to be played on MTV. The band have five studio albums, along with many member changes, but never failed to neglect their death/black metal sound which has seen them built up quite a fan base over their eleven year existence.

Songs to check out: Suffocate in Torment, Requiem...For Mankind and Evil Has No Boundaries.