Edenbridge Interview 2013
May 31, 2013 (via Skype)

It has been well over a decade since Edenbridge first emerged on the symphonic metal scene with their 2000 debut, Sunrise In Eden. Founding members Sabine Edelsbacher and Lanvall have been tested in the crucible of time with both its victories (eight studio albums, massive gigs, etc.) and staggering losses. Perhaps the testing was never more severe than the past two years, when a series of personal losses gave birth to Edenbridge’s upcoming release, The Bonding. The album is not an ode to despair, but rather a reflection on universal energy, birth and renewal, complemented by the 50-plus Klangvereinigung Orchestra of Vienna. Still, you might want to have a hanky available the first time you hear tracks like “Into A Sea Of Souls” and “Death Is Not The End.”

Tristania Interview 2013
May 19, 2013 (via Skype)

Fourteen years after their acclaimed debut, the Norwegian gothic metal pioneers, Tristania, are poised to release their seventh studio album, Darkest White. Tristania have shifted considerably from the sepulchral chill of their early albums to a warmer, more organic feel, due in no small part to the addition of Mariangela Demurtas in 2007 on vocals. Rubicon served as something of a preview of this new direction, with its elaborate harmonies, catchy riffs, and brighter song; however, it was only a foreshadowing of things to come. (After all, Tristania had a nearly total change in their line-up prior to recording Rubicon.) If you liked Rubicon, you will love Darkest White!