Search - Angel :: Woman's Diary: Chapter 1

Douglas Hernandez | 12/18/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am not generally a fan of gothic metal/rock, never have been. However, I must say that Angel's debut album totally blew me away. It is a record full of variety, with different styles of music incorporated which results in a fresh musical journey. While the music is good, it is Angel's absolute emotional and effective vocal delivery that won me over. Her voice is a medium that cannot be faked. Whether it is anger, sorrow or love that she's getting across, you can feel the connection that emanates from heart. The concept of the record, if you can call it like that, is about a girl's memoirs as she's growing up to be a woman. Whether Angel's narrative story is autobiographical is unknown but it's hard to argue the authenticity in the sincere vocal delivery of songs like "Mother" (a very sad number) or "Darkness". The music itself ranges from power-pop ballads, to more gothic rock/metal compositions. Angel's voice capabilities virtually covers all spectrums, she seems to be able to accommodate her voice according to what the mood calls for. For a debut album, Angel and co triumph in establishing an identity and it should be interesting how they grow in the future."

A woman's diary

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 12/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A couple of months ago I came across Angel's debut album "A Woman's Diary-Chapter 1" at my local record store. I didn't buy it at the time but the beautiful album cover of lead singer Helena Michaelson certainly left a long lasting impression on me. Today when I was at the same record store I saw the cd, I listened to a few samples of the cd. It did not take me very long to fall in love with Angel's brand of gothic metal. I immediately bought it. "A Woman's Diary - Chapter 1" is a concept album. The theme of the album is basically the life experiences that a woman might go through. Helena has a beautiful voice that sometimes veers into operatic territory ala Nightwish. The blend of gothic melodies and heavy metal guitar riffs is exquisite. I am reminded of other gothic metal bands like Elis and Midnattsol. The two songs that really stood out for me on the album are the gorgeous power ballads "Mother" and "Glow in the Dark". I don't know if the song "Mother" is based on real life for Helena but if it is, I could hear and feel the heartache in Helena's lyrics. "Darkness" is an odd song that reminded me of Switchblade Symphony. It's not one of my favorite songs on the album but it isn't too terrible. Another great song is the beautiful ballad "Little Girl". The combination of strings and acoustic guitars mixed with Helena's melancholy lyrics simply took my breathe away. If "A Woman's Diary -Chapter 1" is any indication to the potential of the band Angel, then I am looking forward to hearing more from them."

"Are you in heaven now?/Is the rain your tears?"

rocksnstars | Tolland, CT United States | 01/21/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Is it your breath I feel like wind? Is it your warmth I feel from the sun?" These moving excerpts are lyrics from the 6th track, Mother, and like all the lyrics in this work, were written by the vocalist, Helena Michaelsen. I am always looking for new female fronted metal groups (you can't have too many!), which is why I purchased this CD. The problem is that the metal is at a minimum, and Helena does not exhibit any real power in her voice. However, it is very pleasing in a number of beautiful ballads, Mother being one of the best, which are very acceptable entertainment for those "toned down" times. (Please see my profile for a brief discussion of my rating philosophy.)"