Stronghold

Product Description
Hailing from Germany's industrial heartland, SITD can be counted amongst the most acclaimed new projects of the present European club scene. Their first two EPs soared to the top of Germany's alternative charts. The apocalyptical electro hymns give this release an air of diversity and thrill between the heaven of despair and the hell of hope.

Stronghold,SITD,Metropolis Records,Dance Music,Electronic,Pop

Average customer rating:

Stronghold Live Magnum Manufacturer: Castle ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Princess Alice & the Broken Arrow Snakes & Arrows Rock Art Kingdom of Madness ASIN: B000EMSTWK Release Date: 2006-04-11

Album Description

It seemed like the end of the road when Magnum announced their final tour in 1996. Fortunately, they couldn't resist the temptation to reform six years later. But this document of what was supposed to be their swansong remains a landmark in British rock history and in this remastered edition, it sounds better than ever. 23 tracks in all. 2 CD's. Castle.

Average customer rating: NOT Tolkien metal Some of the best Atmospheric Black Metal there is. Metal Masterpiece Beautiful & Epic Tolkien Metal Where Hope and Daylight Die

Stronghold Summoning Manufacturer: Napalm ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame Oath Bound Dol Guldur Minas Morgul Nightshade Forest ASIN: B00004TDNQ Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

1. Rhun
2. Long Lost To Where No Pathman Goes
3. The Glory Disappears
4. Like Some Snow-White Marble Enes
5. Where Hope Und Daylight Die
6. The Rotting Horse On The Deadly Ground
7. The Shadow Lies Frozen On The Hills
8. The Loud Music Of The Sky
9. U Distant Flame Before The Sun

Customer Reviews:

NOT Tolkien metal.......2005-12-18

This album is a very well produced attempt by Summoning to break away from their well established connection with Tolkien(the main reason I started listening to them), so if you're looking for something which is in tune with Middle-Earth, look elsewhere; this album is based upon the poetry of Robert Frost. The album is about the same as their others instrumentally, but the lyrics(my main concern) derive wildly from their previous masterpieces. Good attempt, Summoning, but at this point your most loyal fanbase is made up of Tolkienites. Don't ruin it.

Some of the best Atmospheric Black Metal there is........2005-11-28

This might be quite similar to my review of "Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame." A lot of the same things apply, but that doesn't mean the album sounds the same. Summoning's albums are so addicting to me for some reason. I am not really a fan of Tolkien, but that is who inspires this amazing band and gives them the medieval/fantasy setting in their music, thus their uniqueness and greatness. Even though the instruments are mostly synthesized or keyboard sounds, it doesn't matter. It's perfect like this. Summoning isn't anything close to traditional Black Metal. They have managed to become sort of a "calm and atmospheric" black metal. The songs are kind of slow-paced and quite symphonic, but they manage to give me such an adrenaline rush sometimes without being too aggressive. There are still heavy guitars and black metal style vocals, but it's just different. You'll know when you hear it. Some people might think the music is a bit too repetitive, but I like it like that, in this case. I think it makes more of an atmosphere, and also the parts are so good, you want them to be long anyway... it's the same situation as Agalloch. (another great band to check out if you haven't already)

As for the "fantasy" thing, this band is anything but cheesy or power-metallish. It consists of very harsh guitars, with keyboards and ambient parts added in, and relatively "calm" screeching vocals. As much of an oxymoron as that may sound, trust me it makes sense.

I really can't decide where this lies in my top summoning albums. It's probably my second favorite to Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame.

"Khun" is a short intro, starting off with some distant, majestic drumming, quietly adding a few other instruments, giving the feel of a dark, medieval day. The next song "Long Lost to Where No Pathway Goes" starts off with another dark, dingy melody and quickly introduces the guitar riff you'll be hearing on and off the next 7 minutes. The distant, eerie screeching vocals emerge before too long. The "chorus" for this song is a bit heavier yet still a slow pace. It sounds like a dark, creepy dungeon with no way out. There are plentiful keyboards underlying everything which are sometimes hard to notice until they are by themselves. "The Glory Disappears" sounds a bit more... uplifting I suppose, maybe "majestic" is a better word.

My favorite song is probably "Like Some Snow-White Marble Eyes," starting with a calm keyboard melody painting an atmosphere of a snow-white day in medieval times; quickly adding in the heaviness like a brutal battle erupts across the field. The same melody continues on through the heaviness and the soft keyboard melody is revisited a few times in interludes where I picture a great hero slowly falling in the battle. There are also a few extended instrumental portions of the song.

"Where Hope and Daylight Die" is heavy on the percussion and a bit darker of a song with creepy operatic female vocals, giving tinge of a gothic type feel. It goes well with the rest of the album however and is a nice track thrown in for a little variety. "The Rotting Horse on the Deadly Ground" contains some synth'd horns, and actually has vocals harsher than most songs, almost frightening. This song switches to and from the calm atmospheric parts very suddenly. "The Shadow Lies Frozen on the Hills" certainly has some interesting melodies and contrast between harsh and calm.

"The Loud Music of the Sky" is actually not loud at all; it is a mostly atmospheric instrumental. It's probably the song with the longest and most calmer sections, but the harsh vocals and guitars can still be found. "A Distant Flame Before the Sun" is quite varied and actually uses some samples which none of the rest of the album does.

Something I haven't mentioned in my Summoning reviews, if you like them you should really check out Apotheosis, a much unknown one-man band from Malta with a somewhat similar music style. His only album right now is entitled "Farthest from the Sun," it is somewhat similar to Summoning around this era but the songs are more majestic, much bigger portions of them are instrumental, and the harsh parts are actually harsher. Check out my review.

Metal Masterpiece.......2005-05-19

Summoning is 2 musicians (Silenius and Protector)from austria that create the ultimate in symphonic Soundscapes.This is Very slow tolkien inspired black/doom metal and is done to perfection.Every track on this could well be part of the LOTR soundtrack,Yes its actually more of a soundtrack album than a simple Record.The rest of summonings back catalogue lives up to the same standard (Lugburz sounds nothing like this).

Beautiful & Epic Tolkien Metal.......2005-03-20

Ah, Tolkien metal... Nothing quite like it, is there? Sweeping symphonies, programmed drum beats that sound like a full-on orchestra, and an atmosphere projecting the visions of Mordor, golden summer afternoons in Mirkwood Forest... Rivers of crystal-clear water run through the endless textures of pine trees and golden sunlight peaking through the branches as a fortress looms in the distance... Ok, do you have that mental picture? If so, then you've gotten half of the experience of Summoning's "Stronghold". All of the above imagery is explicitly displayed on the album sleeve, and inside the booklet, and the mental visions I get when listening to this are exactly of what I've described. It's epic, emotional, and moving music. Most of it is based around central keyboard melodies, arranged around sections of melancholic strings, where wonderful guitar melodies are added therein. Summoning use repitition to create an atmosphere that sucks the listener into zones of vast mountains, foggy woods... You get the picture.

Fans of older Summoning albums may not like this album because it may come off as pompous, but I think the atmosphere oozing from this album is beyond words. It leaks of melancholy, yet strikes an empowering chord with the listener. This music is perfect for reading the Tolkien books along with.

Musically, many of the songs follow the same structure with simple, melodic guitars, bombastic choruses, reverbed vocals, and melancholic keyboard arrangements, but it never stagnates, for there are many moods to be found within the music, and some songs are more medievally-influenced than others. I would reccommend this to fans of symphonic black metal, as well as fans of later Bathory, Ulver, Satyricon, and Emperor.

Standouts: Long Lost to Where No Pathway Goes, Like Some Snow-White Marble Eyes, The Rotting Horse on the Deadly Ground

Where Hope and Daylight Die.......2004-06-24

Silenius and Protector are the most underrated musicians in the black metal scene. Sure, there are a lot of keyboards and little guitars on this album, but it does not disappoint. Many of these songs take me back to the forests of old, elves dancing and singing, and dwarves digging in the mountains. "The Rotting Horse on the Deadly ground" makes me think of the great battle of Minas Tirith, winged Nazgul swooping down and taking men's lives with ease. This album deserves 4 1/2 stars, not four.

Average customer rating: THE CHILD DEVIANT Great CD This is awesome

Stronghold SITD Manufacturer: Metropolis Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Similar Items: Gelb Illuminate The Failure Epiphany Subkutan To Welcome The Fade ASIN: B0002VEPK8 Release Date: 2004-09-28

Tracks:

1. Epitome
2. Laughingstock
3. Lebensborn
4. Locked in Syndrom
5. 2nd Death
6. Rose-Coloured Skies
7. Snuff Machinery
8. Hurt
9. Venom
10. Stronghold

Album Description

Hailing from Germany's industrial heartland, SITD can be counted amongst the most acclaimed new projects of the present European club scene. Their first two EPs soared to the top of Germany's alternative charts. The apocalyptical electro hymns give this release an air of diversity and thrill between the heaven of despair and the hell of hope.

Customer Reviews:

THE CHILD DEVIANT.......2007-01-12

There is something quite beautiful about the way this band complicates the electronica genres and sends it's listener into a brilliant combiantion of all things Future Pop/EBM/ Dark Electro/ and Neo Gothic. Somehow, depending on the song, you will find yourself entering all of those musical dimensions, while never forgetting that this is somebody doing something different with the same ideas. My personal favorite tracks on this album are 'LAUGHING STOCK', 'HURT' (No, this is not another NIN cover song) and 'SNUFF MACHINERY'.

Great CD.......2005-07-19

SITD manage to perfectly fuse the scathing brutality of Suicide Commando and Hocico with the sweet, grandiose melodies of VNV Nation and Icon Of Coil. The result will unite the Industrial and Futurepop enthusiasts under one pounding kickdrum, because SITD are incredibly good.

Pretty much "a bit of everything" goes into this CD: EBM/Industrial/Powernoise/Futurepop all balanced and hybridized to perfection.

This CD only got 4 stars because its successor (Coded Message 12) is more consistent and delivers more brilliance, but its second song, Laughingstock, is unutterably good Suicide Commando-esque dark Industrial with sweet, lush orchestrations that turn it into the best SITD song ever (better than all the songs on CM12 even). Snuff Machinery may have got the press but for my money, Laughingstock blows it to hell. Rictfest is still not as good (although an EXCELLENT song in its own right, believe me). Laughingstock is wonderful but other goodies exist too, including Hurt, Rose-Colored Skies and the aforementioned Snuff Machinery.

This is awesome.......2005-01-11

This CD simply rocks. Harsh, pulsing beats, perfect for the industrial dance-floor enthusiast.

Average customer rating:

Stronghold Jennifer Rush Manufacturer: Bmg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000U1K4PU Release Date: 2007-08-31

Average customer rating:

The Boss of All Bosses Sic & Southern Made Playaz Manufacturer: Stronghold ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Southern Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music ASIN: B00004T8LC Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

1. Southside Thang - Big Pokey, Sic
2. Playa Made - Lil Mario, Sic
3. Southern Made Playaz
4. Better Day
5. Ballin' in Texas
6. Yo Pain
7. Money and Whoe's (Flow) Screwed
8. Boys Ain't Ready - Sic, Z-Ro
9. Captivated - C-Note, C-Note, Sic
10. Definition of a Playa
11. So Throwed - Don Chico, Sic
12. Gangsta Love
13. Don't Be Like Me
14. Stronghold and Swisha House - Sic, Slim Thug

Average customer rating:

Doin' Dem Boyz Southern Made Playaz with E.S.G. Manufacturer: Stronghold ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00005MANO Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

1. Get Up - Dam Fool, E.S.G., Southern Made Playaz, Ty-Ro
2. Showdown - Dam Fool, E.S.G., Southern Made Playaz, Ty-Ro
3. Now I'm the Man - E.S.G., Kat Daddy, Mr. E, Sincere, Southern Made Playaz
4. I Can't Be Beat - E.S.G., Mr. E, Southern Made Playaz
5. H.U.S.T.L.E.R. - Bloa, Dam Fool, E.S.G., Jay-Star, Southern Made Playaz, Stef
6. Captivated - C-Note, C-Note, Dam Fool, E.S.G., Mr. E, Southern Made Playaz
7. Playa Choice - E.S.G., Mr. E, Sincere, Slim Thug, Southern Made Playaz, Stef, Ty-Ro
8. Block Bleeders - E.S.G., Southern Made Playaz
9. What You See - Dam Fool, E.S.G., Sincere, Southern Made Playaz
10. New Freestyle King - E.S.G., Mr. E, Southern Made Playaz
11. U Boyz Still Ain't Ready - Dam Fool, E.S.G., Mr. E, Southern Made Playaz, Ty-Ro
12. Outta Here - E.S.G., Sincere, Southern Made Playaz

Average customer rating: The last recordings from the band, and a fitting tribute

Stronghold Magnum Manufacturer: Receiver ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000005S3M Release Date: 1997-08-05

Tracks:

1. Intro
2. Changes
3. Back to Earth
4. Just Like an Arrow
5. Love Is a Stranger
6. Morts Dansant
7. Two Hearts
8. Rock Heavy
9. How Far Jerusalem
10. Tall Ships
11. Spirit
12. Days of No Trust

Tracks:

1. Wild Swan
2. Start Talking Love
3. Rocking Chair
4. Vigilante
5. Kingdom of Madness
6. Drum Solo (End to End)
7. Tell Tale Eyes
8. Last Dance
9. Sacred Hour
10. Only in America
11. You're the One

Album Details

Formed in Birmingham, England in 1972 Magnum Went on to Become the Kings of UK 'pomp Rock' Achieving a Huge Amount of Success in the UK, Europe and Te World. This Superior Live Recording on Two Discs, Taken from the Bands Last Tour.

Customer Reviews:

The last recordings from the band, and a fitting tribute.......1999-11-03

Recorded during Magnum's farewell tour, it is a top notch live recording of the band. The emotion and passion of the music are evident and as Bob Catley ends with "That was Magnum, bye bye" you can hear the sadness in his voice. A must for fans of the band.

Average customer rating:

Portals of Illusion Stronghold Manufacturer: STRONGHOLD ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000CAEGKI Release Date: 2004-03-27

Tracks:

1. Power Rises
2. Stronghold
3. Cyclone
4. Enemy Within
5. Fractured
6. Ironheart
7. Twilight
8. All That I Am
9. Before My Eyes Awake
10. Lockdown
11. Ad Astra

Average customer rating: This is amazing..

Stronghold SITD Manufacturer: Accession ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt Industrial | Industrial | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000AVSZ5 Release Date: 2003-09-12

Tracks:

1. Epitome
2. Laughingstock
3. Lebensborn
4. Locked In Syndrom
5. 2nd Death
6. Rose-Coloured Skies
7. Snuff Machinery
8. Hurt
9. Venom
10. Stronghold

Customer Reviews:

This is amazing.........2004-10-03

I fumbled across [:SITD:] when I bought a compilation from the DAC (German Alternative Charts). There was a song called Snuff Machinery that absolutely blew me away. After a little searching, I discovered that the band was prepping to release its first full length, called Stronghold.. I placed it on pre-order and when it finally got here.. All I can say is that it was worth the wait. From the very first sounds of Epitome and it's haunting beginning,through the final chords of Stonghold, this album will take you on a trip through what electronic music is supposed to sound like. Fans of Suicide Commando will love Laughingstock and Snuff Machinery, fans of Future Pop will love Venow.. it just goes and goes.. My favorite track on the album is Laughingstock.. from it's piercing synth start to it's beat laden finale, if this doesn't get people dancing, then they must be dead...

Average customer rating:

Stronghold II Manufacturer: Blarritt Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B000053VIE Release Date: 2000-12-05

Tracks:

1. I Wish It Would Rain
2. Whiter Shade of Pale
3. In My Dreams
4. Remember Me
5. Something is Better Than Nothing
6. Baby Let Go
7. Cold Hearted Woman
8. I Can't Love Again
9. Race
10. Man up in The Sky (Bonus Track)

Album Review:

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Masters At Work presents West End Records: the 25th Anniversary Mastermix

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