SAEKO „Above Heaven Bellow Heaven”

Music: Heavy Metal
Website: www.saeko.org
Country: Japan/Germany

My virtual trips in the land of blooming cherry-tree yielded fruit! Thanks to the good politeness and generosity of German label Armagedon Music I had the opportunity to meet with the music of SAEKO. SAEKO – it is mysteriously sounding name of band, there are hide: the beauty Saeko Kitamae – “The First Japanese Metal Princess” – she is vocalist, pianist and plays the keys. There are next members: Mariko Inoue – the bass player of ex-Japanese band of Saeko – FAIRY MIRROR, Sven Ludke & Hermann Frank (ex-ACCEPT) – the operators of guitars as well as Michael Ehre (METALIUM) – the drummer. The producer was Lars Ratz (METALIUM), he additionally lended his voice to aggressive vocal parties as well as he took some parties of guitars. So the superb line-up could create only the superb music. SAEKO is full of professionalism, dynamics, mysteriousness and melancholy heavy metal, in which undeniably I feel influences of ACCEPT as well as HELLOWEEN, JUDAS PRIEST or RUNNING WILD. The beautiful melancholy and also full of energy singing of Saeko is well-kept in heavy metal's convention. The singing can compete with the singing of Tarja Turunen from NIGHTWISH freely. Her high and sometimes girlish or full of deep seriousness as well as a little aggression the colour of voice harmonize with quick, aggressive as well as full of melody and solos heavy metal patents ideally. The songs have many energies, they produce many positive and nostalgic emotions which ones are underlined by the key's parties, and the whole is well-kept in quick the heavy metal pace with tendencies to slowing down in side of gentle melancholy metal ballads. Besides the really excellent very professionally arranged of heavy metal we will meet here Japanese ornaments in style of traditional drums – Taiko (?) – the famous Japanese drummer YAMATO, gentle parties of flute – Shakuhachi (?) as well as the Japanese recitations to the music. SAEKO is connection of power European's heavy metal with power of Japanese spirit. This is the place where the culture of east met culture of west. I think that SAEKO will inthrall fans of heavy metal soon!!!

note: 9.0/10