Speedpainting of Scarlett Johansson

Posted this speedpainting the other day on YouTube. Have composed the techno mix in the background myself. Enjoy and hope you all have a great summer! :)

Music Video - Dream Theater

Another week is here. Let's start it with some fantastic music, shall we?


I have posted a drawing of their drummer as well as an album cover and a review of their latest album and mentioned many times that they are one of my favorite bands. But finally the time has come to also post a music video with these amazingly talented musicians.

This is a live version of Dream Theater's Surrounded from their most popular album Images and words. And yes, I once had the "da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da..." melody as the signal for my phone. It is taken from a concert in Tokyo back in the early 90's when Kevin Moore was still keyboardist in the band (the current keyboardist is Jordan Rudess, other than that the members are still the same).

Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do:

Music Video - Metallica

Time for another music video and this time it is from a band loved by many - and hated by many (due to the fileshare conflict some years ago). This is the metal band that actually made me start playing drums 20 years ago. In my teens they were my idols, covered the walls of my room and I went to see them live many times. Of course I'm talking about Metallica.

Although their latest releases can't measure up, two of their albums are considered to be among the 10 best metal albums ever. Here is their classic ballad Nothing else matters. Brings back sweet memories to me. Time to find a lighter!

Music Video - Iced Earth

Another of the most prominent power metal bands is Iced Earth. Here is a live version of the song Melancholy, from the popular album Something wicked this way comes:

Music Video - Gamma Ray

Taking a look at the 25 highest rated power metal albums at my beloved Rate your music, I find Gamma Ray's Land of the free in 5th place. I have written about the connection between power metal and fantasy in my 10 best power metal albums post.

Here is the video to the first song from Land of the free, Rebellion in dreamland:

Music Video - Rhapsody (Feat. Christopher Lee)

Found this video with the other of my two Epic Fantasy Metal favorites. This time it's Rhapsody of Fire, back then just Rhapsody. This is a remix of the first two songs from the album Symphony of enchanted lands II, featuring the famous actor Christopher Lee.

Here is "Unholy warcry":

Music Video - Symphony X Live

A few days ago I posted the trailer for the upcoming movie remake of Clash of The Titans. Let's stay in the realms of gorgons and deadly shores for a while, shall we? Here is one of my favorite songs with one of my favorite progressive metal bands. A great live version of The Eyes of Medusa.

I have seen this band live twice - once with Stratovarius (one of my favorite power metal bands) and once with Dream Theater (one of my favorite bands, all categories). Russell Allen truly has a magnificent voice. One of the best metal singers for sure. And Romeo, Rullo, Pinella and LePond are top notch musicians.

Also want to wish you all a
Happy New Year!


My resolution is to keep running and developing this blog further in 2010. Please tell me what is already great and what could be better about it. Which of the main categories (Movies, Music, Art, Games, Books) should get more focus? I'll do my best to make all our dreams come true. See you next year!

/M

Fantastic Music Videos Now on Fantasytree!

As well as hi-quality trailers I will try to provide readers of this blog with the best music videos of the greatest "fantasytree related" bands. Let's start with one of the best Power Metal groups, Blind Guardian. I wrote about this group a long time ago in the post The Two Kings of Epic Fantasy Metal and they still remain one of my favorite power metal bands.

Here is the studio version of their "The Bard's song":

Finshed Drawing - Elvis Presley Portrait

Yesterday I mentioned that I had finished a drawing project. Today I can reveal that it was an Elvis drawing for my mother. Drawn with a Derwent Graphic, a 0.7 and a 0.5 mechanical pencil (HB) from a photo by Bettman/Corbis this is what it looked like. Scanned it before handing it over to my mum yesterday:

Elvis Presley (2009)

[21x29 cm]

Sketch Of The Day - A Drum

Another Sketchstorm ink pen drawing. This time a little hand drum drawn from life:

Sketch Of The Day - Best Album Ever?

The next sketch for the Sketchstorm thread was drawn from an album cover. According to one of my favorite sites, rateyourmusic.com this is the best recorded album ever. Indeed, The Beatles Revolver does include many gems.This is just a rough, simplified version of the remarkable original artwork.

Drawn with a HB pencil on ordinary sketchbook paper. No eraser has been used as you can tell:

Sketch Of The Day - U2 Cover

Another sketch for the Sketchstorm thread at ImagineFX. This time it's a U2 cover from "The unforgettable fire" quickly painted in ArtRage:

The "Golden Leaves" Store Opened Yesterday!

Yesterday the Fantasytree blog evolved visually as well as when it comes to what content it has to offer it's readers. A new template was chosen resulting in a less demanding layout and a blog that is easier to read and search. Besides from that, the Fantasytree Store Golden Leaves opened it's gates. Looking for great fantasy/sci-fi-related products? Movies; Music; Novels; Games; Art Books - Look no further. The store will keep growing and continually update its products - based on what I have tried or purchased myself and can honestly recommend. Soon you should be able to find just what you've been looking for.

The Golden Leaves store is found at the bottom of the page - no need to even leave the site when you feel like shopping or if you are just curious about what I recommend. If you prefer to visit the store in a separate window, just click here.

Please comment on these changes in order to keep this blog being the one you have always dreamed of.

Apart from that it is still the same old fantasy geek writing and drawing and dreaming about distant kingdoms where dragons cross the crimson skies and anything is possible...

Peace

Same Dreams, New Look - And a Fantasytree Store!

I have realized that I have to make some changes to the blog. The main reason is that I need more space in order to present the content the way I want to.

The main changes will be:
- New template, allowing wider post with bigger images
- The addition of a Fantasytree store, selling products related to the content of the blog.

I hope you - the reader - don't mind these changes and that they will make the blog an even more enjoyable haven in a chaotic, challenging - or just way to ordinary - reality. Keep reading and please give me feedback so I can make this blog even better.

Peace
/Magnus

Sketch Of The Day - Dream Theater Cover

Today's sketch is a quick one done with ink pen. It's from the cover to the Dream Theater album Train of Thought:

(Spoiler!) Dream Theater's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" - First impressions

As I've mentioned before, one of my favorite music genres is Progressive Metal. And my favorite progressive metal band is Dream Theater. Therefore, it was with much joy and excitement I received their brand new studio album in the mail today.

After listening to it once, these are my first impressions and reflections (spoiler alert!):

- Beautiful artwork by Hugh Syme. Feels more like "traditional Dream Theater". Less dark and chaotic compared to the previous one ("Systematic Chaos"). Actually has much in common with the "Awake" cover. That blue sky in the opened door resembles the sky in the mirror of their 1994 album. The sand, an eye, planets, clouds, the logotype in the sand. Many things that can be found on the "Awake" cover. Gives a sense of recognition and nostalgy - which fits the albums themes well.

- Great intro with the thunder and rain for first song, "A nightmare to remember". Great double bass drumming throughout this one. Probably the best "drum track" of the record (I'm a drummer myself...)

- Rudess' sometimes use almost too many effects in some solos, almost drowns the virtuosity of his playing (at least for me, not being a keyboardist).

- Don't remember very much from the 2nd one ("A rite onf passage" - believe it was one of the first singles, but the 3rd one "Wither" is another beautiful DT power ballad.

- "The shattered fortress" is about the final steps of Mike Portnoy's "12-step program" suite. Like a medley containing bits from previous parts and a great conclusion of the series.

- Then comes "The best of times", the song that struck me as a lightning bolt. Not for it's insane virtuosity or insane time signature. But because of it's beauty. This may be the most beautiful song DT has written so far. And seeing in the booklet that it is actually a dedication from Mike to his father Howard, who passed away this year, makes it even more powerful. A moving and beautiful statement and the song that made the strongest impression during my first spin of the record.

- The sixth and final, "The count of Tuscany", is a typical great DT epic, making me think of "A change of seasons" as well as "Octavarium", much because of Jordan's wonderful continuum solo.

- And that was it! Six songs and it felt like time just flew by, leaving me longing for more. Which must be a good thing. One last thing I noted was that one song reminded me of the song "Surronded", where it picks up speed after the slow intro. But I'm not quite sure which one it was. Better listen to this great album again. May turn into one of my favorites...

The 10 Best Progressive Metal Albums Ever

Another of my favorite genres that often uses fantastic themes and lyrics (for a power metal top 10 look HERE) is Progressive Metal. Many of my favorite bands and musicians actually belong to that genre - Dream Theater, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery and others.

Fantasytree tip #6: One of the very best progressive metal albums - actually one of the best albums ever made, that I never get tired of and actually listened to this very morning - is Images and Words by Dream Theater. If you haven't heard this album... drop everything you have at hand and head for nearest record store. It's THAT marvellous. Promise me you'll hear it all the way through at least 3 times before deciding what you think of it, though (This album is rated as #16 in the progressive metal chart and as #919 overall at rateyourmusic.com).

These are the 10 highest rated Progressive Metal albums on rateyourmusic.com right now:

1. Opeth - Still Life (1999)

2. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)

3. Edge of Sanity - Crimson (1996)

4. Atheist - Unquestionable Presence (1991)

5. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

6. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (2002)

7. maudlin of the Well - Leaving Your Body Map (2001)

8. Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory (1999)

9. Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)

10. Tiamat - Wildhoney (1994)

Of these I have heard and own albums by Opeth (but the only Opeth album I have is "Deliverance", not one of these three), that I find a little too brutal and dark; Queensrÿche and Dream Theater - but I do not really like the concepts of either one of these two, although they are great (Queensrÿche) and brilliant (Dream Theater) musically; Tiamat - the only album I've heard, an old one that I think was entitled "Clouds", was too much towards the black metal genre for my taste.

Number one in my Progressive Metal chart is - as already mentioned in the tip above - "Images and Words" by Dream Theater.

Which Progressive Metal album is the best ever in your opinion?

The 10 Best Power Metal Albums

You find a list of 10 powerful albums and realize like I did that you have some great unheard albums to catch up on soon...

ower Metal is one of the metal genres closest related to fantasy and the fantastic you can find. The two groups I wrote about a couple of days ago - in the post
The Two Kings of Epic Fantasy Metal! - Blind guardian and former Rhapsody (now known as Rhapsody of Fire) are actually both usually labeled as Power Metal.

From my favorite site for music lovers and album collectors, rateyourmusic.com, I have found a top 10 list over the best power metal albums ever recorded according to the users of the site.

The list goes as follows:

1. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)

2. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988)

3. Kamelot - The Black Halo (2005)

4. Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)

5. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I (1987)

6. Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction (1984)

7. Virgin Steele - Invictus (1998)

8. Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath (2003)

9. Lost Horizon - Awakening the World (2001)

10. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free (1995)

I have to admit that I actually only have one of these albums in my CD collection (Nightfall...), although most of the tracks from the two Helloween albums are included in the double-CD compilation Treasure chest that I do own.

Seems like I have got some really interesting musical experiences ahead of me (saw that Gamma Ray album at a really nice price the last time I was at the local record store). Hope you can find some undiscovered pieces of majestic gold as well.

Is there a Radio Station Playing Nothing but Fantasy Music?

urely that sounds too good to be true...

But as a matter of fact there is!


Radio Rivendell is the name of this station, dedicated to playing only music suitable as background when you're playing RPGs, MMORPGs or just wish to feel a breeze from another world for a while. It's actually a great soundtrack for writing fantasy-related blog posts as well.

This is how the channel describes the music being played on the website:

The music that is being played is mainly from fantasy films such as Lord of the Rings, Conan, Willow and such, but it also features music from well known computer games such as Warcraft, Baldur's Gate, Dungeon Siege and many more.

The actual site can be found here:

But of course I couldn't resist adding a banner making it able to play the station directly here at Fantasytree. It can be found at the top of the page.

I must say that so far I am impressed by the high quality, beauty and atmosphere of the music being played.

Hopefully you will enjoy this music as much as I do.´

The Two Kings of Epic Fantasy Metal!

pic fantasy metal, is there really such a musical genre? There sure is. Two of my favorite power metal bands have taken their leaning towards fantasy and epic storytelling one step further. I am thinking about the German band "Blind Guardian" and the Italian band "Rhapsody of fire" (earlier just Rhapsody, but they were forced to change the name due to already registered trademark issues). I will recommend one really good album by each group.

The natural starting point for a fantasy lover, especially if you are also a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, is of course Blind Guardian's "Nightfall in Middle-Earth". A concept album based on Tolkien's "The silmarillion", including breathtaking metal tunes as well as segues where different scenes from what Tolkien regarded as his most important work are depicted through narratives and atmospheric sound effects. The entire record actually starts with the sound of a medieval battle!

On then to Rhapsody's (this was before they changed the name to "Rhapsody of fire") "Symphony of enchanted lands". Taking the word "epic" one step further this marvellous album includes more orchestration, more neo-classical parts, more "Emerald-sword-wielding-hero fighting-immortal-demons-beyond-the-gates-of-infinity" (some would say more cheese, but since I'm such a fantasy geek I actually find it all quite enjoyable). If your looking for a rediscovery of the little Dungeons and dragons-heart pounding somewhere deep within you, you have here the perfect soundtrack for that nostalgic journey. This album is actually just one part in the epic story "The chronicles of Algalord", spread over several albums. Fantasy sweets, don't you think?


Blind Guardian are musically slightly more progressive (and a bit more challenging), while Rhapsody have been described as "Epic Hollywood metal", which sometimes make me think of them more like a concept than an actual band. On their latest album, "Triumph or agony" they have one track that is more than 16 minutes long (!) and features a whole bunch of actors performing spoken narratives among the different musical parts. One of these actors - also present on the album before, "Symphony of enchanted lands II" - is none less than the legendary Christopher Lee ("The man with the golden gun" in the James Bond classic, as well as Saruman in the Lord of the rings trilogy).

Labels and genres apart, I consider these two albums true musical masterpieces, and if you are curious about what "epic fantasy metal" sounds like you just HAVE to check them out. Two wonderful journeys through magnificent lands await you.