So, along comes these four Finnish guys who had the audacity to take songs from one of the greatest metal acts of all time--Metallica--and reinvent them for an instrument that many see as "stuffy" or "frou-frou", the cello. My first reaction was "Excuse Me?" My second reaction came after hearing 'Master of Puppets', which was "Hell Yeah!" Then again, classical music has always had that kind of edginess that good metal still has, so it's a match made in heaven (or hell if you prefer).

Not only did Apocalyptica turn everything people thought of heavy metal on its ear, but they kicked ass and looked good doing it. From their first album of Metallica covers to 7th Symphony, I continue to be amazed and drawn into the lush and dangerous soundscape that is Apocalyptica. Seeing them live with Dir en Grey was just amazing (since I'm also a huge fan of the Japanese rock giants). Apocalyptica plays with a passion and a sheer brutal ferocity that can put a lot of their guitar-based bretheren to shame.

It's always nice to discover something that proves real music, created from the heart and which speaks to the soul, still exists. I love listening to Inquisition Symphony as I write. The haunting melodies swirl around me, and my creativity blossoms from theirs.

All I can say is, I wish Perttu or Eicca could have been my music teacher. I might not have learned a whole lot, but just being able to look at them for an hour each day would have insured that I at least showed up for class, LOL. They are indeed beautiful men to look at, but first, last and always they are consummate musicians.