Alyce Metallo
Washington, Washington DC, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | INDIE
Music
Press
"Christianity was never appealing to me until I met Alyce Metallo." - DJ BOOM, BeatMaker- The Beastie Boys 'Right, Right, Now, Now' Remix
Sounds like … a soulful mix of Anita Baker, Oleta Adams, Alicia Keys and Natalie Grant.
At a glance … Alyce Metallo's dynamic voice, charismatic delivery, and well-chosen material make for a truly memorable debut.
Track Listing
1. Introduction: Stay
2. Blessed Assurance (My Story)
3. The Promise
4. The Reason I Live
5. Sisters in Christ
6. Mourning Into Dancing
7. Dive In!
8. Live in the Son
9. Worthy is the Lamb
10. I'll Fly Away
11. No Song Without You
12. Paradise
When an iconic artist like Stevie Wonder gives an enthusiastic stamp of approval for an up-and-coming performer, chances are the music is worth the hype. That affirmation in Alyce Metallo's press kit certainly got me intrigued, but it was ultimately her soulful voice and superb mastery of several genres that kept me engaged over all 12 tracks.
Of course, it helps that Metallo has been playing the piano since she was two. Plus, she's had formal musical training at the College of Fine Arts and as an exchange student at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. Outside of the classroom, she's performed in a choir alongside legends like Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, and Kenny Rogers at Bill Clinton's inauguration, played at a private event for Jesse Jackson Jr., and was a regular at numerous Kennedy Center concerts. To hone her skills in a live setting, she also toured throughout Europe, where she won the "International Song of Peace Award" in Ireland.
More than just another pretty, soulful voice, Metallo's classic piano training adds an unexpected richness to a genre that's often more predictable than not. Clever pacing and sequencing prevents this span-the-genres album from becoming too disjointed, ably ranging from techno-laced pop anthems ("Dive In!") to jazz ("Live in the Son") to simply adorned worship ("No Song Without You").
As with the best artists, Metallo delivers her songs with confidence and a sense of conviction. On "Blessed Assurance (My Story)," she adds verve to the time-honored hymn with dynamic, scale-the-register vocals and harp arpeggios. Later on, Metallo is equally impressive when experimenting with a bossa nova groove on the Psalms-inspired "Mourning Into Dancing" or gleefully ruminating on the joys of heaven in "Paradise."
That commitment to excellence in substance and style is what ultimately makes Alyce Metallo an artist to watch. "If secular stars like Jennifer Lopez or Celine Dion have an ounce of something, they work that ounce until it's been 1000% maximized," Metallo says. "How much more should musicians in ministry be successful with what God has given us? I want to personally maximize my potential and give God all I can."
From the sounds of her self-titled debut, she's already off to an amazing start.
For more information on Alyce Metallo, check out www.alycemetallo.com.
- Christianity Today
Reviewed by Aaron Ferris
From appearances at the White House to sharing the same stage as Stevie Wonder, Alyce Metallo's artistic acclaim continues to rise and with a freshly released self-titled album the Washington, DC-born songstress has something tangible to show for all the hard graft. Starting with the strongest tracks on the album proves a good move. The toe-tapping-pop-laden opener "Stay" reminds us of unfaithfulness to Christ told through the gospel's account of Jesus finding his disciples asleep. Following that is the quirky "Blessed Assurance" cover. More often than not fusing an old hymn to an R&B rhythm is a recipe for disaster but here, with well layered vocals and a glimpse of Alyce's gifting on the keys, breathes new life into the Fanny Crosbie oldie. By the time "The Promise" arrives the lady's vocal chords are warmed up and ready to shine. Steadily the track unwinds reiterating "Never will I leave you alone" offering a reassurance of the comfort found in Christ. Picking out spiritual encouragements in ear pleasing packages is not a hard task here although my listening pleasure was interrupted periodically by the shock inclusion of distortion blurring through "Dive In" as an attempt to rock it up is made. Although the core message of inviting unbelievers to make a decision to "let God help you let go" does merit inclusion, the guitar never really finds its place serving more of a distraction to my ears. Overall the unrelenting messages of hope, encouragement and biblical truths make this a well above average set.
- CrossRhythms-United Kingdom
Christa Banister Challenges IndieHeaven to a Mor Diverse Indie Lineup
...After the first third of the disc, however, the pacing begins to noticeably lag. Alathea's "My Roots Go Deeper," a pleasant enough song, is not the group's best work ("Hurricane" from their same album recently won at a songwriting competition). Ditto for Sandra McCracken's Alison Krauss double-take "Grace Upon Grace" and Mitch McVicker's by-the-numbers "Hallelujah"—neither truly represents the best of these capable artists.
Instead of choosing so many middle-of-the-road sleepers for this project, it would've been great to mix it up with a terrific soul artist like Alyce Metallo, the jam band rock of Iconoclast, or the lush, experimental pop of Jeremy Casella—just a few examples that would have helped to provide a more accurate snapshot of Christian music's impressive indie scene. Top 20 Indie 08 sounds more homogenous than the average WOW Hits album, which is ironic considering that independent music isn't bound by genre or record label politics.
To read the full review, visit www.alycemetallo.com. - Christianity Today
"I have never known anyone whose creativity flows more freely than Alyce Metallo. She is a Vesuvius of musical giftedness." - Marty McCall, First Call
Discography
DEBUT ALBUM- Alyce Metallo
EP- Mourning Into Dance
SINGLE- For the Good of the Kingdom/Para el Bien del Reino
SINGLE- Quiero Vivir En Paz (Winner of the Tipperary International Song of Peace Competition)
MEMBERSHIPS
SAW- Songwriter's Association of Washington
GMA- Gospel Music Association
WAMA-Washington ARea Music Association
Photos
Bio
The path to soulful pop prominence is often defined by the company one keeps, and in the case of Alyce Metallo, the journey's been riddled with a remarkable collaborative lineage. Though music (particularly playing piano) was in her blood since the tender age of two, the Singer/Songwriter would eventually encounter a series of extraordinary circumstances that paved the way to her full time artistic endeavors. From her earliest professional performances at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at Catholic University, the College of Fine Arts at Howard University in Washington D.C. (where she earned an Education and Piano degree) or at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain as an exchange student (she is also fluent in Spanish), the young troubadour was blessed with powerful pipes and also developed additionally expressive gifts for writing, performing, arranging and producing.
Along the way, she amassed a plethora of prominent credits, including a choir slot alongside the likes of Luther Vandross, Diana Ross and Kenny Rogers at Bill Clinton's inauguration, a return engagement to the White House as a choir director for VH1's Save the Music with John Mellencamp, plus multiple appearances with that same star and Stevie Wonder at School Night (also in the nation's capital). Add in a private performance for Jesse Jackson, Jr., numerous Kennedy Center concerts (alongside Vanessa Williams, Yolanda Adams, Regina Belle and Richard Smallwood), plus a twelve- date performance tour throughout Europe (with a prestigious "International Song of Peace" Award from Ireland to her credit) and Metallo's earned her artistic stripes with an unflinching commitment to the performance arena.
Even amid such high profile periods, the switch-hitter also balanced her concert schedule with a mission to teach high-schoolers throughout the D.C. area. But, thanks to the continual prodding of her husband and manager Walter Metallo, plus their Creative Arts Pastor Marty McCall (from the critically-acclaimed act First Call) and Grammy-Award-winning producer friend Fletch Wiley (Andrae Crouch), she eventually dove deep into a solo career, anchored by a recently released self-titled CD.
"It's all been a very natural transition for me," the charismatic singer says of her tremendous career evolution. "I'd spent so many years writing and arranging for my students and always getting them ready for shows, so, that helped me see that this is really what I'm supposed to be doing."
Besides support from her home base, Metallo's self-titled album sessions were also birthed out of prayer and praise, resulting in her desire to pursue excellence to the utmost extent. Despite an independent ranking, the project's packaging (and most importantly the songs themselves) easily rival the major label level, yielding a slick sonic hybrid that falls somewhere in between Roberta Flack, Oleta Adams, Anita Baker, Alicia Keys, Rachael Lampa, and Natalie Grant.
"If stars like Jennifer Lopez or Celine Dion have one ounce of something, they work that ounce until it's 1000% maximized," she states. "How much more should musicians in ministry be successful with what God has given us?” she states. “I want to personally maximize my potential and give God all I can. I pray that my ministry continues to be cultivated and I look at this record as a building block
The Alyce Metallo/Anthony Myers (Natalie Wilson, Donell Jones, Usher) produced project is replete with ten relevant, original illustrations, from the stirring introduction of "Stay" to the joyful "Mourning Into Dance" and the friendship-based "Sisters In Christ," plus the completely one-of-a-kind covers "Blessed Assurance (My Story)" and "I'll Fly Away." No matter what the message, Metallo draws inspiration straight out of the Bible, and presents her observations in a relatable and seeker-friendly light.
"The one thread that ties all these songs together is the fact that they're all inspired by Scripture," the tunesmith confirms. "As Christians, sometimes we don't really know the Bible like we should; and these songs will certainly have a place with believers, but, they also present the idea of a personal relationship with Christ to non-believers and the world at large."
As has been her tradition throughout the past decade plus, Metallo will let her listeners judge for themselves on an extensive outing appropriately dubbed the Alyce Metallo Album Tour. While her original tunes will be a bulk of the focus, each evening also features worship selections with just enough time left over for storytelling (and she certainly has plenty to talk about!)
"I‘ve got to just keep plugging away," she promises of her God-ordained calling. "It’s very important that I use my performance ministry to spread God’s message to as many people as possible. No matter what background you come from, the alb
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