Reviews

Review: BATTLE BEAST “No More Hollywood Endings” (2019)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 17, 2019

Posted in: Int. News, News, Reviews. Tagged: "No More Hollywood Endings", Battle Beast. Leave a comment

Review by David Araneda

Artist: BATTLE BEAST
Album: “No More Hollywood Endings”
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 22nd March 2019

Tracklist

Unbroken
No More Hollywood Endings
Eden
Unfairy Tales
Endless Summer
The Hero
Piece of Me
I Wish
Raise Your Fists
The Golden Horde
World on Fire
Bent and Broken (bonus track)
My Last Dream (bonus track)

After two years, Finnish band BATTLE BEAST returns with their fifth studio record and second one since the departure of founding guitarist Anton Kabanen, who went to form label mates BEAST IN BLACK. After a solid “Bringer of Pain” (2017), which marked a turn towards a more commercial sound with plenty of pop elements, we have the task of analyzing their newest album entitled “No More Hollywood Endings”, released via Nuclear Blast Records. The band has managed to capture the attention of melodic metal fans, especially because of the unique voice and stage presence of young Noora Louhimo, one of the revelations of the last few years when it comes to female metal vocalists.

The album opens full of energy with ‘Unbroken’, a perfect blend of symphonic metal and eighties pop, which immediately brings up the diverse influences of BATTLE BEAST’s music. Noora‘s vocal performance is extraordinary, full of passion and power. The melody is contagious and so are the keyboard arrangements. Then we have the title track ‘No More Hollywood Endings’, featuring a keyboard riff that recalls the introduction of Black Diamond by Stratovarius but played in slow motion. It’s a very theatrical song and it was accompanied by a videoclip full of histrionics, in which Noora shines once more dancing and acting, showing how talented a performer she is.

Continuing with the other pre-released single, ‘Eden’ is again a song full of positive energy, very melodic and catchy. Although at times the sound of BATTLE BEAST feels a bit overloaded by the keyboards, the guitar work of Joona Björkroth and Juuso Soinio stands out in this track. ‘Unfairy Tales’, despite its relevant lyrics that deal with of the dangers of social media, musically speaking it’s a tribute to eighties rock that doesn’t convince me completely. And speaking of not convincing, ‘Endless Summer’ is a purely pop song and so overly kitschy that it will probably generate some discussion among the fans. I think it feels out of place, even in a melodic metal context.

The album recovers its breath with ‘The Hero’, a bombastic track that brings back that raspy voice of Noora that we were already missing. It’s a danceable song with clear influences from Bonnie Tyler and Michael Sembello, but on steroids and updated to 2019. Janne Björkroth, keyboardist, composer and producer of the band, shines in all his functions. ‘Piece of Me’ opens with a heavy, hard rock-inspired guitar riff, and Noora displays a more aggressive vocal approach, full of attitude. It’s an entertaining song, with funny lyrics and keyboard arrangements that add a playful and retro-futuristic touch to it. I hope they include it in their setlist to enjoy it in all its greatness.

‘I Wish’ is a ballad full of sentiment in which they included a real string section and dramatic orchestration that manage to stand out. The lyrics and the interpretation of Noora succeed at building a melancholic atmosphere, but in the end, it still feels like we’ve heard something like this before, missing a unique spark. ‘Raise your Fists’, from its solemn introduction makes clear that we’re in front of a battle anthem, combining the cinematic elements that define the epic power metal genre. On the other hand, it fails to surprise us, since at this point of the game that music style has been overexploited. It’s a correct track in general terms, but it leaves you waiting for more.

On the contrary, ‘The Golden Horde’ is one of the most interesting and surprising songs on the album. It opens in a misleading way with a keyboard sampler reminiscent of 90’s Eurodance but suddenly becomes an unstoppable cannonball of power metal, with all the precise ingredients: bombastic drumming, virtuoso guitar work, and a vocal line that is as melodic as powerful. The result is fantastic, and it wakes you up immediately like a kick in the head. To close the album, we have ‘World on Fire’, another song featuring a danceable beat and catchy melody, a cool galloping section, and the right amount of heaviness and energy to finish this record with a positive note.

“No More Hollywood Endings” is a somewhat patchy album that leaves me with mixed feelings. It begins in a very promising way, but little by little it loses power and freshness, recovering its charm and effectiveness only towards the end. I appreciate their effort to evolve and experiment with different sounds, but in this occasion they don’t succeed in all their attempts, especially when they swim too far from the style that has made them popular. In terms of production the album is flawless, and Noora confirms her place as the secret weapon of the band. The album contains at least six outstanding songs, but there are enough uninspired passages to make it feel a bit inferior to their previous releases.

Rating: 7/10

BATTLE BEAST – “No More Hollywood Endings” videos:

Review: QUEENSRYCHE “The Verdict” (2019)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 27, 2019

Posted in: Int. News, News, Reviews. Tagged: QUEENSRŸCHE, The Verdict. Leave a comment

Review by David Araneda

Artist: QUEENSRYCHE
Album: “The Verdict”
Label: Century Media Records
Release Date: 1st March 2019

Tracklist:
1. Blood of the Levant
2. Man the Machine
3. Light-years
4. Inside Out
5. Propaganda Fashion
6. Dark Reverie
7. Bent
8. Inner Unrest
9. Launder the Conscience
10. Portrait

QUEENSRYCHE is a band with a very interesting musical evolution. In their early years from that epic debut EP all the way to “Empire” (1990) they gained worldwide recognition and popularity (including three Grammy nominations), reaching a creative peak with their masterpiece “Operation: Mindcrime” (1988). The nineties were a time of big changes and experimentation with irregular results and many people thought that the band would not recover its level after the departure of Chris de Garmo, founding guitarist and writer of some of their finest songs.

Conflicts within the band led to a crisis that culminated with the departure of iconic vocalist Geoff Tate in 2012, including a legal battle for the name of the band that the three remaining founding members eventually won. After the arrival of Todd La Torre, who had the almost impossible mission of replacing one of the most celebrated voices in rock history, the Seattle-based group has released two solid albums, “Queensrÿche” (2013) and “Condition Hüman” (2015), allowing them to start fresh again despite their long career.

In this context we analyze “The Verdict”, the third studio release of this renewed QUEENSRYCHE, which will be soon available via Century Media and includes a major change. For the first time, the founding drummer Scott Rockenfield did not participate in the writing or recording of the album after starting an indefinite recess following the birth of his son. The most interesting thing is that his role was taken by Todd La Torre himself, who has played drums since his teenage years, although it is worth to clarify that Rockenfield has not officially left the band.

“The Verdict” begins in a surprising way without any kind of introductions and the first track ‘Blood of the Levant’ opens with a hypnotizing guitar riff and a midtempo rhythm section, joined by the powerful voice of La Torre, who shines with his high-pitch screams and tons of attitude. Despite the obvious similarities with Tate, La Torre has developed his own style, perhaps more energetic and aggressive, and let’s not forget the fifteen-year difference. Guitarists Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren complements each other perfectly when it comes to harmonies and solos. A very promising start.

‘Man the Machine’ becomes immediately one of the highlights of the album with its fast pace, catchy melody, and a very inspired La Torre behind both microphone and drumkit. It is understandable that this track was chosen as the first single of the new album, since it works as a true statement by the band. The approach is quite straight forward and ‘in-your-face’, full of energy and without allowing any unnecessary fillings or excesses. I look forward to hearing this song live, because it is meant to be chanted and to bang your head.

With ‘Light-Years’ they slightly slow down thing and explore the more progressive side of their sound, with more complex time signatures and multiple changes of intensity. Eddie Jackson gets extra credit for his bass arrangements and I don’t get tired of insisting on the amazing performance of La Torre on drums, bashing any possible doubts some may have had about his capacities. ‘Inside Out’ surprises us with its creeping Middle East-inspired melodies, gaining momentum towards the chorus. The work of the guitar dynamic duo before the final section might be the most remarkable side of this track.

They continue with ‘Propaganda Fashion’, which kicks out furiously at full speed and with lyrics that criticize the current state of our society. The ‘in-your-face’ approach to their songwriting is striking, far from the excesses that characterized the albums between “Promised Land” and “Dedicated to Chaos”. Then we get what I consider to be the masterpiece of the album, I’m talking about ‘Dark Reverie’. It’s a track that summarizes the best elements of QUEENSRYCHE, with a dark mood, a very melancholic vocal line and an impressive display of musicality. The background keyboards remind me of their eighties sound.

‘Bent’ starts with a strange noise that will make you suspect that the cable of your headphones has broken. It’s a rather intricated and lengthy song, showing a more complex structure and notable changes of atmosphere and tension. Todd La Torre shines again with his wide vocal range fluctuating from a deep voice to impeccable high notes. ‘Inner Unrest’ is also a song that opens in a promising way with lots of groove, catchy guitar riffs and contagious beats, but in the long run becomes a bit repetitive and tedious.

‘Launder the Conscience’ is another highlight of the album, recovering energy and momentum with its accelerated pace, including an inspired instrumental section towards the end that really stands out. The keyboard sound that dominates the sound blends perfectly with the last track. We are talking about ‘Portrait’, a more experimental track that brings the calm after the storm following such a display of power, an ideal way to give closure to this musical experience. It is worth mentioning that the special editions of the album include a series of bonus tracks, such as previously unreleased studio and live tracks.

In conclusion, “The Verdict” shows a band with a very strong core and great confidence in their abilities, also returning to the heavier and more straight-forward sound that fans always appreciate. Once again, I emphasize the enormous contribution of Todd La Torre, who has taken a leading role in the band in terms of songwriting, vocals and now drums. We hope to hear good news from Scott Rockenfield in the future, and that he rejoins the band at some point, as he represents a vital part of the sound and history of QUEENSRYCHE.

I dare to say that “The Verdict” is their best work to date with La Torre and arguably their finest since “Empire”. Although not all the songs reach the quality and novelty of their classic albums, there are no boring moments or tracks you might feel to skip. I think they have taken a big step in the right direction by putting aside those excessive lethargic sections of low intensity that characterized the sound of QUEENSRYCHE from the nineties till the departure of Geoff Tate. With much pleasure, I can affirm that the Queen of the Reich has returned in all glory and majesty.

Rating: 8/10

QUEENSRYCHE – “The Verdict” videos

Review: AVANTASIA – “Moonglow” (2019)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 11, 2019

Posted in: Int. News, News, Reviews. Tagged: "Moonglow", Avantasia. 2 Comments

Review by David Araneda

Artist: AVANTASIA
Album: “Moonglow”
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release date: 15th February 2019

Tracklist:
01. Ghost In The Moon
02. Book Of Shallows
03. Moonglow
04. The Raven Child
05. Starlight
06. Invincible
07. Alchemy
08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
09. Lavender
10. Requiem For A Dream
11. Maniac
12. Heart (Bonus track, only limited edition)

At this point in time AVANTASIA doesn’t need major introductions. This rock and metal opera commanded by mastermind Tobias Sammet has been catching a lot of attention from the metal world for over twenty years now, creating a lot of expectation with each release due to the amount of musicians involved. With time the style of the band has evolved from traditional power metal into something way more miscellaneous. In this occasion we had the joy to analyze “Moonglow”, their eight full-length studio release, which will be soon available via Nuclear Blast. For this new album the main line-up of the band remained unchanged compared to their latest releases, with Sascha Paeth in charge of the strings, Michael Rodenberg aka “Miro” on keyboards and orchestrations, plus Felix Bohnke on drums.

After a short break following AVANTASIA’s “Ghostlights Tour” and EDGUY’s compilation “Monuments”, Sammet faced no contractual obligations for the first time in many years, with complete freedom to plan the future of these two projects. This freedom allowed Tobias to get inspired in a natural way and without time restrains, taking creative breaks in England. This is very relevant when we examine the themes of “Moonglow”, a conceptual album which tells the story of a misfit creature who searches for shelter in the darkness. Both the lyrics and the fabulous cover (a brilliant illustration created by Alexander Jansson) were influenced by Victorian novels written by the likes of Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood.

Going straight to the music, the album opens with ‘Ghost in the Moon’, a ten-minute epic track. The soft piano introduction and melodic tone of the song remind us of some of the latest releases from AVANTASIA, with a sound that gets close to the eighties-inspired AOR à la Meat Loaf. Sammet’s self-references to his previous work become evident with phrases such as “mystery of a blood red rose”, which make us feel like we’re inside an Avatasian universe with a life of its own. Toby takes over the main vocals and shines with a dramatic performance. As usual, the vocal arrangements and orchestrations are top-notch, making this track a promising beginning to this musical journey.

Without a break they put all the meat on the grill (as we say in Spanish) with ‘Book of Shallows’, a powerful and straight forward song, with a mind-blowing list of singers. We hear for the first time the unique voice of Hansi Kürsch, together with some old fellows such as Jørn Lande and Ronnie Atkins. But maybe the most unexpected apparition is that of Mille Petrozza, taking AVANTASIA to previously unknown levels of aggressiveness, though keeping its pomposity untouched. ‘Moonglow’ was the second single, making some people doubt about the musical direction of the album due to its Disney Channel-inspired melody and structure. Personally, I like it more with every listen, especially the lovely contribution of Candice Night, who adds a dream-like feeling to the song.

‘The Raven Child’ is one of the highlights of the album, with eleven minutes filled with magic and fantasy that delighted us already last December. From its subtle introduction with medieval atmosphere and the voice of Hansi the Bard, it takes us to ancient times, evolving into segments with higher intensity and the apparition of mastermind Toby and Viking Lande, a true King Midas of rock and roll. I think Jørn could sing reggaeton and make it sound classy, what a voice for the love of Jebus! It is worth mentioning that this song is not exempt of references to earlier AVANTASIA works, and that no one would have been surprised if this track was entitled “The Scarecrow Part II”.

They continue with ‘Stralight’, a mid-tempo track with a sound of traditional heavy/power melodic metal. The Danish gentleman Ronnie Atkins shines once more in an outstanding duet with Sammet. The vocal line is very catchy and the song is full of energy and groove, with lots of positive vibes. Happy Metal at its best. ‘Invincible’ is the compulsory ballad, with the great Geoff Tate stealing the show and claiming back his reputation. The former Queensrÿche front man delivers a performance that justifies why he is considered one of the best voices in rock history. In a short duel full of sentiment with Toby, they build up the tension for the next epic moment of “Moonglow”.

I’m talking about ‘Alchemy’, a song with a more intricate and progressive structure in which Tate delivers once more his immeasurable talent, giving a masterclass in vocal power. The chorus is one of the catchiest and more addictive within the album, together with exquisite orchestral arrangements courtesy of Miro. A killer track, no questions asked. The next in line is ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’, perhaps the most interesting song of the album in terms of the amount vocalists involved. In addition to Sammet, Atkins, Tate and Lande we have Eric Martin and Bob Catley, becoming an international dream team of rock and metal. Musically speaking this is a very effective melodic power metal track, one of those that feature plenty of bombastic double bass drum and that fans will always embrace.

With ‘Lavender’ they go back to the AOR sound that Toby usually chooses for Bob Catley’s apparitions. I appreciate the intention to keep the variety in the album but this effort lacks the necessary novelty and freshness to make it a memorable one. But since we’re speaking of memorable, ‘Requiem for a Dream’ is what we were waiting for since the beginning of the album, the starring contribution of Michael Kiske. Michi has been part of the AVANTASIA family since day one and “Moonglow” is no exception, adding his superb vocals, astonishing as usual. The bass arrangements à la Grosskopf give this song a taste of Helloween, while we wait for the upcoming album from the Pumpkins United.

The record closes with ‘Maniac’, a peculiar version of the eighties classic originally by Michael Sembello. In a curious decision, this track is part of the official album and not a bonus one. Despite of the good vocal work by Sammet and Martin, this cover version feels a little out of place, since it sounds more like a wedding band than a metal opera. Anyways, we all know Toby is a guy with a great sense of humor and also a musical chameleon who’s always trying to surprise us with his crazy ideas. The limited edition of the album includes a bonus track called ‘Heart’, which works as a personal tribute from Sammet to the legendary band Journey and his classic vocalist Steve Perry.

In a nutshell, “Moonglow” is a fine piece of work that brings together some of the best voices of nowadays melodic rock and metal. Sammet is without a question a creative genius whose ideas don’t seem to run out or lose its relevance. Even if this album doesn’t bring too many new elements to the table, the amount of references to the world of rock music elevate Toby to the category of the Tarantino of metal, mixing and reusing the right ingredients in the perfect amounts to create a unique and unforgettable music experience. Not every song in this album reaches the mark of masterpiece or instant classic, but there are no bad tracks either. The order of the tracklist makes the record flow naturally and gracefully.

Furthermore, “Moonglow” easily takes a high place in AVANTASIA’s discography, perhaps only behind “The Metal Opera”, “The Scarecrow” and “The Mystery of Time”. We appreciate the variety and energy in the compositions, in addition to the flawless production and beautiful artwork. The presence of singers with such iconic voices such as Hansi and Mille, together with Kiske’s commitments with Helloween, leaves us waiting for the confirmation of the live line-up that will hit the road in March. Regarding the “Moonglow World Tour”, Sammet has promised plenty of surprises and three hours of music, making it one of the most anticipated live shows of the year. ¡Avantasia is back, ladies and gentlemen!

Rating: 8/10.

AVANTASIA – “Moonglow” videos

Review: WITHIN TEMPTATION – Resist (2019)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 2, 2019

Posted in: Int. News, News, Reviews. Tagged: Resist, Within Temptation. Leave a comment

WithinTemptation-2018

Review by David Araneda

Artist: WITHIN TEMPTATION
Album: “Resist”
Label: Spinefarm Records
Release Date: 1st February 2019

Tracklist:
1. The Reckoning
2. Endless War
3. Raise Your Banner
4. Supernova
5. Holy Ground
6. In Vain
7. Firelight
8. Mad World
9. Mercy Mirror
10. Trophy Hunter

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After a five-year hiatus, the Dutch masters of symphonic rock WITHIN TEMPTATION have released a new studio album entitled “Resist” via Spinefarm Records. During this long recess, the leader and vocalist Sharon den Adel had to struggle with a series of personal problems, in addition to a musical identity crisis that affected the whole band. Some fans even feared the worst with rumors of disbanding surrounding the birth of den Adel’s side project My Indigo and the release of their debut album last year. In her solo effort Sharon got a lot closer to electronic/alternative pop, very far from the symphonic influences of her main band, sowing doubt on the future of WITHIN TEMPTATION.

But luckily for their fans, the band announced last year that they were working on the long-awaited follow-up to “Hydra” (2014), starting also a European tour and confirming their presence in big summer festivals during 2019. Den Adel commented that for this new release the band would take influences from modern music but also incorporate darker elements to it. After the release of no less than four singles we would soon realize that this darkness would be reflected mainly in the themes and overall atmosphere of the music. Considering the commercial musical direction of their last couple of records, we were certainly not expecting them to make a U-turn and go back to their metal roots.

The album starts with ‘The Reckoning’, first single released last September with a futuristic videoclip. As it’s been the tendency of their last record, “Resist” also features some famous guest singers, and this time it was the turn of Jacoby Shaddix (PAPA ROACH). The sound of the song is dominated by heavy keyboard arrangements, giving it a modern touch. Sharon and Jacoby’s vocals merge nicely in a catchy, epic and melodic chorus. ‘Endless War’ is a bit of an odd-ball experiment, combining pop elements with operatic vocals, symphonic orchestrations and hip-hop vibes. It’s like NIGHTWISH and Rihanna had a kid.

‘Raise Your Banner’ comes back to the more traditional style of the band. The guest of honor is Anders Fridén, best known for his work as the frontman of Swedish band IN FLAMES. Anders’ mix of clean and harsh vocals adds more colors to the song and the chorus has a battle hymn feeling that sticks with you from the first listen. With ‘Supernova’ they get closer to a more electronic pop sound influenced by bands like MUSE. The keyboard work by Martijn Spierenburg keeps dominating the general atmosphere of the record, with playful rhythms and contagious melodies that contrast with gloomy lyrics.

In ‘Holy Ground’ they experiment again with electronic sounds and Sharon’s phrasing has a rap feeling to it at times. In this case the lyrics are a bit infantile, reminding a bit me the likes of Avril Lavigne. ‘In Vain’, another song released as a single, brings back the promised darkness into the album and is executed with mastery. The structure and melody of this song helps to make it stand out and become of the more addictive tunes in the record. In ‘Fireflight’ they make a turn towards R&B, with the contribution of Jasper Steverlinck’s guest vocals. This is one of the record’s finest duets, since their voices blend in perfectly.

‘Mad World’ is my personal favorite of the album, with an irresistible sound for someone nostalgic with 80’s pop. It is a song full of energy and even the toughest metalhead wouldn’t resist its groovy dance feeling. With ‘Mercy Mirror’ they go back to a modern radio-friendly pop sound, but which becomes a bit too predictable and repetitive. The album finishes in great style with ‘Trophy Hunter’, a heavier and more guitar-oriented song, putting the omnipresent keyboards aside for a while. Sharon’s work is impeccable here, with a catchy and effective vocal line, showing all her potential as one of the greatest female voices in rock nowadays.

To sum up, “Resist” is an entertaining and dynamic album, mixing in a superb way elements that range from symphonic rock to electronic pop. With this release, WITHIN TEMPTATION marks a complete transition from their early metal sound into one that is more accessible for a mainstream audience. Before the release of this album the band had performed half of the songs live, showing how confident they were on the quality of the material. Sharon’s voice and Spierenburg’s keyboard work remain as the most distinctive components of this unstoppable sound machine, which has managed to erase any possible questions regarding their continuity and relevance.

Rating 7.5/10

WITHIN TEMPTATION – “Resist” videos

Review: EVERGREY – “The Atlantic” (2019)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 22, 2019

Posted in: Int. News, News, Reviews. Tagged: “The Atlantic”, Evergrey. Leave a comment

Review by David Araneda

Artist: EVERGREY
Album: “The Atlantic”
Release Date: 25th January 2019
Label: AFM Records

Tracklist:

01. A Silent Arc
02. Weightless
03. All I Have
04. A Secret Atlantis
05. The Tidal
06. End of Silence
07. Currents
08. Departure
09. The Beacon
10. This Ocean

The Swedish progressive metal lords EVERGREY bring us their eleventh studio album, entitled “The Atlantic” and released via AFM Records. This record marks the final chapter of a trilogy about the adventure of life, which started in 2014 with “Hymns for The Broken” and continued in 2016 with “The Storm Within”. The lineup of the band has remained unchanged since the beginning of this trilogy, showing cohesion within the group. During this break Tom Englund, leader and vocalist of the band, joined their American pairs REDEMPTION to replace Ray Alder in their 2018 release “Long Night’s Journey into Day”.

Regarding the concept and themes of “The Atlantic”, Tom Englund commented: “It’s about relationships, beauty and darkness, about fortune and grief, about love, hate, despair, joy and everything connected with it. Life is like a journey across the ocean, on the way to distant shores”. “The Atlantic” was produced by Englund himself together with drummer Jonas Ekdahl and was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Artist Giannis Nakos was in charge of the interesting cover, dominated by shades of yellow, portraying a small boat sailing in a reckless storm, trying not to succumb to the fury of the sea.

The album begins with ‘A Silent Arc’, released already last December. The song starts suddenly with one of the heaviest riffs in EVERGREY‘s history, and as soon as the vocals come out we pay attention to the fierce vocal style of Tom. This is a very aggressive opening for the standards of the band, but after the storm comes the calm and towards the chorus this early rage dissolves into very melodic passages. It soon becomes evident that we are dealing with a band with masterful ability to control the intensity, the contrasts and the atmosphere in their music. With almost eight minutes of length, the band displays all its majesty and class in this song.

They continue with ‘Weightless’, another single for which they recorded a video clip with Jonas Ekdahl’s drums burning in flames, achieving an astonishing visual effect. The song opens with a mid-tempo hard-rock riff, progressing into a melodic and catchy vocal line, with the kind of chorus that sticks to your head from the first listen. ‘All I Have’ also starts powerfully, developing into a melancholic verse and then a chorus with almost romantic pop tones. The subtle changes of intensity and the elegance of EVERGREY‘s style prevent them from fall into clichés, keeping their musical integrity. The guitar work of Henrik Danhage and Tom Englund stands out towards the end of this track.

‘A Secret Atlantis’ sticks to the previous formula, starting in a furious and unstoppable fashion, but little by little they slow down as the song progresses. Tom Englund uses the chance to explore other areas of his register, swimming into deeper waters, but also hitting some high notes. The lyrics reflect the pain and desperation of being lost out in the ocean with the uncertainty of not knowing what the future holds. ‘The Tidal’ is a keyboard-based short instrumental where Rikard Zander shows all his skills, working as an interlude before fully entering into the second half of the album.

‘End of Silence’ is a song with a solemn mood, mixing a very nostalgic melody with sublime piano arrangements. The pace remains quite calm for most of the track, getting some momentum towards the end with an instrumental section in which the two guitars and the keyboard merge, giving birth to mesmerizing harmonies. ‘Currents’ was the third single of “The Atlantic” and works as a synthesis of the concept of the album, summarizing the comparison between life in the ocean and existence itself, with all its difficulties and sudden changes. Although lacking the charm of the other two singles, this song contains interesting keyboard arrangements, vocal harmonies and guitar solos.

‘Departure’ is one of the songs that stands out for its structure, breaking the formula to which we were getting used to. The beginning is slow, progressing little by little into more complex rhythm signatures, bursting with instrumental virtuosity. The work of bassist Johan Niemann is a highlight of this track, adding heaviness to its multiple intensity changes. Approaching the end of this trip, the album closes with a couple of songs that in my opinion do not reach the level of the previous ones. The first of them, ‘This Beacon’, in spite of its dramatic start and metaphorical lyrics, does not bring anything new to the table. To conclude, ‘This Ocean’ is a more energetic effort, but it also leaves us wanting more.

While “The Atlantic” is a record that goes from great to not so great, with a superb start but losing some gas towards the end, it’s also a release that shows EVERGREY at the top of their abilities and greatness for most of its length. There are at least four songs that are destined to become classics in their catalogue. This album will probably open their way to new horizons, as the band will soon embark on a tour that will take them through the main cities of Europe and some summer festivals, including the thirtieth anniversary of Wacken Open Air. Don’t miss them if you have the chance to catch them on the road. The Kings of Swedish progressive metal are here to stay.

Rating 7.8/10

EVERGREY – “The Atlantic” videos

Review: SOILWORK – “Verkligheten” (2019)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 18, 2019

Posted in: Int. News, News, Reviews. Tagged: "Verkligheten", Soilwork. Leave a comment

Review by David Araneda

Artist: SOILWORK
Album: “Verkligheten”
Release Date: 11th January 2019
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Tracklist:
01. Verkligheten
02. Arrival
03. Bleeder Despoiler
04. Full Moon Shoals
05. The Nurturing Glance
06. When the Universe Spoke
07. Stålfågel
08. The Wolves Are Back in Town
09. Witan
10. The Ageless Whisper
11. Needles and Kin (feat. Tomi Joutsen)
12. You Aquiver

The Swedish melodeath masters SOILWORK has just released their eleventh studio album entitled “Verkligheten” (“The Reality” in Swedish) via Nuclear Blast Records. For the fans of this band it’s been almost three and a half years without hearing new material from the them since the release of “The Ride Majestic” in 2015, excluding the compilation album “Death Resonance” from 2016. During this time some of the members of the band have remained quite busy in other successful projects such as the melodic rock band THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, who have released two studio albums in this period and will be perform in the next version of Wacken Open Air.

In addition, during this recess the drummer Dirk Verbeuren left the band after twelve years to join MEGADETH, with his young twenty-six-year-old apprentice Bastian Thusgaard coming as his replacement. Another change in the line-up of SOILWORK was the departure of bassist Markus Wibom, replaced by Taylor Nordberg. The rest of the line-up remains unchanged with Björn “Speed” Strid on vocals, Sylvain Coudret and David Andersson on guitars, along with Sven Karlsson on the keyboards. Taking into account the long gap between albums, the growing popularity of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA and the changes in the line-up, the stakes on “Verkligheten” were quite high.

The album opens with a short but peculiar instrumental introduction called ‘Verkligheten’, marking a soft and subtle start for a record that will be full of surprises. The keyboard sound merges with the beginning of the first actual song. I’m talking about ‘Arrival’, the first single released last October as a lyric video. This track shows us SOILWORK in all its splendor, with a furious melodeath sound full of futuristic elements. The chorus is epic, mixing in an exceptional way the clean and harsh vocals of Speed. The guitar duo shreds at full speed and steals the show. A great start for this long-awaited album.

Then they strike again attack with ‘Bleeder Despoiler’, which begins in a promising way with an interesting guitar riff full of groove. However, by the time the chorus arrives the song becomes a bit too predictable and repetitive, making it one of the few tracks of the album that didn’t succeed to surprise me. ‘Full Moon Shoals’, on the other hand is a lot catchier, with an almost pop chorus in which Speed´s clean vocals predominate. The sound is closer to the metalcore, which is not my favorite metal subgenre, but in the case of SOILWORK sounds very authentic. Towards the end of the song they go nuts with a fast paced section and lots of growling.

‘The Nurturing Glance’ opens with clean guitars, developing into a melodic riff and then a hard rock bridge, culminating with a catchy trademark chorus. Both Coudret and Andersson are experts when it comes to mixing different styles of guitar playing in the same song. ‘When the Universe Spoke’ repeats the formula of intro with clean guitars, but in this case it explodes into an amazing blastbeast, full of melody but also very aggressive. It’s one of the best songs of the album in my opinion. Extra points to Bastian Thusgaard, who remains precise and synchronized with the rest of the band despite the great velocity.

‘Stålfågel’ (“Bird of Steel” in Swedish) is one of the most interesting songs on the album, as it drifts away from the classic SOILWORK sound and gets closer to what we are used to with THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA. It’s a track with a retro-futuristic atmosphere, from the eighties-like keyboard sound to its striking animated video clip. Sven Karlsson’s work on keyboards is truly inspired, creating a unique, epic and apotheotic atmosphere. As a curiosity, in the background we can hear a female guttural voice, and everything suggests that it would be Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), but at the moment this can’t be reliably verified online.

‘The Wolves Are Back in Town’ is a correct track but it suffers for its position in the album among more outstanding songs, remaining a little unnoticed. ‘Witan’ is a song that injects some fresh air into the record, mainly thanks to its infectious chorus, one of the most effective of the album. And that is a lot to say, since these Swedes tend to put extra-cheese in their choruses. ‘The Ageless Whisper’ begins with the soft message from a girl and a relaxed pace, only to detonate into an intense display of riffs, with plenty of changes of intensity in addition to a playful chorus, full of drama. The brief instrumental interlude with jazz-fusion bits is priceless.

‘Needles and Kin’ is another fast song, full of adrenaline and with the collaboration of Tomi Joutsen from AMORPHIS. In the growling contest the Finn takes the advantage with a deeper and more powerful voice, but Speed shines with his clean voices, an area that he has been able to explore without limitations in his parallel project. The regular version of the album ends with ‘You Aquiver’, a song with an almost danceable beat, very melodic and energetic. For those loyal, collector fans, the digipack and double vinyl versions also include the EP “Underworld”, which contains three unreleased songs (‘Summerburned and Winterblown’, ‘In This Master’s Tale’ and ‘The Undying Eye’), plus the original version of ‘Needles and Kin’.

In conclusion, “Verkligheten” is an extremely dynamic album, drifting naturally between countless musical genres. The variety of styles incorporated, the quality of the musicians involved, together with those catchy melodic choruses, make SOILWORK an extremely attractive band for those who keep their minds open to a musical experience beyond any expectations. Without reinventing the wheel, these Swedes have managed to mix the ingredients in the right way to come up with an entertaining album that will generate a lot of noise during this year. It probably will not be the favorite record for old-school or more traditional metal fans, but one would assume that they are not keeping track of this band anymore.

Rating: 8/10.

SOILWORK – “Verkligheten” videos: