The Swedish six-piece have spent the last decade establishing themselves as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014’s Massive Addictive and its immaculate follow-up Maximalism (2016), AMARANTHE have masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep and futuristic sparkle. Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Olof Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.
Widely acclaimed as a dazzling live act, the Swedes reached a new peak of creativity on 2018’s hugely successful Helix: an album that pushed the band’s vision to new heights, breadths and depths, while showcasing the brilliance of Elize and her co-vocalists, Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson and recent recruit Nils Molin. As they approached the making of their sixth full-length album, Olof notes that AMARANTHE had never been more united or fired-up for the future.
“We were confident when we began work on this record, yes, but also comfortable,” he says. “Nils had only joined the band half a year before we recorded »Helix«. So while I was aware that he was a fantastic singer – that’s why he got the job! – we didn’t know exactly how to write vocal lines for this guy. This time around I knew exactly what we wanted him to sing, and he brought a lot of his own suggestions as well. His presence on the album really lifts the whole thing. He’s a phenomenal singer, but it’s great to take advantage of having two different characteristics in the clean vocals, with Nils and Elize combined with the growls. There’s quite a bit more Nils on this album, particularly in the choruses were they’re both lifting the song at the same time. It gives it a slight hint of an ‘80s, early ‘90s metal vibe. It was a joy to work on this album in general!”
Up to the music now:
Fearless is the first track and starts like a power metal bomb mixed with electronics. The vocals go from clean to screaming and grunting, but always with that sweet ABBA kind of a style when we hear the clean vocals. I love the tempo! The beginning of Make It Better sounds like starting a war, but once we hear Elize singing the song song changes into a more positive driven song with a clear note of hope and light at the end of the tunnel. This is how you fight the feeling you got in 2020 and know that 2021 is coming and you start to fight together to make it better! Scream My Name sounds like a classic Amaranthe song: metal mixed with electronics and sung by different voices giving it a special touch and always with a positive vibe. To be honest: I was expecting something more erotic here, but that must be my imagination! Viral is a nice up tempo work out song with lyrics about a typical anno 2020 thingie. Adrenaline is as fuelled as the song says it, however when Elize sings the tempo lowers a bit. The chorus is catchy as hell! The ecclectic sound is just great! Strong has soul, guts, energy and a positive feel. The Abba feel is on it’s right place! This is a bombtrack! Be ready to jump up and down and throw your arms in the air! The Game s a typical Amaranthe song with a nice tempo and sounds almost like the perfect work out music! Go spin on that that bike! Crystalline is a semi ballad, filled with fragility and a romantic/heroic feel. Archangel starts with heavy grunts and hammering drums whilst singing about heroic fights. BOOM!1 is just what the title says: a big boom, an adrenaline shot with a slice of Tool. Die And Wake Up brings a nice mix of 3 different voices and keeps the balance between catchy, heavy and sweet. Last one is Do Or Die is a fast and chatchy track and sounds like a good final with clean vocals and harsh grunting. It’s the final boom: mixing hardcore metal with electronics and cool guitar licks.
The album is not bad at all and I love the extra vocals and the wider range! They get indeed better with every album!
