After salivating over the singles for this album in my New Videos articles, I finally listened to it. The result is pretty straight-forward symphonic metal, with the main gimmick being the two titular vocalists.
It's an interesting pair. Allen's vocals are passionate, full of emotion and energy, while Olzon's vocals are more cool and ethereal, matching the album artwork very well. While on some songs, only one is singing (Olzon's songs sound a lot like her work in Nightwish, naturally), but I think the album shines best on songs that have both of them singing together, as the contrast of their voices makes the song more dramatic and powerful. As for the rest, Frontiers Records has brought in Magnus Karlsson for more riffing and shredding, and he's got some decent solos here.
Fans of symphonic metal will find nothing really new here, as it establishes it's bombastic tone from the beginning, and doesn't vary at all. The lyrics are also kind of basic, full of vague and abstract lines about relationships and emotions. However, what's here is still well-executed. The singles "Never Die" and "Worlds Apart" are still great, and I really enjoyed "Lost Soul" with that massive riff. If you enjoy the work of either singer, you'll find plenty to like here.
Japan has always had a long history with rock and metal music, going back to the early 80s (if not earlier), so hearing great metal from Japan is not surprising. Even with the band consisting of five women isn't that weird, as there have been plenty of examples of women playing and/or singing great metal before. However, as for Lovebites, they really know how to get my head banging!
Right off the bat, this group is very talented. The guitarists Midori and Miyako stand out the most, not only playing some great riffs and melodies, but their solos are incredible as well! Lightning fast, but not too shred-heavy so that you get lost in all the notes. The rhythm section of Haruna and Miho keep the pace fast and tight, with Haruna fiercely double-kicking her way through it all. Asami's vocals do take some getting used to, though, as it's pretty clear English is not her first language. She also lays the vibrato pretty thick, like Tobias Sammet of Edguy, and I know that kind of voice isn't for everyone. Still, the lyrics aren't so complicated that you won't know what she's singing, and she delivers them with a lot of gusto, so her voice never feels out of place.
As for the songs, they're generally pretty solid. Looking at the song lengths (every one of them is over five minutes), you might think the album would be a slog, but I felt like the time was used quite well, actually. The highlights for me were "Holy War" and "When Destinies Align," which gave me some big Gamma ray vibes. I was a bit afraid that the album was going to be kind of samey throughout, but they do mix it up a bit. "A Frozen Serenade" and "Swam Song" have more of a symphonic metal style, while "Thunder Vengeance" and "Set the World on Fire" are more thrashy. And "Raise Some Hell" sounds like it could fit on a Judas Priest album. The only ones I felt weren't as strong were "Today Is the Day," which feels a bit phoned in; and "The Unbroken" which tries to do this swing-step thing with their power metal sound, and it doesn't really work. You also might feel like some of these songs belong as the intro to some fantasy anime series, which doesn't bother me (I am a bit of an otaku), but might bother others who don't care for that kind of bombastic energy.
Still, I highly recommend this album. I was impressed by this group back when I discovered them two years ago, and they haven't disappointed here. Not a perfect album, but certainly a very good one!
Just to recap, I discovered this band through Rulebreaker, which ended up being the best thing I'd heard all of 2016. Their follow up Apocalypse was more of the same, but I felt it wasn't quite as strong. However, after hearing the singles for this new album, I admit I had some high expectations. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is just kinda okay.
To be fair, this isn't anything really new: the band has been playing chest-pounding heavy/power metal since the 90s, but I feel like the songs just aren't as strong as they could be. The band is clearly still talented, with same solid riffing, slick solos, and Scheepers's iconic Halford-like vocals. "I Am Alive" remains a good opener, full of double-kicking fury, and "Hear Me Calling" is still an interesting ballad, with the chorus turned up to 11. "My Name Is Fear" has some pretty nice Helloween-like leads, and "Raise Your Fists" has this fun 80s metal energy, like a Turbo-era Judas Priest track. However, the rest don't really do much more that hasn't been done better on Rulebreaker. Sure, it's full of solid, mid-tempo stompers and a few faster tracks, but none of it seems to get above average for me. Even the 13-minute epic "Infinity" doesn't really feel like well thought out. It's like they had half a ballad and half a decent power metal song, and just made segues back and forth between the two before adding a symphonic section at the end that doesn't really match everything before it. There's also a version of this album with a second bonus disc with a few extra tracks, but it's not much different than the rest of the album (though "Crucify Me" does have some interesting energy).
I can't help but wonder if I didn't just set myself up for failure. I keep hoping I'll get another Rulebreaker from this band, but I guess that album was a peak, and after two albums, they've slid into a kind of comfortable pace for themselves. I think I liked Apocalypse more than this. Perhaps I'll find more to like once I listen to it more, but for now, somewhat underwhelming.
So, there's a few more down. I intend to try and get through another handful of 2020 albums before the year is out so that I can have at least a solid top 5 for the year. However, I have to admit I don't know if I've heard anything to really top Paragon's or Monkey3's work from last year. Even Metal Commando isn't as strong as Iron Savior's Kill or Be Killed. Well, I suppose there's still a few months left to be surprised by something. Until then, rock on! \m/
