It's been a minute since I've done one of these! Mostly catching up on some older albums from some favorite bands, this one is full of melodic metal! Here's what I've been banging my head to lately.
As I was listening to different bands, I was suddenly in the mood for something more shreddy, and I knew Symphony X was a band I wanted to get into more, so I threw on their 1998 album. I definitely got what I wanted, as the band has a very distinct mix of neo-classical shredding, epic soundscapes, and technical proficiency.
Right off, you get some pretty good songs. "Smoke and Mirrors" sets the stage by opening with a lightning fast guitar run before getting into some powerprog pyrotechnics. Russell Allen sounds good, as always, though there are a few moments where I think he's maybe forcing the drama a little. Still, it's a minor gripe about an incredible voice.
From there, the rest of the album lurches around, with some tracks working better than others. "Church of the Machine" and "The Relic" have strong Dream Theater vibes, as well as the epic of the album "Through the Looking Glass." It's not bad, but does feel clunky, as if the technical side took over the songwriting, resulting in a song that doesn't quite have its pieces together. "In the Dragon's Den" was a pretty solid piece of powerprog, featuring a dual solo with guitars and synths that made me think of classic Stratovarius! Overall, I enjoyed it, but then the band has always been pretty reliable, at least on the few albums I've heard, so it met my expectations pretty well.
When I reviewed their first album, I said I was kinda down on the songs in the second half, but as I've listened to them more, they've grown on me. That first album was quite solid, in the end. In 2019, they followed up with this one, and while I enjoyed the singles from it, I didn't get around to the album until now. I probably should have listened to it sooner, as it has some great stuff on here.
First of all, this really is more of the same: power metal mixed with 80s synth pop and even touches of Italo Disco. The thing is, they aren't the only ones doing this anymore, as a number of bands have jumped on the 80s nostalgia train and added synth riffs and arrangements to their metal songs, and I admit it doesn't always work. However, Beast in Black seem to have it down, as I found myself enjoying this album as much as the last one. Yannis Papadopoulos remains a great singer, using both is lighter and heavier vocal styles to expand the range of emotions on these songs. The riffs remain catchy and the synths ease their way in and out of the songs, never feeling forced or overdone, in my opinion.
Stand out tracks are the awesome opener "Cry Out for a Hero," the title track, the anthemic "True Beleiver," and "No Surrender," which sounds a bit more Judas Priest than some of the other stuff on here. "Oceandeep," is an interesting ballad, going for more of a symphonic, Nightwish flavor. The other songs didn't seem as strong, but they could grow on me like the first album did. Still, a great follow up to what was a great album, and I look forward to more of their unique brand of energetic metal in the future.
Despite enjoy most of Sabaton, there are a few albums I still haven't gotten to. This one is a little unique in that the subject matter focuses on a much older war than the band usually covers, that of the Thirty Years War and the Great Northern War of the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly from the Swedish perspective under the rule of King Charles XII, and his crack unit, the Caroleans. It's a neat bit of history that few outside of Europe would know much about, which makes it pretty novel.
From there, the album proceeds to follow the standard Sabaton progression: epic power metal, sometimes fast and triumphant as they talk about the battles, sometimes anthemic and mournful for the heroes that fall and lives that are lost. As for songs that stand out, I liked "The Lion from the North" and "Poltava," as they were the more energized tracks. And their cover of Amon Amarth's "Twilight of the Thunder God" is a lot of fun!
As always, one knows what to expect when listening to a Sabaton album, for better or worse. While I do enjoy their anthemic style, it does feel like there's some leaning on a formula here. Still, it's a decent album, and it gets to show that the band has more interests than just World War II.
It's been kind of an up-and-down year for me so far. I'm actually rather thankful that I get to listen to music while I work, as it's helped me cope with a lot of things. (Nothing serious, just the tedium and tension of working at home during lockdown.) Fortunately, I have no shortage of stuff to listen to! I'll try to get back on the new releases soon, but until then, rock on! \m/
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