
Amaranthe
The Nexus
Spinefarm/Universal
2013
I remember happening upon this band during its early demo days when they used to be called Avalanche. Besides the gifted and beautiful Elize and the band’s mastermind Olof, I knew that this band generally had the talent and the will go big. I was impressed by their demo songs back in the day and I was waiting to see how they would evolve further.
In truth to be told, I wasn’t that happy with the band’s debut release as it still sounds rather plastic and too pop for a female-fronted metal band. I didn’t like the direction they had taken and I was hoping for a second album which would find the band working more on things and reconsidering their place through melodic metal music. Regrettably, “Nexus” is worse than the debut and several steps on the wrong direction. Their plastic cheesy pop metal has been embellished with lots of electro elements which do not add anything to their style. Quite the opposite; they are making it softer & more intolerable at times. As for the “brutal” vocals… they do sound a bit “gay & pathetic” most of the times. What in the hell had they been thinking?
Besides the flawless production, everything else here is so predictable and dull that it becomes a disgrace eventually. Songs that have been written in less than 5-minutes and the same songwriting recipe throughout the album along with childish, cheesy & dull melodies. Yeap, they have already done well on their country’s charts… but what the heck… they could easily drop the mild “brutal vocals” and try out for Eurovision next year… I think they have great chances to win…
In truth to be told, I wasn’t that happy with the band’s debut release as it still sounds rather plastic and too pop for a female-fronted metal band. I didn’t like the direction they had taken and I was hoping for a second album which would find the band working more on things and reconsidering their place through melodic metal music. Regrettably, “Nexus” is worse than the debut and several steps on the wrong direction. Their plastic cheesy pop metal has been embellished with lots of electro elements which do not add anything to their style. Quite the opposite; they are making it softer & more intolerable at times. As for the “brutal” vocals… they do sound a bit “gay & pathetic” most of the times. What in the hell had they been thinking?
Besides the flawless production, everything else here is so predictable and dull that it becomes a disgrace eventually. Songs that have been written in less than 5-minutes and the same songwriting recipe throughout the album along with childish, cheesy & dull melodies. Yeap, they have already done well on their country’s charts… but what the heck… they could easily drop the mild “brutal vocals” and try out for Eurovision next year… I think they have great chances to win…