gothic metal / symphonic metal
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I know, there is a slight possibility that this band might not appreciate the 'gothic' tag on top of this review. For some reason, the name 'gothic metal' doesn't sit well with a lot of musicians. In a way, they're right. It's not because the main vocalist is a woman and there are plenty of keyboards and symphonic elements that this is automatically gothic metal. On the other hand, I have to find an audience for this, and in that case I'd recommend this music to fans of Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Epica and other bands in that area.
French melodic metal band Asylum Pyre have been around for awhile, since 2006 to be exact. So this third album could be seen as a ten-year celebration. It fits quite well in the gothic metal scene but there is a lot more to it. Opener 'Second Shadow' shows a radio friendly approach, possibly even resulting in a smash hit. With piano, heavy riffs and Chaos Heidi's firm but melodic vocals, this would make a great sing-along for metal minded audiences far and wide. True, it's a damn good song but maybe a bit too goody-goody to please those who like it hard and heavy.
For those people, Asylum Pyre wrote a few other tracks, including 'The Silence Of Screams', which brings out the grunts and seems to combine influences from Children Of Bodom and Helloween. 'Only Your Soul' comes up with the electronics, reminding me of something between Moonspell and Pain, with female vocals, obviously. By now, I'm really getting into the sound of Asylum Pyre. This really is an excellent album, regularly reminding me about the good old days, when I enjoyed all of the aforementioned bands at metal festivals.
'Unplug My Brain' is another candidate to become a massive hit single. It rocks, but you can also dance to it, a bit like 'The Bad Touch' by Bloodhound Gang but better, way better. But I promised myself not to go into too many song-by-song reviews anymore. Besides, I think by now you should have a proper idea of what this album sounds like. It sounds like a well-written, well-varied and well-performed album by skilled musicians and songwriters. I'll just mention that the gloomy 'The White Room' is my favorite and that there's more melodic goodness and some fierce surprises to be found on this album. So go ahead, check it out, you know you want to.
Serge
French melodic metal band Asylum Pyre have been around for awhile, since 2006 to be exact. So this third album could be seen as a ten-year celebration. It fits quite well in the gothic metal scene but there is a lot more to it. Opener 'Second Shadow' shows a radio friendly approach, possibly even resulting in a smash hit. With piano, heavy riffs and Chaos Heidi's firm but melodic vocals, this would make a great sing-along for metal minded audiences far and wide. True, it's a damn good song but maybe a bit too goody-goody to please those who like it hard and heavy.
For those people, Asylum Pyre wrote a few other tracks, including 'The Silence Of Screams', which brings out the grunts and seems to combine influences from Children Of Bodom and Helloween. 'Only Your Soul' comes up with the electronics, reminding me of something between Moonspell and Pain, with female vocals, obviously. By now, I'm really getting into the sound of Asylum Pyre. This really is an excellent album, regularly reminding me about the good old days, when I enjoyed all of the aforementioned bands at metal festivals.
'Unplug My Brain' is another candidate to become a massive hit single. It rocks, but you can also dance to it, a bit like 'The Bad Touch' by Bloodhound Gang but better, way better. But I promised myself not to go into too many song-by-song reviews anymore. Besides, I think by now you should have a proper idea of what this album sounds like. It sounds like a well-written, well-varied and well-performed album by skilled musicians and songwriters. I'll just mention that the gloomy 'The White Room' is my favorite and that there's more melodic goodness and some fierce surprises to be found on this album. So go ahead, check it out, you know you want to.
Serge
