progressive rock / metal
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When this album first came in, two aspects of it immediately dragged it into a certain musical style. First, there was the beautiful, gloomy cover art. Second, there were the last four letters of the band name. That being said, the album title also places this thing right into the world of gothic metal, or 'symphonic female fronted metal' as some people would prefer. So I was a bit sceptic about this album. Not that I dislike gothic metal, but let's face it, some of those bands have become way too theatrical and bombastic, no? Well, they do for me.
Yet, after listening to this album I came to a whole different conclusion.
Do you remember when Anneke joined Dutch death metal band The Gathering and suddenly inspired a whole generation to evolve into gothic metal, before that tag was even invented? Well, I feel like French act Wedingoth could be one of those first bands, creating progressive and emotive rock music with touches of metal and fronted by a vocalist with an excellent, versatile voice. And, what's probably more important, they blend these elements with great symphonic arrangements into a number of great, epic songs.
The albums opens with an awesome intro, a nice piece of dark ambient, before the guitars and drums kick in on 'Alone In The Crowd Part I'. From the very beginning, Wedingoth manages to grab the listener's attention with their sometimes heavy but always well-written progressive rock. Bands that come to mind include Lacuna Coil, Black Sabbath, The Gathering, Ayreon and even some of Iron Maiden's epic ballads. So yeah, there's plenty of variation, but the whole thing remains a coherent listening experience.
Perhaps, the only point of criticism from my end, could be the somewhat too harsh grunts which appear once in awhile. Not that I don't really mind grunts, screams and growls but on this album they're not really needed. They push the whole thing back into the world of metallic extremes, while the rest of the album is perfectly suited for every fan of progressive rock, from Pink Floyd to Dream Theater. On the other hand, these vocals might appeal to a new generation of fans, those coming from the metalcore scene and looking for new sounds to explore.
No harm done in luring in some new fans.
In all, 'Alone In The Crowd' is an excellent album, and album that dares to explore and experiment, one which comes up with some amazing passages. It certainly convinced me of Wedingoth musical abilities. My favorite song, if I have to choose one, will probably be 'The Painter' or closer 'Alone In The Crowd Part II'. My suggestion is simple: check it out and allow yourself to dwell in this wonderful musical adventure.
​Serge
Yet, after listening to this album I came to a whole different conclusion.
Do you remember when Anneke joined Dutch death metal band The Gathering and suddenly inspired a whole generation to evolve into gothic metal, before that tag was even invented? Well, I feel like French act Wedingoth could be one of those first bands, creating progressive and emotive rock music with touches of metal and fronted by a vocalist with an excellent, versatile voice. And, what's probably more important, they blend these elements with great symphonic arrangements into a number of great, epic songs.
The albums opens with an awesome intro, a nice piece of dark ambient, before the guitars and drums kick in on 'Alone In The Crowd Part I'. From the very beginning, Wedingoth manages to grab the listener's attention with their sometimes heavy but always well-written progressive rock. Bands that come to mind include Lacuna Coil, Black Sabbath, The Gathering, Ayreon and even some of Iron Maiden's epic ballads. So yeah, there's plenty of variation, but the whole thing remains a coherent listening experience.
Perhaps, the only point of criticism from my end, could be the somewhat too harsh grunts which appear once in awhile. Not that I don't really mind grunts, screams and growls but on this album they're not really needed. They push the whole thing back into the world of metallic extremes, while the rest of the album is perfectly suited for every fan of progressive rock, from Pink Floyd to Dream Theater. On the other hand, these vocals might appeal to a new generation of fans, those coming from the metalcore scene and looking for new sounds to explore.
No harm done in luring in some new fans.
In all, 'Alone In The Crowd' is an excellent album, and album that dares to explore and experiment, one which comes up with some amazing passages. It certainly convinced me of Wedingoth musical abilities. My favorite song, if I have to choose one, will probably be 'The Painter' or closer 'Alone In The Crowd Part II'. My suggestion is simple: check it out and allow yourself to dwell in this wonderful musical adventure.
​Serge