Crimson skies --- Cloudscape --- 2006 (Metal Heaven)
Scandinavia seems to be
the place, other than the US and UK, most closely linked with emerging metal acts these days. Maybe it's because it's so cold up there, they have to learn to play guitar and keyboard and drums as fast as they can to keep warm! Seriously though, there have been some premier bands coming out of the “cold countries” in the last five or so years, the likes of In Flames, Evergrey, Amon Amarth and of course Opeth --- perhaps the most successful of them all --- not to mention Children of Bodom, Therion, Tiamat, Katatonia, Hammerfall... the list goes on. Now it seems we can add another to that pantheon, in the shape of the interestingly-named Cloudscape.
More melodic than most of the abovementioned, Cloudscape hail from Sweden, and released their debut self-titled album in 2004, to mostly rave reviews. It was pretty clear then that there was a new player emerging from the Land of the Midnight Sun. This is their second album, and it continues in the same powerful and melodic vein that the debut began. It's heavy metal, there's no doubt about that from the opening powerchords of “Shapeshifter”, and the twin guitars of Patrik Svard and Daniel Palson make sure the “heavy” is retained in heavy metal, while singer Mike Andersson roars out the lyrics with a clear, understandable voice, a welcome change from the “death vocals” practiced by so many of the bands listed above, and with which I will have no truck.
There is a keyboard player, but information on the album is hard to come by, even at the band's own website --- imagine having no “discography” tab? What [i[are[/i] they thinking of? As a result of this dearth of detail, I can't tell you who is playing the keyboards, but he (presumably it's a guy) is doing a great job. “Shadowlands” is another hard rocker, with a great melody and the barest tinges of AOR just bouncing off its edges. Great guitar solo here, but from which guitarist? I wish they'd be a bit more helpful when there are two guys on the axe: how are you supposed to know who to credit? Either way, whether it's Svard or Palson, it's a great solo.
Things slow slightly for “And then the rain”, but it's by no means a ballad, more one of those slow metal songs I like to call “crunchers”, whereas “Take the blame” comes in on spacey swirling synth, but it's not long before the guitars savage everything again and the drums pound like the Apocalypse as the song moves into high gear. “Psychic imbalance” has a kind of Iron Maiden feel about it, particularly their longer songs, like “To tame a land” or “Alexander the Great” --- long, multi-layered, thematic, almost progressive in its approach.
One thing this album is full of is power and energy. There's a freshness and an honesty about Cloudscape that is refreshing and quite infectious. Songs like “Hope”, with its atmospheric guitar passage recalling the early days of Steve Rothery with Marillion, or the almost “Phantom of the Opera” keyboard introduction to “Breath in my sanity”, or indeed the pure guitar attack of “1000 souls”, Cloudscape keep you constantly guessing as to what direction they're going to jump. They can be hard guitar rock, semi-mellow keyboard/synth or power melodic as the mood takes them. Though there are no ballads on this album, I'd be willing to bet they can pen a fierce one, and look forward to their first effort.
“Someone else” is a great power rocker, with nice keyboard touches and shredding guitar, while the closer, “Will we remain”, gets going on proggy keyboard and gentle percussion before the guitars slam in and the album ends as it began, hard and heavy.
My one quibble with this album is that a lot of it sounds the same. I found it a little difficult to distinguish one track from the other. Also, whenever things seem to be going into a slower mode, usually with keyboard or piano intro, it's only a few seconds before the hammering guitars drga everything back up to speed territory. I would have preferred something at least a little slower-paced, if not actually a ballad then a nice piano or synth led song, rather than just a few seconds.
That aside, I would certainly recommend this album to any metalheads. Those looking for more thoughtful, progressive or melodic metal, might be advised to look elsewhere. Of course, this is my first listen to “Crimson skies”, so it's very possible that it could grow on me after repeated listens. The question is, do I
want to listen to it repeatedly? Or even once more?
The jury are having lunch...
TRACKLISTING
1. Shapeshifter
2. Shadowland
3. And then the rain
4. Take the blame
5. The last breath
6. Psychic imbalance
7. Hope
8. Breach in my sanity
9. Demon tears
10. 1000 souls
11. Someone else
12. Will we remain