This is the first album scheduled for a 2016 release I’ve had for review, but on the face of it, it still feels like it’s 2006, or even 1996. The reference points listed for this Danish quartet don’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm: of Evanescence, A Perfect Circle and Halestorm, I can just about stomach one of the three. Thankfully, their brand of ‘emotional in-your-face heavy rock’ also calls to mind the days before the advent of Nu-Metal and all the diluted pap which followed, namely elements of mid 90s US rock and even a hint of the more metal-orientated edge of grunge.
The piano line on ‘Miss Madness’ is a major lift from Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’, and is one of the most Evanescence-like tracks on here, but we’ll let that go. ‘Breathe In’ offers a raucous grunge riff, as much L7 as Lacuna Coil, while ‘Your Light’ has heavy hints of Soundgarden.
Maja Schønning is a strong vocalist, with a clean, melodic style, but she’s not one to overdo it, and there’s no shortage of nuance to emphasise the songs’ emotional depths.
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If I were looking to find fault (and as a critic, it’s sort of my job), I’d note that the band have to date released three EPs, and the second and third of these form parts one and two of their three-part album, meaning only four of the ten tracks are previously unreleased. Still, with one of them having sold out already, I guess it’s fair play, and the ‘compilation’ aspect of this release does nothing to diminish its strength as a debut long-player.
Forever Still Online
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