Hannibal
Cyberia

No it is not a musical comeback by the one called Lecter but from the at least as famous greek singer with that nickname. Six years has passed since the band Hannibal released their debut album and now it is time for their second one, it is called Cyberia and features a fascinating cover artwork and booklet. It looks like a future world in a way with a city on the mountains, perhaps the building of wind power has finally taken its toll and global warming has melted the polar ice caps thanks to the carbon dioxide released in the building of the windmills and the forests laid to ground when making room for the turbines and towers. Then when looking closer we see some familiar faces like the Petronas Twin Towers from Kuala Lumpur, the Burj Dubai and several others and three of the Stockholm Globe Arena, I guess the spherical ice hockey stadium looks a bit futuristic. But in all honesty it is not really famous buildings on the cover art I am to look at but what Hannibal has to offer musically.

That is a rather mechanical sounding musical adventure into a future world. That is if you are willing to listen and not only after hearing it once saying that it is mechanical, devoid of emotion and cold because such a statement is not only unprofessional it is also very far from the truth. There is lots of emotion and a sense of adventure to be found in this album, all you need to do to find it is pay a little attention to it. This is not an album you can listen to once and decide it requires its time to really show its full potential. The production is good, there are many small details making up this album and these take a while to really sort out but when you have this music reaches a whole different level than the one it would seem like at first glance. It is not for the young and hip who are just looking for the next hit on youtube, this is something with a bit more depth and thought behind it which might make it an album that is not for everyone. But all in all I would say that the sound is good, it sounds a bit futuristic and to make a long story short: the cover art is rather revealing of what to expect from this album.

Cyberia is a really good album, it is an adventure and a well made and varied journey through futuristic heavy metal with many different aspects thrown in there as well. It is well thought through and it is not made to be hit music but music that feels built to last for a long time, but that has the backside that you need to listen more than just once or twice to really get to know it. Many reviewers don’t listen more than once to an album which is probably why this album has gotten some negative and indifferent reviews around the web, but we at Hallowed are not that unprofessional and give every album several plays before writing about them, this more than most. I think it is an exciting album with a lot of depth, I didn’t really like it at first but it has grown on me. The opening track Burn Me Alive is a track I hated at first, it felt stale and boring not a good opener at all. But all of a sudden the pieces for that song just fell into place and I enjoy that opener as I do with many of the songs on this album. I especially like Angelryche, My God and Sacred Alphabet which are amazing songs that lingers in my mind all the time even when I listen to other albums. So it is memorable good and catchy, but you need to really listen to reap its rewards.

In a way Cyberia is an album that makes you keep your faith in the musical business, as it is one not just geared at a brief recognition but focused on really good music that will last for a long time. I really like this album as it is both good, exciting and not one that feels a bit indifferent after a few plays like most music of today does. So, a recommended album for anyone who enjoys his/her music you will not regret getting it, if you do anyway you can always enjoy the brilliant artwork and booklet which is a treat in itself.