Malrun
Two Thrones

In a way, everything happens at once for the Danes in Malrun. Sure, they've done plenty of shows since their second release, touring with bands like Emil Bulls, Engel and Mark Tremontli; but it's been pretty quiet elsewhere until now when the band is releasing their third album. Suddenly we see singles, videos and on top of everything the band has gone separate ways with their vocalist. Jacob Loebner is still doing the vocals on this album, since it was finished before he decided to leave the band, but it will be Nicklas Sonne that performs these songs live in the future.

Last time I called this band a mix between In Flames and Blind Guardian and said 'The Empty Frame' showed a good mix between melodic death and power metal of the heavier German model. This album is released two years later and the music has seething for two year, slowly maturing in to the music they've decided to put on this album. Clearly, the result is a heavier and more melodic death oriented album than last time and not so much power metal. The vocals actually goes more in the screamo, shouty kind of way than the clear vocals and that in itself takes it out of the power metal branch without even considering the heavier music. This makes me wonder if the reason why Jacob Loebner left was because he wanted it even heavier or because he wanted to stay more where they were on the previous album. Either way, this is the result with this album and I guess the next album will give the answer to that if we don't get it before.

'Two Thrones' is almost 50 minutes long and gives us 11 full length tracks and a so called prelude, leading us in to the song Serpent's Coil. The Danes are much closer to the music In Flames used to play then what In Flames themselves did on their latest release - which is a really heavy and solid sound. The music fares well, though being far from complicated once you get below the lead guitars and the melodies are also simple and seems fixed on doing their thing. Personally, I feel the melodies have been compromised by the heavy sound and that's a shame as they were probably the best feature on 'The Empty Frame'. This time, I feel most attracted to the shouts and screams of Jacob Loebner, which is a shame as he's leaving the band (but I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the new guy).

The opening track is a good one but there are a few ones beating the first single of the album along the way. I personally feel most attracted by Bury The Dead For You and The Ghost Of You, which are two tracks that feels suited to end the album. Had this album been released in the vinyl era, Bury The Dead would probably also have been a track that ended the album - on the A-side. But since we don't need to change sides anymore, I always tend to look in my playlist just to make sure the album isn't over already when I get to the end of that song as it has such a sound that it would close an album. In way, I almost wish they had ended the album there because then I think they'd reach another H on our scoring system because despite the other half being the better half with more of the great songs on it - like Dance Of The Satyr, The Ignorant and already mentioned Ghost Of You - I feel the second half is the reason why I can't go higher than four.

The reason why I think the better second half does that is because it fails to bring something exciting to the album. Basically it's the same thing as we got on the first half and the principle is the same here as it is with eating something very tasty - you tend to over eat it and once you pass a certain point it then stops being as tasty as it was in the beginning and you're left with a feeling of dissatisfaction instead. Malrun could have ended the six tracks long album with the nice conclusion called Bury The Dead For You because shortly after that is the point where this album stops to be tasty. Instead, becaus eit's good, we can and do stay with the album as it goes on and all though slightly better, the second half is basically just another run on the first half. 'Two Thrones' really is a tale of two thrones - and they are very similar.

I still think Malrun does a great performance - the music is good and songs as well and even though I feel the heavier sound may have affected their melodies slightly negative, there's still plenty of excitement on this album. And 50 minutes is not too long. The problem is, they do not need to do the same songs twice and that's more or less what they've done now. It's a great album, but half of it would have been enough.

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