Band:
Eicca Toppinen (cello, double bass, percussion, programming, vocals)
Paavo Lötjönen (cello, vocals)
Perttu Kivilaakso (cello, programming, vocals)
Mikko Sirén (drums, double bass, vocals)
Discography:
Plays Metallica by Four Cellos (1996)
Inquisition Symphony (1998)
Cult (2000)
Reflections (2003)
Apocalyptica (2005)
Worlds Collide (2007)
7th Symphony (2010)
Guests:
Franky Perez (Vocals)
Info:
Nick Raskulinecz (Producer)
Released 2015-04-17
Reviewed 2015-04-17
Links:
apocalyptica.com
youtube
soundcloud
Since the early days when they made Metallica tributes the band has taken quite a journey through gold and platina albums from all around the world and several top 10 charts but they’re still missing that number one album and I guess that’s what they’re aiming for with this album – to get that elected feather in the hat.
Listening to the album it’s clear that some tracks on the album definitely deserve that number one position as they come with such innovation, hit feel and striking power that they could build a house by own force. They come with harmony, frenzy and technical brilliancy and the album feels fresh and yet somehow familiar. Unfortunately there are tracks here that can’t withhold this quality and that’s a shame because Cold Blood, Sea Song /You Waded Out) and the instrumental Till Death Do Us Part are absolutely fabulous! Some tracks feels a bit too much traditional hard rock/metal and they just got a feeling of diminishing their so way of doing things, not putting it there up centre like in the ten minute long concluder Dead Man’s Eye.
All in all the album covers 66 minutes, which is a bit long if you ask me. They definitely had opportunity to leave a couple of tracks outside the album, which would be a good thing. However, despite this opinion I still feel Apocalyptica has made a first class album with this one and it comes from a very professional hand. The amazing sound lift the instrument out from the album with an almost magical feeling and the competent vocalist Franky Perez can stretch his pitch almost like taffy – he makes such an impression on this album that you can’t help feeling that he’s always been in Apocalyptica. He should have at least. As a whole, this album – despite the weaker tracks – feels like the best and most competent album they’ve ever done. It’s the Apocalyptica album that I will chose first if I get to pick one to hear.
The band had a few years hiatus between ’7th Symphony’ and this one and that seems to have made good for the album. I’ve always thought the band has been to obsessed with showing everyone what a great musicians they’ve been and forgot that not everyone likes cello orgies with complex solos but this is something they’ve corrected with ’Shadowmaker’. The downside is a few more ”normal” tracks but the end result still speaks for itself. Apocalyptica has definitely found the right way – the sixth H is so close you can’t imagine…
HHHHHHH