Tension Rising
Penumbra

So, this album should be less than light, somewhat shaded or something, maybe it hides in the penumbra. As the title suggests, this new album by Tension Rising is focusing on some of the darker reaches of the world with themes around relationships, war, politics and other dark things. The cover looks pretty good as well, and this album was started after the band had a four-year hiatus and the process was probably slightly delayed by the pandemic that is ravaging the world at the moment but it allowed them to do more videos when they couldn’t play live.

Modern metal, quite heavy but also melodic – a powerful album. Perhaps not as dark as suggested by both cover and some of the press texts. The vocalist is fairly good, not fantastic but more than adequate. The production is good but I wouldn’t say that it is a standout production, and the album isn’t breaking much new ground but has a modern and relatively fresh sound. Perhaps the playing time is a bit on the long side, maybe it could have been a little bit shorter, but the variation is still pretty okay over the ten tracks we are offered here.

Penumbra is a solid and good album, but perhaps it is destined for the penumbra of the music world. The songs are good overall, there are no standout tracks and no really weak ones. I think that this album is missing a hit song and that little x-factor that makes a good album great. There is nothing really wrong with this album, it may not be outstanding but I think that it will work for some fans. It is an album that is pretty easy to like thanks to this heavy and melodic sound, I doubt that anyone who gets this album will be disappointed.

It may not break any new ground or anything but as a heavy and melodic metal album it is quite strong, Tension Rising shows that they are good craftsmen when it comes to crafting solid metal songs. Penumbra will appeal to many music fans and it will probably not disappoint, as it presses the buttons it needs to press. I think you should have a look at this one if you like works of the similar bands.

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