Amberian Dawn - Darkness of Eternity (2017)

I am not the last to admit that I miss the good old days, at least when it comes to the Finnish power metal group Amberian Dawn. Ever since they changed lead singer, the band has lost an edge in both originality and energy, making two fairly decent records in "Magic Forest" and "Innuendo", but they did not stay in my mind for very long. I still like the band, a single member change does not affect me that much, but it does feel like that their best work is behind them.

Which leads me to "Darkness of Eternity", an album that is very close to literally piss me off. You see, it opens up really nicely with "I'm The One", a more or less classic Amberian Dawn song that has power, drive, and a sense of wonder that you can only get from some kind of fairy forest. Yes, this is a track that breathes Amberian Dawn from start to finish, and so does the aggressive "Dragonflies" a little later in the album, another very good track with some crunchy riffing.

Unfortunately, it goes pretty much downhill from there, with almost the rest of the material being head scratchingly weird. No seriously, I am fine with the band and what they have done in the last couple of albums, but this is just awkward. Several of the songs in "Darkness of Eternity" sounds like, and I kid you not, ABBA songs. Yes, freaking Sweden's first international super star group, that is what Amberian Dawn sounds like today. Jesus Christ...

So what exactly is it with the music that makes me claim this statement. Well, a lot of the songs, like "Maybe", "Sky Is Falling", and "Breathe Again", are very bright and jolly, drenching in 70's glory. Add to the fact that the fantasy vibes that is the personality of the band is very toned down, almost missing completely. You can just take any famous ABBA song to compare with, then try to tell me with a straight face that Päivi "Capri" Selo would not fit in as the fifth member of the group. It drives me nuts, I may like ABBA, and I respect everything they have done for Swedish music, but a Finnish symphonic power metal group should not sound like them.

Okay, I am being a little too harsh, I do still think that "Darkness of Eternity" has some redeeming qualities. Production is nice, several songs are memorable, and we also get some really nice instrumental performances here and there, but this album is hurt badly by its incredibly uneven nature, it goes back and forth without settling for something to latch on to. I want more of "Dragonflies, "Luna My Darling", "Abyss", and "I'm The One", that is the Amberian Dawn I know and love, but we do not get enough of it in this record.

So this leaves me with this question, do I prefer "Innuendo", which is a solid, but easily forgettable album, or do I like the more memorable "Darkness of Eternity" better despite its inconsistencies? It is kind of a coin flip, but I do at least get a couple of songs here that will stick with me for some time. It does not mean I like the album as a whole, it is a very bumpy ride with strange decisions, but it is kind of interesting to see this band take this path, hearing them dive deep into their inspirational banks. So yeah, while "Darkness of Eternity" can be frustrating, it is still an intriguing listen, even if it does sound like 70's pop at times.

Songs worthy of recognition: Luna My Darling, I'm The One, Dragonflies

Rating: 6,5/10 Golden Coins

http://amberiandawn.com/
https://twitter.com/amberiandawn

More reviews of Amberian Dawn
Magic Forest
Innuendo

Amberian Dawn - Innuendo (2015)

Most of us are bummed out that Amberian Dawn have gone down the same path as Nightwish, from being a exciting power metal band with opera influences, to becoming more "normal" in their approach. And while I did enjoy "Magic Forest", I had an uneasy feeling that the band's original personality was close to be extinct, and that the extinction would happen in any of the coming album. It certainly seems like I spoke too soon about that.

Released only one year after its predecessor, "Innuendo" is Amberian Dawn's 6th studio album, and it continues on the same road in which the band has been going on for quite some time. While the performance is stupendous as usual, I miss the technicality and speed that the band had in its early phases. No crazy guitar solos, no power songs a la "Lionheart", and no Heidi Parviainen and her opera voice. The only thing remaining is the symphonic aspect of the music, which even seems to be highlighted with the song "Symphony Nr 1, Part 1 - The Witchcraft", a interesting song that acts more like a play than a actual song, which is kind of weird.

Now, I will say this, the cover looks amazing, certainly my favourite cover from the band to this date. It got details, and it just fits the band perfectly. It also displays the music pretty well, those small touches of classical music takes you to some royal masquerade ball some time during the 18th or 19th century. I can imagine that it was a simple time to be alive, no worries about global warming and the phenomenon known as Hipsters had yet to be invented. Splendid!

But back to the music in "Innuendo", I rarely find myself disliking any of the tracks in this album, but I cannot really say that I love any of the tracks. During the short period of time Amberian Dawn has been around, they have created some amazing power metal, so I guess it is easy to compare this with the early material, which really makes it injustice. I tried to disconnect those thoughts, treating "Innuendo" for what it really is, but it just left me feeling the same way anyway. Not saying that the album pure out blows, but it does not blow me away either.

There is still some interesting music in this album, and it certainly meets the standard that the band has established during its existence. The opening act "Fame & Gloria" is one of my favourites with its great instrumentation and a structure that helps in telling the story. It is also one of few songs in which Capri excels with her voice. "Rise of The Evil" catches my attention with its heavy approach, and while the chorus may be tamer than what I want it to be, it is evened out with a terrific two part guitar solo, and the same can be said about "Chamber of Dreadful Dreams". For those who wants more classic AD, listen to "Ladyhawk" and the title track

"Innuendo" is a charming little album, with a nice old fashioned personality that fits the band as well as the fantasy did in the previous album. The music might not be as strong as one would hope, but it is certainly still enjoyable. With that said, I still find the early material to be better and more exciting, and no, it is not because of the opera vocals. Bring more insanity to the music please, and loosen up on being as fancy as a upper class citizen.

Songs worthy of recognition: Rise of The Evil, Fame & Gloria, Innuendo

Rating: 6,5/10 Ladyhawks

Amberian Dawn - Magic Forest (2014)

It is almost a shame that the Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn has been heavily compared to Nightwish, but there are reasons to why these bands has been compared to each other. Just like Nightwish, Amberian Dawn quickly grew a reputation as a fast playing band that mixed heavy riffs and melodies with the female opera singer Heidi Parviainen behind the microphone. But in 2012, Heidi left the band and was later replaced with Päivi "Capri" Selo, who is a "normal" singer. Most of us know what happened to Nightwish when they went through the same phase, Anette Olzon replaced Tarja Turunen, and even though the two albums she was involved in was some of the band's strongest works, she herself was heavily criticized by the fans of the band.

Checking around in some various metal sites and such, I get the feeling like the fans are a little hesitant about the new singer and that most of them wants Heidi back. Even though Capri is a good singer, I can actually agree with these fans, but mostly because it is hard to accumulate from one style of singing to another. We already got some heads up with the best of album "Re-Evolution" where Capri sings on some old Amberian Dawn classics, and she did a pretty decent job, but it was pretty clear that it was not at the same class as the original versions.

Anyway, how is Capri doing in "Magic Forest", the band's 5th studio effort? Well, she is doing a good job and it is clear that the band has succeeded in writing songs that fits Capri's voice while still maintaining the typical Amberian Dawn sound. I still miss Heidi though, but that does not take away that Capri is a great replacement for the band.

The music itself is nothing surprising, solid and melodic power metal at its finest. However, I do miss some of the craziness that the band usually brings in the guitar department, especially in the solos. Sure you can do a great solo without shredding until your fingers bleed, but it was one of the trademarks of Amberian Dawn in their early career and one of the things that made me a fan of the band. There are however very little in the music I can complain about, even if most of the songs in "Magic Forest" has been done before in any other of the band's albums. I also feel that the album starts of good with strong songs like "Cherish My Memory" and "Magic Forest", but it becomes weaker and more anonymous the longer it goes.

But in the end, "Magic Forest" is just another solid album by the band, and it is definitely a step forward from the lackluster effort known as "Circus Black". The band has made it as easy as possible for Capri to fit in the Amberian Dawn formula, and she is doing a wonderful job fitting in. So do not mourn over Heidi's departure, be happy over that Amberian Dawn still creates highly enjoyable melodic power metal.

Songs worthy of recognition: Magic Forest, Cherish My Memory, Sons of The Rainbow

Rating: 7,5/10 Warnings