Black Lodge/Sound Pollution
HYSTERICA are back for a second stab at world domination. This album is said to incorporate classic metal, melodic metal, doom and power metal, that ought to have pretty much all basses covered? Since last time keyboard player Marydeath has joined, but is the all-round approach right?
The general feeling is not that of classic metal, since there is sharpness to the sound, and, quite often, a bit of growl that I did not detect seeing them live at Sävsjöfestivalen in their early days. I also find the album lacking refrains, and it takes until the rather beautiful “Message” before I find anything on offer interesting. Unfortunately the last half of the album only raises hell in “Force”, as they leave out the growl and provide a reasonable refrain. With a bit of gentle man manners I could also agree to the album closer “Daughters of the Night” as a rather groovy affair which lacks only slightly in the refrain. I wish they had opted for classic with touches of originality instead.
Track List
Breaking the Walls
Fighters of the Century
Live or Die
Spirit of the Age
Message
Fear of the Light
Force
Heels
Hysterica
Daughters of the Night
www.soundpollution.se www.hysterica.se
