Madrigal - I Die, You Soar
Nuclear Blast - 2001
Reviewed by Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Madrigal website.
Go to the Nuclear Blast website.
This is the first release from Gothenberg metallers Madrigal, and considering that the band have only been around since 1998, it's not too bad an effort at all - at least, it isn't if your standards for innovation and variety aren't that high. They've already made some high profile chums since Anders Friden of In Flames invited the band into Studio Fredman to record this debut album, then bothered Nuclear Blast's A&R people to give them a record contract.
The music, generally speaking, sounds pretty much like Lacuna Coil teaching Dark Tranquillity meditation techniques - in other words, it's heavy, but slow and brooding rather than driving like DT's material. Rather confusingly billed as a band for those who are tired of Anathema and Paradise Lost's continued commercialisation by the Nuclear Blast bio, Madrigal's compositions are keyboard-heavy, melodic slices of down-tempo goth metal with the occasional nod to progressive influences.
The production, as is to be expected from Studio Fredman, is top notch - this album contains possibly the fullest, hugest sounding guitars I have heard in a long time, which is a shame since guitars are rarely the focus of the songs here. Mainly, the impetus is on the keyboards to drive the melody and the singer's impressive yet slightly Kiske-esque voice.
The main problem with Madrigal is that what works once doesn't work through an entire album. The pace of the songs rarely changes from a plodding chug-along with atmospheric synths in te background, and the song structures are unremarkable in the extreme. The instrumental performances are adequate but not breath-taking, and the vocals again are impressive, but you get the impression that he's not really stretching his abilities in any way. In fact, at times while listening to this album, it's hard to see what it might have been that impressed Mr. Friden so much.
6/10
Nuclear Blast - 2001
Reviewed by Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Madrigal website.
Go to the Nuclear Blast website.
This is the first release from Gothenberg metallers Madrigal, and considering that the band have only been around since 1998, it's not too bad an effort at all - at least, it isn't if your standards for innovation and variety aren't that high. They've already made some high profile chums since Anders Friden of In Flames invited the band into Studio Fredman to record this debut album, then bothered Nuclear Blast's A&R people to give them a record contract.
The music, generally speaking, sounds pretty much like Lacuna Coil teaching Dark Tranquillity meditation techniques - in other words, it's heavy, but slow and brooding rather than driving like DT's material. Rather confusingly billed as a band for those who are tired of Anathema and Paradise Lost's continued commercialisation by the Nuclear Blast bio, Madrigal's compositions are keyboard-heavy, melodic slices of down-tempo goth metal with the occasional nod to progressive influences.
The production, as is to be expected from Studio Fredman, is top notch - this album contains possibly the fullest, hugest sounding guitars I have heard in a long time, which is a shame since guitars are rarely the focus of the songs here. Mainly, the impetus is on the keyboards to drive the melody and the singer's impressive yet slightly Kiske-esque voice.
The main problem with Madrigal is that what works once doesn't work through an entire album. The pace of the songs rarely changes from a plodding chug-along with atmospheric synths in te background, and the song structures are unremarkable in the extreme. The instrumental performances are adequate but not breath-taking, and the vocals again are impressive, but you get the impression that he's not really stretching his abilities in any way. In fact, at times while listening to this album, it's hard to see what it might have been that impressed Mr. Friden so much.
6/10
