The Halo Effect - New Album 2023/2024
- Thread starter DE4life
- Start date
Blast_The_Virginborn
Member
Stanne comments: "'Become Surrender' was written and recorded during [THE HALO EFFECT's debut LP] 'Days Of The Lost' sessions, but for some reason we left it out of the album. It has been something we have played during festivals and on our tours and the response has been nothing short of fantastic, so we decided to release it in the interim before we start rolling out singles for the second album."
So I guess these two songs won't be on the new album. Probably standalone singles (leftovers) like Path of fierce resistance.
So I guess these two songs won't be on the new album. Probably standalone singles (leftovers) like Path of fierce resistance.
My thoughts are that they're going to be on the album. That the discarded songs are more enjoyable than ATWDF, IBT or TMA but that they didn't fit into it for different reasons. That we would be more positive about them if they had been released as a special release for the album and that we're being unnecessarily negative.
We keep on asking for the discarded songs and then feel disappointed because they're releasing them.
And then we want musicians 50 years old to do what no musician that age has done before. That is, to come with something new.
Seeing the emptiness that melodeath has been for the past 15 years they could keep one releasing songs like these last ones and I still would he happy.
And this song makes for a good single. It has all the required elements. And singles don't need to be the best songs. Just the ones suited for being singles.
We keep on asking for the discarded songs and then feel disappointed because they're releasing them.
And then we want musicians 50 years old to do what no musician that age has done before. That is, to come with something new.
Seeing the emptiness that melodeath has been for the past 15 years they could keep one releasing songs like these last ones and I still would he happy.
And this song makes for a good single. It has all the required elements. And singles don't need to be the best songs. Just the ones suited for being singles.
Tastes are different. But to me, these two are way worse than anything on the first album.
Yes, if they were released as a special release bonus songs, I wouldn't mind that much. Still, not a good material, but not that important.
However, these two are singles leading to the next album. Doesn't really inspire confidence.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but judging by these singles, Mikaels comments about the new material and my overall experience with MDM watering down their sound consistently - I have a bad feeling about this all.
Yes, if they were released as a special release bonus songs, I wouldn't mind that much. Still, not a good material, but not that important.
However, these two are singles leading to the next album. Doesn't really inspire confidence.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but judging by these singles, Mikaels comments about the new material and my overall experience with MDM watering down their sound consistently - I have a bad feeling about this all.
The Grayfox
Gravesinger
I don’t think there’s anything special about The Defiant One but I am enjoying Become Surrender and personally I would’ve replaced In Broken Trust and ATWLF with these two on DotL. I’m interested to hear some actual fresh material for the next single, whenever that may be. The album was done last summer and I find it weird that they’re sitting on it like this; no album title, no artwork, no track listing, no sign of an album announcement at all. I agree with DE, if they were going to wait this long, an EP with one brand new song and these two leftover tracks would’ve made more sense and been a better presentation. Even if it wasn’t a physical release, just digital only.
Xpyro125
Member
- Dec 1, 2021
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I’ve been pretty favorable to the material— I wasn’t excited for The Defiant One in the least after its live debut, but the studio version made me a fan, and I’ve always loved Become Surrender.
I am one of the people who’s asking for a bit more from them, but it’s less of reinventing the wheel or making something super original, but instead to be just a bit more progressive and adventurous than DOTL. I love that album and regularly play nearly everything from it, but I think if we just got DOTL 2, we’d probably get a slightly inferior product with better production and mixing. DOTL was made with a ton of fire and excitement from the band, and while I don’t think that’s gone, there’s no way that they’re at 110% like they were before— 90% at most.
That being said, with all my disappointment with how generic and downtuned modern metalcore is and feeling nothing with the bit of modern melodeath I can find, The Halo Effect is (almost) everything I’ve wanted from a celebration of the sound and scene. That’s good enough for me, even if I do want something a little more.
I am one of the people who’s asking for a bit more from them, but it’s less of reinventing the wheel or making something super original, but instead to be just a bit more progressive and adventurous than DOTL. I love that album and regularly play nearly everything from it, but I think if we just got DOTL 2, we’d probably get a slightly inferior product with better production and mixing. DOTL was made with a ton of fire and excitement from the band, and while I don’t think that’s gone, there’s no way that they’re at 110% like they were before— 90% at most.
That being said, with all my disappointment with how generic and downtuned modern metalcore is and feeling nothing with the bit of modern melodeath I can find, The Halo Effect is (almost) everything I’ve wanted from a celebration of the sound and scene. That’s good enough for me, even if I do want something a little more.
If THE release DOTL 2 then it's fine, it'll still be good. The last two releases are just leftovers from the last sessions though, so not really an indication of where the band is going. Considering it's only been a year and a half, it's not like I'd typically expect to have an idea of where the band is going for their next release, but THE guys raised expectations by saying almost straight after DOTL release that they would have new stuff out really soon (within months).
This is basically the material they claimed they were going to release as an EP, and then never bothered doing so. Problem is because they're releasing it now, after saying their new album is done, it makes it seem like this is part of the new material as opposed to the music that didn't make the first album. Similarly they released Path of Fierce Resistance without any of the promotional material making it clear this is just a Japanese bonus track. That seemed a little off to me, although for what it's worth the band did clarify later that it was the DOTL Japanese bonus, so maybe you can put that on the label.
Idk, just feels like THE got ahead of themselves a bit and started suggesting timelines that were unrealistic, and now things are a bit messy. I still think the new album, whenever it comes out, will be great. I trust these guys not to make a song that I'd rate as less than a 7/10 (always possible, but unlikely). The direction since DOTL came out has just been a bit confusing and frustrating.
This is basically the material they claimed they were going to release as an EP, and then never bothered doing so. Problem is because they're releasing it now, after saying their new album is done, it makes it seem like this is part of the new material as opposed to the music that didn't make the first album. Similarly they released Path of Fierce Resistance without any of the promotional material making it clear this is just a Japanese bonus track. That seemed a little off to me, although for what it's worth the band did clarify later that it was the DOTL Japanese bonus, so maybe you can put that on the label.
Idk, just feels like THE got ahead of themselves a bit and started suggesting timelines that were unrealistic, and now things are a bit messy. I still think the new album, whenever it comes out, will be great. I trust these guys not to make a song that I'd rate as less than a 7/10 (always possible, but unlikely). The direction since DOTL came out has just been a bit confusing and frustrating.
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The Grayfox
Gravesinger
It’s kind of a sign of the times too. There are bands that aren’t even making new albums anymore but still very active. Or putting out 10 singles beforehand and then releasing an album with two songs you haven’t heard yet. Announcing an album is done only to have it sit and collect dust for unknown reasons.
The state of the music industry as a whole is in a really fucking weird place right now. Regardless, if Niclas and Mikael just wouldn’t say anything, it would probably seem like business as usual. It’s the constantly telling people the album is done that confuses most of us. “Ok… so where is it?” I miss the days of a band putting out a record every 2 years and getting one single beforehand. The way things are done now confuses me from a consumer standpoint.
The state of the music industry as a whole is in a really fucking weird place right now. Regardless, if Niclas and Mikael just wouldn’t say anything, it would probably seem like business as usual. It’s the constantly telling people the album is done that confuses most of us. “Ok… so where is it?” I miss the days of a band putting out a record every 2 years and getting one single beforehand. The way things are done now confuses me from a consumer standpoint.
It is incredibly annoying to have a single come out literally 9 months before an album, sometimes even longer. As you say, sign of the times, but I definitely preferred when you had 1 or 2 singles come out, max, before an album dropped - and no more than 2 or 3 months beforehand. I was also fine with the really old days where no singles dropped beforehand and you just had early reviews to go off, and maybe some leaks on Kazaa or something if you were lucky. Long gone times.
If THE had said nothing about releasing an EP in the immediate aftermath of DOTL then I wouldn't have been so irritated... but they did.
blabbermouth.net
"This winter" being winter 2022. I have no idea if Defiant One / Become Surrender recordings are from those sessions or whether they were recorded during the DOTL sessions, but either way... no need to really say that if there wasn't going to be any new music released until 2024. With that music, in fact, apparently being singles that won't even be part of the new album (which will seemingly release at the END of this year, so two years after the mysterious winter 2022 EP).
I'm not mad but these kinds of comments from the band definitely confused me.
If THE had said nothing about releasing an EP in the immediate aftermath of DOTL then I wouldn't have been so irritated... but they did.
THE HALO EFFECT To Record New EP This Winter
THE HALO EFFECT, the new project featuring five former members of the Swedish metal band IN FLAMES — Jesper Strömblad (guitar),Daniel Svensson (drums),Peter Iwers (bass),Niclas Engelin (guitar) and Mikael Stanne (vocals) — is planning to enter the studio before the end of the year to record a new...
blabbermouth.net
"This winter" being winter 2022. I have no idea if Defiant One / Become Surrender recordings are from those sessions or whether they were recorded during the DOTL sessions, but either way... no need to really say that if there wasn't going to be any new music released until 2024. With that music, in fact, apparently being singles that won't even be part of the new album (which will seemingly release at the END of this year, so two years after the mysterious winter 2022 EP).
I'm not mad but these kinds of comments from the band definitely confused me.
"Stanne comments: "'Become Surrender' was written and recorded during [THE HALO EFFECT's debut LP] 'Days Of The Lost' sessions, but for some reason we left it out of the album. It has been something we have played during festivals and on our tours and the response has been nothing short of fantastic, so we decided to release it in the interim before we start rolling out singles for the second album."
The Grayfox
Gravesinger
I would gladly go back to the days of no singles and reading reviews beforehand. It was a way to get excited about an album without hearing it. You were at the mercy of the reviewer and hoping your tastes lined up with theirs. Or on the flip side, you read a review and there was an immediate "aw fuck."
Honestly Become Surrender sounds like "Eurovision metal". Soft, un-inspired and shallow. It even seems that Stanne's voice has a nice touch of autotune that takes all the emotion off the vocals.
It's fine if this is what they like to play these days and I respect that, but damn this group has the potential to be so much more. Hopefully that track really is just a "left over" and the new album will be different.
It's fine if this is what they like to play these days and I respect that, but damn this group has the potential to be so much more. Hopefully that track really is just a "left over" and the new album will be different.
Honestly I don't know if they do have the potential to be much more than what we've already heard. How many of these lads have been part of a progressive, genuinely interesting MDM album in the last 20 years? The bands they've been in have basically stuck to the tried-and-true pop structure that MDM became synonymous with in the mid-2000s. Catchy intro, dat singalong chorus, nice guitar melodies cut short because we need to get back to singing dat catchy chorus, main melodies between vocals and guitars often synchronised so that the audience can sing even on the instrumental parts.
DT do break the mould a little in this regard, on occasion, but I don't think Stanne is writing much of the music. As far as I can tell it's something like 80% Niclas, 15% Jesper and 5% Peter/Daniel. I don't think there's much output in modern times to suggest these guys are really capable of creating something unique or mindblowing. Jesper once upon a time, but I don't think he's going back to 1996-2000 style ever again. Too much effort.
What they can do, however, is what they do best - and when they're on form they're better at it than anyone else. That good ol' mid-2000s Swedish MDM. Mix between that era of IF/DT with some Engel/Gardenian thrown in.
I could be wrong and we get some crazy stuff on the next album, but I expect it'll be pretty similar to DOTL. I don't have a problem with that and I trust these guys not to go full IF and drop a stink bomb on us. It is weird that they announce new album and then release singles which have apparently have nothing to do with that album, but idk, maybe they just want to keep their name out there and keep the hype going.
DT do break the mould a little in this regard, on occasion, but I don't think Stanne is writing much of the music. As far as I can tell it's something like 80% Niclas, 15% Jesper and 5% Peter/Daniel. I don't think there's much output in modern times to suggest these guys are really capable of creating something unique or mindblowing. Jesper once upon a time, but I don't think he's going back to 1996-2000 style ever again. Too much effort.
What they can do, however, is what they do best - and when they're on form they're better at it than anyone else. That good ol' mid-2000s Swedish MDM. Mix between that era of IF/DT with some Engel/Gardenian thrown in.
I could be wrong and we get some crazy stuff on the next album, but I expect it'll be pretty similar to DOTL. I don't have a problem with that and I trust these guys not to go full IF and drop a stink bomb on us. It is weird that they announce new album and then release singles which have apparently have nothing to do with that album, but idk, maybe they just want to keep their name out there and keep the hype going.
Dark Tranquillity is Boring as fuck. IF are constantly changing their sound and the band is a joke. There are enough MDM bands with a more progressive sound. And these guys have been doing the same kind of music since 30 years ago. Yes. I would also prefer them to do longer songs where the different sounds are given more space. But, I don't think that anyone should be surprised about the music that they're writting. And I prefer bands sticking to what they know how to do than bands changing for worse. And, honestly, until now, I've never heard a band changing their sound for better.
I can think of various bands who started off as bad or average, but then found their style and were much improved after that. In terms of bands switching from established sounds to something different... yeah, can't really think of any. I think your original sound would have to have been pretty mid or just shit to begin with if a sudden change was greeted positively.
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