Album Review: Apocalyptica- 7th Symphony
Okay, I got this in the mail today and I've since listened to it several times... it is EPIC!!!!! If only my speakers were good ones. Without a subwoofer you can't get the full range of the music, but alas, my speakers are cheap *pout*
Okay, lets jump right into it! BUT before we do I would like to remind you all that, by definition, a song has lyrics. Many of the 'songs' on this album aren't songs at all, they are pieces, and I'm going to call them that.
1)At The Gates of Manala: The album starts with an intro that very few actually seem to realize is cellos, lol. Idk how but somebody's bad ears seem to think those are electric guitars. It is a hard-hitting first song with nice drums and EPIC effects. It's a 7:03 piece with a good metal kick to lead you into what's to come from the album. Around four and a half minutes it slows to a slow progression of melodic feedback and light taps on the cymbals that mellows from the metal kick of the bulk of the piece. It then progresses into a stronger but still mellow melody that has clean cellos leading you into a nearly hypnotic state that I can only describe as the accuracy of a snake charmer. The it then finishes nicely.
2)End of Me: This song features the vocals of Gavin Rossdale(best known from Bush). This song starts with a very slow build up with great lyrics. The chorus is excellent in that the vocals blend so wonderfully with the music. A great track to sing along to. A short 3:29 of good, solid rock song. The latter half of the second minute holds a beautiful little cello instrumental that leads into vocal bridge. The song's tempo is fast enough to keep your in it but not as hard or harsh as the more metal songs of the album. All around a nice song.
3)Not Strong Enough: The strong vocals of Brent Smith (of Shinedown) really leads this song with the soft music balancing well. When the chorus comes in they even out in strength and blend perfectly. Particularly amazing to sing along to. The second verse comes in with a harder cello sound that competes with the best rock guitars. The lyrics are basic but nice. The bulk of this song is the strong vocals and music (as most Apocalyptica always has been). There is a cello solo (with effects) that rivals and dominates most guitar solos you'll ever hear. The 3:36 minute song closes with a soft cello finnish.
4)2010: This piece opens with eerie effected cello and leads into a rather dark, ominous drum/cello combination that gradually leads into this hard hitting, fast paced, in your face metal rift. The drumms are rather epic and the cello is so effected and SO fast and amazing that it fills your entire being with this NEED to move. Its aggressive and emcompasses all the aspects of metal with the difference of having beautiful instruments and talented arrangments. There is even a point where you hear what sounds like satanic growls and its all created using a cello. This piece is 4:34 of pure metal glory birthed from the strings of a classically beautiful instrument.
5)Beautiful: In extreme contrast to the last piece, this piece opens with rich, beautiful, unaltered cello melody and harmonies. This piece relaxes the senses and lulls you into a sense of omnipresent comfort. The best way to explain how this song feels is like the most ethereal soft fabric flowing like a liquid to surround you in a cacoon of comfort and peace. 2:19 of pure musical serenity to balance the agression and anger from the previous piece.
6)Broken Pieces: This song features the vocals of Lacey (Flyleaf). This song has strong drum presence and an intricate centralization of cello parts that leads her voice rather than accompany it. They lyrics are, once again, pretty basic, but not bad. Unlike the other vocals, this song has the vocals being overpowered by the cello, but this isn't a bad thing. It very much works for the song. I'd call it 3:55 of voice-complimented cello melody. The cello here is both hard and soft, a great mix of effects pedals and clean cello sound. It's very enjoyable.
7)On The Rooftop with Quasimodo: This piece is unique not only with its 'space age-esque' effects intro but also as its credited as having only one composer, rather than the whole band. The song soon hits a hard, more metal sound but retains this otherworldly feel as it blends different tones of the cello. It eases back into a smoother sound throughout the song. You can almost see a story playing out in your head in time to the music. Its 4:55 of a very odd feeling piece. Enjoyable but very strange and intriguing.
8)Bring Them To Light: Featureing the vocals of Joseph Duplantier (Gojira), this song is full on metal mayhem. With growling vocals and an earsplitting speed it is a very intense song. It isn't as intense as 2010 but it is very much a metal song. Around 2 minutes it breaks into this rhythmic type of feel that is very distinct of the song itself. The lyrics are pretty dark and dangerous and all in all are pretty good. The song culminates with a rather cacaphonic speed up into a driven chorus that features some VERY complex and highly effected cello parts and one particularly intense solo that leads from feedback into a melodic cello closing that sooths your mind after the harshness of the song.
9)Sacra: The opening is darkly melodic with a very interesting plucked-string part. It's not a darkness like the harder songs, but its dark nonetheless. Its driven by one lead cello melody that sounds almost sad (possibly adventurous as well?) and is surrounded by this very rhythmic thrumming that is reminiscent of a heartbeat almost. It speeds midway into a more effected and harder hitting beat that is still lead by and focuses on that haunting cello lead. It slows into a more complimented version of the lead in. It smooths out to a darker, richer cello sound that overtakes the lead cello and leads directly into-
10)Rage of Poseidon: There really is no transition from the last piece to this one. However, 40 seconds in it jumps to a different, faster melody. It's are harder, stronger piece but more measured and intricate. It is also lead by a strong cello lead but it is better balanced with the harmonies and rhythms. The drums are obvious but more compliment rather than lead the cellos. There are faster 'pockets' (for lack of better word) that lead into stronger, more complex melodies encompassed in harder sounds from effects and feedback. About 3 minutes in, there is a metal-esque part where it isnt agressive, but the intensity is so that your heart beats just bit faster and it builds your anticipation to the 4:30 climax of screaming cello solo and racing drums and it goes completely mad. The sound still isn't all that agressive until around the 5:00 mark where it descends into a wild solo and rhythm section that would easily turn anyone into a headbanger. It then slows dramatically into dissonant feedback that picks up into that original melody with the screeching of someone sliding on the effected strings with a backing of the main melody. The piece looses substances and fades into oblivion around 7:40. This piece is AMAZING!!!!!
All in all this album is completely mind blowing and intoxicating. HOWEVER, everything can be better, so... I'll give this album...
9.5/10