Album Review: Anette Olzon - Strong

These last few years have been good to Anette Olzon. After dropping out of the scene for a while, she teamed up in The Dark Element for two really good records that proved she was better than she was given credit for, and she was a perfect partner in last year's Allen/Olzon project. All that is left for her is to re-establish herself as a solo artist as well, and that's where we find ourselves today. Teaming up with Magnus Karlsson, "Strong" is a very different record to her previous solo outing, and one that more directly fits in with the identity she has been cultivating recently.

If you heard The Dark Element's records, you should have a good idea what this album is all about. It's sweeping melodic metal with plenty of guitar crunch, but with plenty of keyboards and orchestrated elements to balance her sharp voice. Rather than engage in the 'beauty and the beast' theme, Anette is more the stiletto that draws blood in a posh crowd before you even realize you've been hit.

There's an interesting dynamic to this record in that it mines some of the same territory not only of The Dark Element, but also Magnus Karlsson's Heart Healer project. Unlike the latter, Magnus doesn't go so far down the orchestrated route this time, which allows the songs to retain their melodic core and immediate appeal with more ease. The more you open up the music, the harder it is to keep it grounded, but Magnus and Anette are able to find the right mix of grandeur and power for these songs.

Nowhere is that better evident than on the power ballad, "Sad Lullaby". The orchestrations swell, and Anette's voice has a bite that lets her float atop the heavy guitars when they rush in. That's the sort of dramatic turn not every metal writer or singer can pull off, but these two can, which we learned on the Allen/Olzon record. They prove it again here.

I must say, however, that this record doesn't quite reach the heights that one did, nor the first from The Dark Element. In a few places, like on the title track, the melodies don't quite rise high enough to burn their image in our vision. That's only in comparison to what I know they are capable of. Compared to the usual and rote melodic and power metal I run across, this is easily on the top shelf. Magnus knows what he's doing, and Anette is one of the singers best suited to his style, so the results are of course going to be great.

The only real issue with this album is this; is it necessary? It's a hugely enjoyable record, and it only further enhances Anette's reputation, but it is quite similar to The Dark Element. Stepping out on her own, perhaps the music should have gone somewhere her other current projects don't let her explore. She also has a drop-dead classic in her catalog in Alyson Avenue's "Presence Of Mind", so I would hate to see her get pigeon-holed into one narrow sound.

That being said, "Strong" is exactly what the title says it is. Anette Olzon continues to showcase her unique voice, an instrument we are fortunate to be able to hear again. Even if this sounds like her other works, no one else sounds like Anette Olzon, and getting another album showcasing that is a gift.