I can't hear Metalite without thinking of Amaranthe. They are two of the 'big three' of what I consider hyper-pop-metal, which already invites comparisons, but it feels like every time I have encountered Metalite, there is an Amaranthe album right around the corner. Couple that with the other member of the group, Temperance, having just put out an album a couple months ago, and in my mind Metalite doesn't have this time all to themselves to shine. But that's just me.
Like Temperance, Metalite this time around is giving us a massive concept album. With sixteen tracks here, this is a lot of music to swallow. The story apparently is a sci-fi tale about looking for a new world to inhabit after ruining this one, but I'm not sure how much of that comes through without a lyric sheet to stare at. I know bands are still caught up in thinking concept albums are somehow more 'important', but so often they shift the focus away from making a compelling record.
This record sees Metalite using less 'happy' sounds in their synth work, so this experience feels less candy-coated than some of their previous work. The story probably necessitates that shift, and I'm sure there is segment of the audience that will welcome even the slightest move in that direction. The combination of chugging metal and almost dance-like synths is a foundational element of the Metalite sound, but perhaps they are finding a more palatable balance between the components here.
The biggest problem the record has is obvious; length. It's hard for anyone to make a record with sixteen songs where they all stand out as essential tracks. With that many ideas to digest at one time, there needs to be ample diversity to pull the threads apart. Metalite doesn't go far enough down that road. Too many of these tracks hit at the same tone and tempo, so an entire hour is enough to start blending together even when the songs are good.
That's the thing about being energetic; you can only keep it up so long. I simply can't pump my fist non-stop for a whole hour without flagging. This is especially true with a concept album. The band is supposedly telling a story, and a plot is not full speed ahead from start to finish. It ebbs and flows as the events unfold, and it doesn't feel like this record does that. This plows ahead, one song after another, relentlessly hitting us with songs trying to be more and more.
Look, maybe that approach works better with the die-hard metal fan-base. I can't speak for them. I can only give my own experience with the record, which is that I found myself getting a bit restless as the songs delivered the same experience time and time again. The first song was great, and it's not as it the rest are bad, but the law of diminishing returns is a very real thing. That's a big reason why it seems like practically every band that doesn't change their sound is accused of getting stale, even if the quality never dips.
And that brings us to our conclusions about this record. This is a good record, and Metalite continues to prove they are a good band. The problem is that they're giving us (or me, at least) too much of a good thing. The record's consistency works against it, as it feels like I can tune out for a few minutes here and there without missing anything. It's as much one hour-long experience as it is a collection of songs, so if I'm not in the mood to focus on the same thing for that long, it's a difficult record to really get into.
Maybe if I found the story interesting this would be different, but Metalite is firmly in that camp of bands I respect, but just can't get over the hump with.
No comments:
Post a Comment