Album Review: Amaranthe - The Catalyst

Just a few weeks ago, I talked about the new Metalite album by mentioning how that band is intertwined in my mind with Amaranthe, and here we find ourselves with new Amaranthe music as well. I don't know whether this is happenstance, coincidence, or a plan to create a bubble both can ride to higher highs, but what I find is that having the two bands releasing music so close together creates a mental comparison I can't avoid. It doesn't happen all the time, but it certainly does happen occasionally that a pair of records will come out in short order, and one of them is diminished for no reason other than being the lesser of the two. It becomes a case of grading on a curve, which isn't always fair.

Since I started listening to both bands, Amaranthe has been the one setting the curve. They are the elite of hyper-pop metal, but they also show the limits of the genre. While they consistently produce records that are filled with sticky melodies and huge hooks, there's something about the impersonal nature of all of it that leaves me feeling disconnected from their music. As good as it is, I don't find myself going back to Amaranthe very much between new releases.

That's a bit of a mystery to me, to be honest. Elize Ryd is a fantastic singer, the band hits all the right marks, and they write exactly the kind of catchy melodies I always say I'm seeking out. Amaranthe should be one of my favorite modern bands if that's all true, which it is, and yet the perfection of it all becomes a bit boring. The band is clinically tight, the production is spotless, and I suppose that leaves everything sounding a bit too clean and polished for what metal is supposed to be. There's a lack of human connection to be made with music that sounds too good. Being too good for your own good... ironic, I know.

Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise my favorite song on the record is "Stay A Little While", the semi-Broadway number that slows things down just enough for the clean vocals to shine, and for even the guitar solo to carry more emotion. It's the only time on the record where it feels like the band reaching out to us, and I love it. The heavier, faster pop numbers are great for their purpose, but it's the ballad that draws me in.

Let me stop sounding so down, since that isn't the case. Amaranthe once again delivers song after song with a blend of power and hook few bands can even approach, let alone match. In this style, they continue to reign supreme. No offense to Metalite, but hearing the two records in close succession reaffirms to me just how high Amaranthe has raised the bar. You can throw a dart anywhere at this track listing and hit a... hit.

The toughest thing would be to compare this to their previous albums, because there is practically no difference between them. If you already love Amaranthe, this record will deliver everything you expect. If you're on the fence, I'm not sure this one will push you off in either direction. Amaranthe is who they are, and they're exceptionally good at it.

The oddest thing I can say about them is that the are the antithesis of a mood band. Certain music is perfect for when you're in a particular mood. Amaranthe is perfect for when you're in no mood at all. Does that make them the refined white sugar of the candy-coated pop metal world? I don't know, but Amaranthe has not yet failed to make me smile while I'm listening to them.