Review of Lullacry - Vol. 4

Wondering how to get your girlfriend into heavier music? Well this album would make a good transition album. The poetically-named Vol. 4 is…are you ready…the 4th album from Finland’s Lullacry, and their second album with Tanja behind the microphone. They have carved out a little niche for themselves in the rock/metal realm with a consistent blend of energetic, poppy, modern hard rock. However, this album seems to me a little more serious at times.

As with most bands, the vocals are the defining characteristic, and in this case, she just sings unlike so many other female-fronted, heavy Euro bands that either turn operatic, or growling, or both. Tanja can sing well but she doesn’t sound overly trained, which is refreshing and more natural. But I’d argue that the long-haired men providing the music behind her are what makes Lullacry viable. They effortlessly churn out melodies and chunky riffs with a nod to the ‘80s. The production is sharp, maybe too sharp, but with great balance.

The bulk of the album consists of moderately heavy songs, with driving main riffs, loud choruses, and standard song structures geared towards radio singles. This is the case on “Fire Within”, “Perfect Tonight”, and “Zero”. Where they turn more interesting is on the more adventuresome tracks such as “King of Pain”. Sami, the guitarist and main songwriter cites Queensryche, and he’s pretty dead on. Darker riffing pins down the song, and the contrast with Tanja’s soft crooning is a little awkward. “Killing Time” features some Zakk-style string squeals and a rumbling verse riff, but then throws in a Satriani-esque solo. Interesting.

Vol. 4 is not the kind of album that you buy expecting a genre-shattering, mind-blowing experience. If female vocals turn you off, you’ll definitely want to avoid this. However, there’s plenty of catchy pop choruses and head-nodding guitarwork to provide an enjoyable, lighthearted experience. And on top of that, it’s girlfriend-, sister-, and possibly even mother-friendly!

Release Details

Lullacry

Vol. 4

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