Review of Amaran - Pristine In Bondage

At the moment, melodic death metal seems to be exploding in popularity, thanks to MTV2 and Hot Topic, among other factors. Concurrently, rock bands with strong yet clean female singers are getting noticed – bands like Lacuna Coil and Evanescence. Now wouldn’t it make sense that there would be at least a few bands trying to combine the two styles? Sure, Arch Enemy has a lady at the helm, but Gossow’s vocal manner is miles beyond that of Cristina Scabbia. Interestingly enough, the only two bands I can think of that successfully merge the two are Finland’s Lullacry, who take a lighter, peppier approach, and the band of the day: Stockholm, Sweden’s Amaran.

(Wo-)Manning the microphone is Johanna DePierre, who brings a delightful mid-range voice to the band. No opera-esque squeals, no vicious growls, just great singing. But what sets Amaran apart from the rest is the music behind the voice. Musically, this band is exactly what the aforementioned bands are NOT. The songs would stand on their own if played as instrumentals, due to the heavy and pounding rhythm section, infectious melodies, and capable solos, not to mention the thick and clear production that gives equal justice to all instruments. There’s much more going on here than found in your average In Flames-clone. This band can play, not just hide behind a pretty face.

To give you a quick comparison, with a vocalist swap, “Katharsis” and “Without Stains” would fit in nicely on recent Arch Enemy albums. In fact, “Katharsis” develops into one hell of a song, with well-placed male growls and some fine shredding. Amaran also know when to slow the pace, like in the chorus of “Wraith”. Fantastic. Other times, they smoothly shift from rumbling riffage into delirious melodies, amplified by a mix that really delivers the highs, as in “Coming Home”. There definitely aren’t any filler tracks, each track has its own carved-out niche in the albumspace, and all are high-quality.

Pristine in Bondage is the next step in the evolution of this promising band. It builds upon the foundation laid in A World Depraved in both directions, getting heavier, while also more melodic, smoothly integrating both progressions. While their sound is not that revolutionary, I just can’t seem to find anything too similar…so kudos to Amaran. Any loyal melodic death fan or female-fronted metal fan owes it to themselves to give Amaran a listen or three.

Release Details

Amaran

Pristine In Bondage

Comments

Related