By Monk
Angel Nation singer Elina Siirala should be familiar to erstwhile fans of the symphonic metal mien, as she also fulfils the same role in Leaves’ Eyes, having replaced the band’s founder Liv Kristine back in 2016. However, LE’s relative inactivity over the intervening years has given Siirala plenty of time to concentrate on the revival this, her original band (also known as EnkElination in her native Finnish) and the production of their third album.
Taking its name from the brightest star in the Scorpius constellation, ‘Antares’ is a loose concept album, based around the story of an army of angels, the ‘Seraphim’ of the album’s lead track and first single. Apparently, it contains all sorts of cryptic messages intertwined with the true-life stories which make up the songs’ subject matter. Well, whatever the lyrical subtexts – and I don’t really have the space or time to explore them all here – the real question should be whether or not the album stands up on its own right, without an archaeological style exploration of its deeper hidden meanings.
And the answer in that regard, is an unequivocal yes, as this is as damn fine a melodic symphonic metal release as you will hear this or any other year. It is a precisely balanced offering, allowing Siirala’s voice to soar and sweep majestically across a soundscape that is in equal parts gritty and harmonic, with crunching riffs piercing through where needed before stepping back into the shade of the overall atmospheric created.
In fact, there is a lightness of touch that is so often missing from albums in this particular metallic sub genre. Everything seems to float effortlessly, not least Siirala’s sublime vocals. Even at their heaviest, the guitars and drums do not overpower the overall sound – a trap which so many symphonic bands so often fall. By the same token, the actual symphonic elements are subtly blended, the keyboards very much working in the background to build the layers, rather than drowning out any or all of the other constituent parts.
Yes, there are moments of heaviness, and more than enough to get even the most intransigent metallian nodding in appreciation, such as during ‘Life Is A War’ and ‘Crucify Me’, but these are masterfully interweaved into the overall fabric of the album in a way which makes for a satisfyingly complete listening experience. The result is an album that should be an essential part of the canon of any self-respecting symphonic metal fan.
- ‘Antares’ is released on Friday (8 April). You can get your copy HERE.
- Angel Nation play Nambucca in Holloway on 13 May. Support comes from Primitai and Voltstorm.
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