By John Bedard
From the first couple of seconds of this album, I could tell I was going to like it. However, I was wrong, I did not just like it. I loved it. There is something special about female lead metal. I think it is the tone that is commonly associated with a female voice and how it contrasts with the aggressive tone of the guitar and drums. It creates a sound that is both wonderfully aggressive while at the same time being welcoming and comforting. This is a great example of exactly that theory.
Angela Di Vincenzo has a perfectly clean vocal style here that is only occasionally complemented by an aggressive male shouted vocal. While I am a fan of a good scream or shout in my music, I think this focus on an almost entirely clean vocal style here was the right call. Angela’s voice is really allowed to shine, and she manages to give the whole experience a very modern tone while having a clear grounding in the roots of the genre making the whole thing very easy to approach by someone new to the band. At the same time, the sound is very much her own making the whole album stand out as unique.
Now if you thought I was gushing about the vocals buckle up because the music is every bit as wonderful. Once again, we have a perfect mix of old school inspiration combined with a modern take. We have the heavy distortion on the guitars that we have come to expect. Tuned down like we also expect these days but with some chord progressions mixed in that hearken back to the ‘80s occasionally thrown in between what otherwise is a very well-done modern track. All of this is complemented by an electronic tone provided by the keyboard. This gives an almost cyberpunk futuristic tone to each track really completing the package.
This album is a very easy recommendation. I also think this album will appeal to a wider audience than just who it is marketed at. I could very easily see this being a gateway for people who are stuck in the 80s to find a more modern style. Particularly, at lease to me, Fleetwood Mac comes to mind here. Especially with the track ‘Deep Solitude’ definitely feels like the past modernized in the best way. That track alone is worth the price of the whole album. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up. I don’t think you will regret it.
- ‘Against’ is released on 21 February. You can get your copy HERE.
- Secret Rule play The Underworld in Camden, as support to Semblant, on 6 April. They also play a headline tour in June.
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