In the decidedly Eurocentric sphere of Symphonic Metal, there are always stars rising and stars falling, and yet there seem to be a handful who are such permanent fixtures, they could be the Belt of Orion. Primarily, the ones we tend to think of are Nightwish, Epica, and to some extent Kamelot, but the honorable mention spot should now be reserved for Switzerland’s newcomer Ad Infinitum. With a connected trilogy of big concept albums since 2020, the band, fronted by Swiss singing sensation Melissa Bonny, has carved a blazing trail through a genre that at times struggles with keeping things fresh.
The band’s most recent offering, “Abyss,” departs from the thematic elements of the band’s previous conceptual work. At this point, in album review coverage, it would be pro forma boilerplate to mention a few updates on the band and dive right into how the first track sounds. However, this album is a pretty significant course correction from the band’s previous musical trajectory, so let’s talk about that first. Perhaps the best way to approximate the evolution is to say the songwriting and overall texture seem to be an attempt to make the music more accessible.
Whether this is good or bad is situational, and highly dependent on individual perspective. Are you a fan of old Journey and its Santana roots, now disillusioned with this young Steve Perry and the band’s radio appeal? Are you someone who was turned off by the brutal thrash of early Metallica, but you like this new “black album” stuff and how catchy it is? Are you a band manager? Do you work at a record label in artist relations, or the “other AR,” accounts receivable? All these points of view have valid perspectives on artists adopting a more commercially-accessible approach.
What is not changing is the band’s lineup, which remains intact as it has for most of the band’s career together. Melissa is still backed by Adrian on guitars, Korbinian on bass, and Niklas on drums. The band retains some key synths and other symphonic elements, and in the future, if we get to talk with the band, it will be good to get some insights into the production elements, who is composing the elements that extend out beyond the usual guitar, bass, and drums.
Speaking of which, the album opens with an interesting reworked wah-pedal synth-sounding sequence before Melissa’s clean soft vocals lead the listener into the opening track, “My Halo.” The chorus is catchy and crafted to signal to label and listener alike that the band is ready for big attention and bigger things. What we weren’t quite ready for was Melissa quietly asking “Are you ready?” and then being assaulted with guttural metal growls over top of percussive staccato rhythm guitar playing. This gets back into the very listenable chorus again before this short and sweet four-minute number draws to a close.
Perhaps to let us know they remain the band we know, the second track, “Follow me Down,” has some prog metal elements, a bit more like Seventh Wonder or DGM. The guitar and bass are keeping busy with some meandering riffs and single note sequences down below the 7th fret, while Ms. Bonny carries some nicely melodic verses over top of some cool reverb-laden Depeche Mode sort of keys. The song emerges into some nice chorus parts and trades that with the technical riffing for the rest of the track.
“Outer Space” almost sounds like it might be a bit introspective with more of those soft keyboard parts with reverb and delay, until Melissa pounces immediately with ferocious growls (“Out of Control!”) alongside some intense high-gain rhythm guitar chunks, before everything just sort of calms down allowing for the clean emotional singing we sort of expected from the beginning. Just when it seems safe to get comfortable with that vibe, the heavy comes back, and this rising and falling action continues until angry growls emerge once again. Just when it seems like it cannot get heavier, it actually gets unbelievably soft and quiet, a series of delicate verses floating in an ethereal atmosphere. Or a lack of atmosphere, as the case generally is in outer space. And then all the heaviness comes back and goes again one more time before it’s all said and done. In many ways, it’s the most thoughtful piece of the record with a lot going for it.
“Aftermath” is a modern mash of industrial alt-metal with some mildly prog-metal underpinnings. Most noteworthy is the counterpoint between gnarly growls and delicately controlled upper-register vibrato vocals. Meanwhile, “Euphoria” is a bit more straightforward. The song is a meandering minor-key exploration of emotion-laden vocal melodies, but noteworthy is the blend of textures, from acoustic guitars to electric guitars and synth keyboard atmospheric elements, and percussion sections more like something one might find among Tori Amos or later Peter Gabriel.
“Surrender” is a sound reference point for discussion of whether Ad Infinitum is stretching out and redefining their sound. From the onset, it exudes a vibe straddling a line between Nine Inch Nails, and something more modern dance/EDM like Gigamesh (Feral Youth, All My Life, etc). The track has a rising and falling sense of guitar-driven heaviness, while Melissa’s vocals are a consistent soulful delivery. Moving once again in another direction, “Anthem for the Broken” may be one of the more musically interesting tracks of the album. Opening as a clean track of simple piano, with gentle vocals and swirling atmospheric synth elements, the track seems unassuming enough, until the drums and high-gain guitars kick in, with chanting choir vocals. Once the chorus structure emerges, it becomes clear what is anthemic about this track, but the lead guitars are what truly sets this one apart. On an album where lead guitars are a bit of an endangered species, this track is some sort of wild animal refuge. Left-hand techniques borrowed from Marty Friedman to Jason Becker to Jeff Loomis can be heard through the middle section, and they take an otherwise above-average track and elevate it to something worth hearing.
The album detours into a metal flavor one might describe as straightforward yet firmly planted in a contemporary sound. When describing this track, titled “The One You’ll Hold On To,” it’s true that on the one hand, there’s the usual bit of synth/computer elements one will find in modern pop, while on the other hand, there is drop-tuned chugging complete with bent pinch harmonics. With its punky chords and strong keyboard employment, one might think “Parasite” is some kind of modern alt-pop tune, except that it opens with the Åkerfeldt growls turned all the way to the “Blegh” setting. It dips back into the poppy stylings here and there, but there are some nice soaring lead guitar bits for seasoning.
The finale of the album, “Dead End,” has the industrial goth underpinnings of “Beautiful People,” paired with an indescribable vibe that can only be said to hearken to the Type-O Negative “Cinnamon Girl.” The vocals are powerful and commanding, the guitars are both capable and tasteful, and in all, it’s a respectable way to close out an album. As a bonus of sorts, the opening track, “My Halo” makes a return in a more orchestral remix as the final track.
The value of this album is going to be highly dependent upon the listener. Yes, that sounds like a lazy-as-hell verdict, but it’s especially true in this case. This is not something like “Dark Side of the Moon” or “Number of the Beast” where we want to mail everyone on earth a copy for purposes of world peace and enlightenment. If you, as a listener, go to Prog Power every year so you can revel in Sabaton and Symphony X, this really might not be in your wheelhouse. Make no mistake, it’s going to be alright for tunes in the background for just about any stripe of a metalhead. However, the more accessible contemporary pop angle present in much of the album will limit its appeal to adherents to several metal subgenres, while also simultaneously opening it up to a wider market.
Melissa Bonny and her instrumentalist crew have put together a quality album with enough variety to make it noteworthy. The unanswered question is whether this new course correction will steer the band to less fans and exposure, or to a brighter future with bigger venues and even bigger sales.
Released By: Napalm Records
Release Date: October 11th, 2024
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Musicians:
- Melissa Bonny / Vocals
- Adrian Thessenvitz / Guitar
- Korbinian Benedict / Bass
- Niklas Müller / Drums
“Abyss” Track-Listing:
- My Halo
- Follow Me Down
- Outer Space
- Aftermath
- Euphoria
- Surrender
- Anthem For The Broken
- The One You’ll Hold On To
- Parasite
- Dead End
Order “Abyss” HERE
Very Good
After an impressive salvo of three themed symphonic metal albums, Ad Infinitum are back with a refined and refocused sound, ready to explore new horizons with their new album “Abyss.”
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Songwriting
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Musicianship
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Originality
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Production
Source: bravewords.com
