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░ ██ ██ Artist: Crimfall ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Amain █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-10-04 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Metal Blade ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Crimfall were one of the most promising symphonic █
█ power/folk bands out there in the late 2000s. They █
█ released two incredible albums in as many years. █
█ The first album was quite bouncy and unique with █
█ tons of fun to be had the whole way through. The █
█ follow-up was a little heavier and darker but █
█ still just as good. Then they went into the █
█ shadows for a while until news of a new album █
█ broke this year. Given that Amain comes six years █
█ after the last album, how will their sound hold up █
█ on the long-awaited third album? █
█ █
█ The answer is pretty damn well considering the six █
█ year gap between albums. Musically, this album █
█ sounds like a combination of their two previous █
█ albums, which makes sense. The fun, bouncy █
█ songwriting is still there, albeit slightly █
█ subdued, but so is the darker, heavier atmosphere █
█ from the second album. The album is not quite as █
█ riff-oriented as the first two, which is █
█ disappointing, but there are still a few good █
█ riffs on here. ôThe Last of Standsö and ôMother of █
█ Unbelieversö stick out in this category █
█ immediately as both feature reasonably heavy riffs █
█ played at a decent clip. JakkeÆs riffing in ôThe █
█ Last of Standsö evokes memories of JariÆs stellar █
█ riff work on EnsiferumÆs first two albums. JakkeÆs █
█ style is slightly heavier, perhaps showcasing a █
█ slight black metal influence. There are a ton of █
█ excellent acoustic guitar melodies on this album, █
█ which keeps things fresh but they overdo it a █
█ little with the ôTen Winters Apartö saga. █
█ █
█ Janne turns in a very solid performance behind the █
█ kit including the middle-eastern percussion that █
█ introduces ôMother of Unbelievers.ö It seems to █
█ come from left field because Crimfall has never █
█ done anything like that before but hey, it works █
█ pretty well for them. As a big fan of █
█ middle-eastern sounds in metal, it is hard to █
█ complain about Crimfall taking a page from █
█ Orphaned LandÆs book. The rest of the album █
█ features plenty of solid fills that keep the beat █
█ moving but he really propels a good portion of █
█ ôWayward Veritiesö into the stratosphere, leaving █
█ little doubt about the albumÆs best song. MiskaÆs █
█ bass lines back Janne up really well too. Many of █
█ the bass lines are audible and actually add to the █
█ melody, which is refreshing. This is particularly █
█ noticeable on the epic closer, ôUntil Falls the █
█ Rain,ö where they are really in full flight adding █
█ to the bounciness of CrimfallÆs sound. They █
█ definitely saved the best for last and long-time █
█ fans will be very pleased with this song as it █
█ sounds the most like their debut. █
█ █
█ The female vocals are dialed back compared to █
█ their previous output but Helena is still an above █
█ average vocalist. The ôTen Winters Apartö saga █
█ showcases the smoother side of her voice and while █
█ she has a few good notes on part three, nothing █
█ quite matches the power she once had on songs like █
█ ôWildfire Seasonö from the debut. HelenaÆs voice █
█ is still unique and quite good but it is MikkoÆs █
█ harsh vocals that seem to dominate this album. █
█ While they are quality harsh vocals, their overuse █
█ slightly detracts from the enjoyment of the album █
█ as a whole. █
█ █
█ True to form, Crimfall have produced an epic album █
█ with Amain. It is very well produced with plenty █
█ of grand orchestration worthy of a battle scene in █
█ a movie. The choirs on this record are also quite █
█ good and not overused. There is some nice folk █
█ instrumentation scattered throughout this album █
█ but it definitely could have used more. The album █
█ contains some truly excellent tracks, most of █
█ which are at the back, and none that are █
█ inherently bad. Some albums are front-loaded but █
█ this one is back-loaded. The front and middle are █
█ solid but the quality is not quite up to that of █
█ the back end. Still, there is a lot for fans to █
█ like on this album with tracks like ôWayward █
█ Veritiesö and ôUntil Falls the Rain,ö but as a █
█ whole, this album is not quite up to par for this █
█ band. Hopefully they take the positives of this █
█ album and build on them for the next one. █
█ █
█ http://www.crimfall.com/ █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Eschaton 1:59 ░
░ 2. The Last of Stands 5:04 ░
░ 3. Ten Winters Apatr, Pt. 1: Far from Any 5:04 ░
░ Fate ░
░ 4. Ten Winters Apatr, Pt. 2: Song of Mourn 4:23 ░
░ 5. Ten Winters Apatr, Pt. 3: Sunder the 3:28 ░
░ Seventh Seal ░
░ 6. Ten Winters Apatr, Pt. 4: Dawn Without 3:10 ░
░ Sun ░
░ 7. Mother of Unbelievers 5:07 ░
░ 8. It's a Long Road 4:48 ░
░ 9. Wayward Verities 4:56 ░
░ 10. Until Falls the Rain 7:50 ░
░ 11. Ten Winters Apart (instrumental) (bonus) 16:07 ░
░ 12. Kunnes Sade Saa (bonus) 5:07 ░
░ 13. Writ of Pitchfork (bonus) 2:58 ░
░ 70:01 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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