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Opening an album with the title track doesn’t happen that much. Usually reserved for mid-album, the title track is very often the anchor that holds the album steady. Enter from stage left, genre-melding Swedes Amaranthe and the title track to their seventh studio album, ‘The Catalyst’. If anyone stumbled across Amaranthe on a playlist and was unfamiliar with the sextet, then ‘The Catalyst’ would be the perfect starting point because it has everything that makes Amaranthe stand out from the pack.
We are constantly being told that in this age of everything right here, right now, consumers of music are skipping tracks if not hooked within 60 seconds or so, and that’s where Amaranthe and ‘The Catalyst’ excel. 90 seconds in and already they have delivered an atmospheric intro, EDM pulses, thick drums, razor-sharp riffs, death growls, clean vocals, and the most uplifting and soaring pop chorus since Lady Gaga’s ‘Edge of Glory’. It’s a huge introduction to the album, one that gives the listener a brief chance to catch their breath and then it’s BLAM! An all-out assault on the senses. As a single, it works perfectly, but as an album-opener, it works even better.
Other acts feature triple lead vocals (Italian symphonic metallers Temperance for one), but not many mix it up as much as Amaranthe. Each of the three lead vocalists gets their chance to make their mark and Elize Ryd is in the form of her life here. Ridiculously catchy clean vocals that are easy on the ears, and packing one of those voices that form an instant connection with the listener, time after time Ryd pulls a memorable performance out of the bag. There has been a steady increase in the quality of output since Nils Molin joined in 2017 and the golden-throated Dynazty vocalist has formed a killer partnership with original member Ryd, and Growler-in-Chief Mikael Sehlin who is making his Amaranthe debut on ‘The Catalyst’.
The title track leads into the EDM-tastic ‘Insatiable’ where the bounce factor is strong. Sehlin has a lot of action on this one, and it’s not a stretch of the imagination to picture how well this one will go down when played live (likewise, ‘Resistance’ was surely created purely with a live setting in mind). Live, this pair will be bigger, and bolder, with Olof Mörck’s guitar sound and the bouncing dance samples combining to give the pit a proper workout. Anyone who remembers happy hardcore might break into a cold sweat during parts of ‘Damnation Flame’, again, this one will slay when played live (with the whimsical Haunted Mansion-like interlude bringing some respite from the insanity).
‘Re Vision’ belongs to Morten Løwe Sørensen, one of the most underrated drummers in metal today, and his work in the engine room with bassist Johan Andreassen forms a crucial foundation for the outfield to strut their stuff. Again, those vocals from Elize Ryd produce so many earworm moments in a short 3-minutes. The thumping ‘Ecstasy’ is crying out for an Armin van Buuren remix and it’s easy to imagine the 3 vocalists performing this one in front of AvB during one of his mega-gigs. The stand-out moment on the album? That’s a tough one, but the ABBA-influenced ‘Outer Dimensions’ takes some beating. The layered vocals often give the impression of 2 female voices ABBA-style (shades of ‘Super Trouper’) and that gorgeous bridge from Elize tips its hat to the line “When you’re gone, how can I even try to go on?” from ‘S.O.S.’. Utterly gorgeous.
‘Stay a Little While’ is the gentlest track of the bunch and the duet between Ryd and Molin borders on Roxette 90’s soundtrack territory, which is uncanny because closing out the album is a cracking cover of Roxette’s ‘Fading Like a Flower’ done in true Amaranthe-style complete with Sehlin’s growls – a superb, fun way to end the album.
‘The Catalyst’ (available now via Nuclear Blast Records) is a big-sounding album. Amaranthe’s biggest thus far. And a resounding triumph. Great fun also.
Amaranthe have just kicked off their European tour together with DragonForce and Infected Rain. Catch the band live:
AMARANTHE + DRAGONFORCE
CO-HEADLINE TOUR 2024
09.03. DE Munich – TonHalle
10.03. IT Milan – Live Club
12.03. ES Madrid – Sala La Riviera
13.03. ES Barcelona – Sala Apolo I
15.03. DE Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
16.03. CH Zurich – Komplex 457
17.03. BE Brussels – AB Box
19.03. DE Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn
20.03. FR Paris – Bataclan
22.03. UK Bristol – O2 Academy
23.03. UK Manchester – Manchester Academy
24.03. UK London – The Roundhouse
Review – Dave
Bottom photo credit: Rafal Makiela
