COLDSPELL - review added 31st January 2011
Album Review: Out From The Cold (2011)
For fans of: Heavy Rock... and the difficult second album
Swedish rockers Coldspell - now with the altered line-up of Niklas Swedentorp on lead vocals. Michael Larsson on guitars, Anders “Kebbe” Lindmark on bass, Perra Johansonon drums, and Matti Eklund on keyboards - released their debut album "Infinite Stargaze" in early 2010...and went on to pick up the Rock Realms award for album of the year. Yep, we liked it a lot. "Out From The Cold" therefore has a lot to live up to. A lot.
Joining the guys on their 2nd LP is Europe's Ian Haugland adding a few drums. The album was mixed by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, TNT, Pretty Maids, Jorn).
The sound isn't massively dissimilar to the debut. This is still very obviously Coldspell, and the fact they created their own unique sound with that debut was one of the things we loved. "Out From The Cold" is hard rocking, melodious, and packed to the rafters with superb musicianship.
Good:
The stand out features of this band are the vocals and guitar playing, both of which are still as superb as ever. The keyboards are awesome too, but they come and go in the mix - quite deliberately of course. The rhythm section (all new for this album) seems more than up to the job, though it wouldn't have hurt them to have been a tad heavier.
Not So Good:
Okay, this isn't as good as the debut. It was always going to have a hard act to follow, but this is a notch or two behind. To be fair, it's still a bloody good album - better than most stuff that'll be released this year - but that sense of anticipation of what could have been means 'excellent' kind of isn't good enough.
The Songs:
Opening track 'Heroes' is a beast of a song, easily a match for anything off the debut. It's no wonder it's the song the guys were using to announce this album's arrival. 'Run For Your Life' has a catchy chorus, though the verses are merely interesting. 'One In A Million' is a nice sing along track with an understated vibe. 'Six Feet Under' sees the band almost going to a 1980s avenue. It's a memorable entry and good fun. 'Time' is a racy track that has grown into something rather splendid after repeated listens. 'Save Our Souls' is heavier, but doesn't capture the imagination as well as some of the other entries.
'The King', however, captures the imagination beautifully. The combination of near-ballad with near-power-metal is great. 'Fate' is another unmemorable effort, though it does feature some standout musicianship. 'Seven Wonders' is a spunky track, perhaps a bit different from the normal Coldspell sound. 'Angel Eyes' is another ride back to the 1980s. 'Heading For Tomorrow' is a meaty effort with a cool selection of riffs to sink your teeth into. Just like the debut, "Out From The Cold" close with the title track. This one isn't a patch on the awesome 'Infinite Stargaze', but it's an enjoyable track by normal standards - the previous title track was off-the-scale good.
In Summation:
Anyone who has never heard Coldspell before will be blown away by this album. Anyone who has heard and loved the debut will probably be disappointed. Shame... Still, we shouldn't forget this IS a fine release, and is definitely worth a purchase.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Check out... All of it...and then the debut.
Track List:
01. Heroes
02. Run For Your Life
03. One In A Million
04. Six Feet Under
05. Time
06. Save Our Souls
07. The King
08. Fate
09. Seven Wonders
10. Angel Eyes
11. Heading For Tomorrow
12. Out From The Cold
Label: Escape Music
Artist's website(s): Coldspell | MySpace | Facebook
