TRILLIUM - review added 7th November 2011
Album Review: Alloy (2011)
For fans of: Metal
American singer Amanda Somerville last appeared in these pages on 2010's "Kiske - Somerville" album (review here), a release that was full of promise and talent, but ultimately very flawed. Her new project Trillium sees a much heavier approach to music, and only one duet.
The sound is a big wall of metal with symphonic and melodic elements mixed into the cut and thrust. There are plenty of double kick drums and huge guitar riffs which counter Amanda's wonderfully operatic voice. The result is a triumph of performance, marking a big change from the normal symphonic-metal style which seems to get done to death these days.
Though the sound is stunning, the songs themselves aren't always so successful on the catchiness front. The album definitely has its moments though. Just over 4 minutes into the opener is where things kick off. Who'd have thought the combination of air raid siren, big bass, drum beats and monster guitar solo could sound so good? 'Coward' is an even more epic track, and manages to be great from start to finish. The heavy 'Bow To The Ego' hits the spot too. The drum 'n' bass of 'Into The Dissonance' works much better than it has any right to.
In Summation:
"Alloy" has superb performances and great production, but could do with a few more strong songs to really make the best of the skills on show. Still, it ain't 'alf bad, and it comes highly recommend purely for the size of the sound.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Track List:
01. Machine Gun
02. Coward
03.Purge
04. Utter Descension
05. Bow To The Ego
06. Mistaken
07. Scream It
08. Justifiable Casualty
09. Path Of Least Resistance
10. Into The Dissonance
11. Slow It Down
12. Love Is An Illusion
Band/Performers:
Amanda Somerville – Lead & backing Vocals, Keyboards
Sascha Paeth - Guitars, Bass, Keys, Drums
Sander Gommans - Guitars
Miro - Arrangements & Keys
Olaf Reitmeier - Acoustic Guitar
Robert Hunecke – Drums
Simon Oberender - Keys
Jorn Lande - Guest Lead Vocals on “Scream It”
Other Info:
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): Facebook
