The name Jacob Hansen seems to follow me everywhere I go. This former member of Anubis Gate is more noteworthy in my book for his production and mixing work with Mercenary, Volbeat, Arkan, Wolverine and seemingly countless others. He is responsible for the mixing and mastering on this album by Amaranthe,
As you would expect from a Hansen production, “The Nexus” is clear and fresh in its sound. In terms of style, there’s a kind of childlike quality about it. That’s partly because the female vocalist sings from quite high in the range, and the album is significantly orientated towards power metal. As I listened to the opening tracks, I was reminded greatly of Sonic Syndicate and the video game metal of Machinae Supremacy. In my musings, I also mentally summed it up musically as the power metaI end of Mercenary but with a female vocalist. It’s clear from the first track “Afterlife” that even with the growls, this lot have been on the happy pills. It all rolls on at a fair lick. There’s an apparent simplicity in this melodic metal, or is this Mr Hansen doing his stuff to make it appear that way? Amaranthe can’t be accused of deep philosophy, in fact the lyrics of “Invincible” are crass and cheesy – archetypal power metal, then. “Can’t you see who I am? I’m invincible like a force that’s out of control, it’s the key to achieving my goal”. It’s not exactly Nietzsche. At least the lady has a very good voice. But there’s no time to hang around and reflect, and this lively fare continues with great gusto.
Basically “The Nexus” is a series of power metal romps with pop-type structures and cheesy lyrics. But although a couple of tracks in the middle achieved the status of musical wallpaper for me, and there is an insipid slower track “Burn with Me”, it’s by no means a one-dimensional album. There are plenty of nice touches and epic moments on this constantly mobile adventure. The frantic drum and guitar work make sure there’s plenty of pace and punch. Guitar complexities are there, and to supplement the merriment there are those cyber touches and the growls. “Razorblade” and “Electroheart” have surpluses of catchiness, lyrical dexterity and choral vivacity, and I would contend that they would make hit singles on this album of commercially-orientated songs. Back in reality, I understand that the band has nominated the title track “The Nexus” as the chosen single. It’s certainly got the well-polished construction, epic atmosphere and irresistible motion that characterises this album.
The impression I got while listening to this album is that Amaranthe were having fun. It’s infectious. “The Nexus” is delivered well on all levels and is a good example of the power metal genre without slavishly following the genre’s rules. If you need cheering up, this will do it. If you don’t, it’s still a nice album to listen to.
(7 /10 Andrew Doherty)
Leave a Reply