I was fortunate enough to review Eleine’s previous offering “Dancing In Hell” for these very pages back in 2020. Anyone who’s read that review or are indeed already familiar with these Swedish Metallers will know that Eleine are not your average Symphonic Metal band. Coming at the genre from a much darker perspective, whilst keeping a positive standpoint – it’s a fine line that the band are getting more and more adept at creating.
The guitars are down-tuned, the bass rattles on its lowest register, hell, even the snare drum sound has a deep dark resonance to it! Given this musical approach, a vocalist with an angelic lilt wouldn’t work, so it’s very fortunate that the band are able to push forward once more the powerful, dramatic, exemplary voice of Madelaine Liljestam alongside occasional clean and harsh male vocals. Even the tag of Symphonic Metal is a little misleading as there is minimal keyboards/orchestration on many tracks, the band preferring to let dark melodies, pounding rhythms and crushing guitars carry the songs forward.
The band’s signing to Atomic Fire has signified (by coincidence or by design) a slightly more accessible approach to their song-writing, whilst losing none of the heaviness and power that this album’s predecessor displayed. But don’t expect the band to have started to squeeze ultra-catchy choruses into the mix, each track is crafted to have depth of impact as well as of sound, so initial listens will throw out the occasional vocal hook to get you interested and then unfurl from there.
The lyrical message throughout the album is of unity and empowerment, which is another tricky thing to get across in a sound that is rooted in darkness and angry frustration (the album was written during the Covid pandemic). But this again is something that this unique band seem to be able to get across effortlessly. Yes, “We Shall Remain” is an album that comes across as disillusioned and frustrated with the world, but dig deeper and just as it is with the music there is much more beneath the surface. This is a worthy successor to “Dancing In Hell”, but shows the band maturing and refining their style, and through this they have managed to become more accomplished, even heavier and even deeper.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
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