Album: Helix
Artist: Amaranthe
Genre: #Metal
Sub-Genres: #Pop, #TranceMetal, #Metalcore, #PowerMetal
Label: Spinefarm
Non-Airable Tracks: Countdown, GG6
Release Date: October 19th, 2018
Description:
Amaranthe is a metal band from Sweden but what they play is fundamentally pop music. Helix is their fifth album and their first album since their debut that is worth listening to largely thanks to consistency between the tracks. Their first album was their most creative but, throughout their career, Amaranthe has only ever played the same style of music from Amaranthe time and time again on mediocre album after mediocre album. For the most part, songs by Amaranthe will be short (3-4 minutes) songs with fast tempos, plenty of bridges, an atmosphere that sounds like the music belongs in a video game or an anime intro and maybe even an uplifting key change at the end of the song. Regardless of the metal guitar sound and occasional metalcore drumming and vocals, the basic structure here is an average pop song.
Then, Helix is probably the most consistent realization of their vision. None of the songs feel like they don’t belong, and none are offensively bad. There is no one standout song because every song has its own self-contained build and climax. Ultimately, you could listen to one or two songs from this album (or any Amaranthe album) and, within reason, hear all that the bad has to offer. Helix is good, but I cannot recommend that anyone should listen to it all the way through unless you’ve heard one of their songs and it is the best song you have ever heard.
Final score: 6/10
Sounds Like: Demetori
Recommended tracks for radio play: Anything other than the non-airable tracks
Reviewer: Bryan Burnett
Review Date: October 29th, 2018