YOU DON’T OFTEN THINK OF LOW LYING MIST AND BONE-CHILLING FROSTS ON A WINTERS DAY, MEDIEVAL CASTLES AND BLACK FORESTS WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE SUNSHINE STATE OF QUEENSLAND, BUT THAT THE VISIONS I GOT FROM AWAKEN SOLACE’S ALBUM ‘IN NIGHTFALL’S EMBRACE’.
RUNNING FOR JUST OVER AN HOUR THIS SYMPHONIC POWER METAL OUTFIT TAKES YOU ON AN HYPNOTIC ROLLER COASTER OF METAL THROUGH TO THIS MAJESTIC ORCHESTRAL AND OPERATIC RIDE, BLENDING THESE STYLES OF MUSIC BEAUTIFULLY INTO THIS 14 TRACK ALBUM.
INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE IS A SECOND DISC WHICH CONSISTS OF THE ALBUM RECORDED IN AN ORCHESTRAL SETTING FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU JUST WANT TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND ASTRAL PROJECT SOMEWHERE, I HAVNT LISTENED TO A LOT OF THIS GENRE NOR ORCHESTRA BASED MUSIC BUT THIS HAS CHANGED MY THINKING AND I THINK A LOT OF METAL LISTENERS STICK TO THE GENRES THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE IN, MYSELF INCLUDED BUT THIS HAS OPENED ANOTHER CHAPTER IN MY MUSICAL LIBRARY.
MADE UP OF MEMBERS ELSPETH JOHNSON (GUITARS), ROBERT RUSSELL (KEYBOARDS/ORCHESTRA), MAREE NIPPERESS (VOCALS), TAYLOR QUINE (BASS/VOCALS) AND RODRIGO PRAZERES AND PERCUSSION, THEY INCORPORATE AS A UNIT AND BLEND AND MOULD TOGETHER THAT ONLY A VERY WELL-REHEARSED BAND COULD DO, AND WITH THE WRITING PROCESS THAT COMES WITH ADDING AN ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR, IT’S AN AUDIO PAINTING WHERE LAYER UPON LAYER IS ADDED TO CREATE A FINAL MASTERPIECE. THE BEAUTIFUL VOCALS OF MAREE NIPPERESS, ALONG WITH THE BACKING OF TAYLOR QUINE IT TAKES YOU ON A JOURNEY WHERE YOU’RE FLOATING OUT OF YOUR CHAIR AND HOVERING OVER MIDDLE EARTH IN SOME MYSTICAL DREAM.
THIS FANTASY BASED POWER METAL HASN’T TAKEN OFF A LOT HERE IN AUSTRALIA MAKING AWAKEN SOLACE A UNIQUE BAND ON THE MARKET AT THE MOMENT AND I CAN SEE HOW THEIR POPULARITY WILL INCREASE WITHIN THE EUROPEAN SCENE WHERE POWERHOUSE BANDS SUCH AS NIGHTWISH, EPICA AND SONATA ARCTICA RULE ROOST
I HAVE TO SAY THIS ISNT EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA WITHIN THE METAL COMMUNITY BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO PURE MUSICIANSHIP AND WRITING, AS METAL LISTENERS WE HAVE TO GIVE THIS BRAND OF MUSIC A DEFINITE LISTEN TO AND SHOW RESPECT, AS THEY HAVE GIVEN US A BEAUTIFUL ALBUM THAT’S TAKES YOU ON AN MUSICAL ADVENTURE THAT I’VE REALLY ENJOYED, AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT WITH THIS IT REALLY GETS YOUR IMAGINATION WORKING OVERTIME WITH VISIONS OF MAGIC, WILD LANDSCAPES AND MEDIEVAL BATTLES.
AWAKEN SOLACE ARE A LOCAL AUSTRALIAN BAND AND I ENCOURAGE READERS TO GET OUT AND SEE THESE GUYS, THEY CARRYING A BURNING TORCH FOR THIS GENRE OF METAL IN THIS COUNTRY, AND MOST OF ALL THIS ALBUM IS THE PERFECT SOUNDTRACK FOR NEXT TIME YOU HEAT THE CAULDRON UP AND CAST SOME SPELLS!
Release Year: 2012
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Hayden G.M.
