Since the rise of Amaranthe, the ultimate and quintessential Pop Metal band of the last decade, there has been a somewhat sizeable influx of bands (weirdly, most of them from Italy) that have taken their Pop influences very seriously and applied them to their heavy music. Some of them in a very similar fashion to the aforementioned Swedish band that started it all, and some of them more discreetly. Reasons Behind is an Italian band that has no shame in showing their Pop and Electro influences in their Heavy. Self-described as EDM/Trance Metal, they take a lot from those Electro subgenres in the way that the songs are mostly Synth-led, full of keyboard atmospheres and sometimes even with some Uhn-Tiss Uhn-Tiss rhythmic patterns in them. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and although most Metal purists would disregard this release based on this initial description itself, I happen to be a big fan of Pop and Electro music as well, so I am always keen to check out a release like this one.
The album starts with “Zero Dawn” in the form of a very nice and synthy intro that encapsulates very well the atmosphere that the band is trying to capture with their EDM and electro influences in the whole album. The first proper song of the album is “The Fall of Human Race”, with its immediately catchy riff and synth background. The verses are very good and give us a true picture of the style of the album, but I feel that the chorus melody becomes a little bit underwhelming when compared to the rest of the song. A very adequate opener song with an awesome Synth bridge section. “A New Breed” is next with its intriguing melodies totally reminiscent of Amaranthe. The riff is chunky and the wobbling keyboard in the background make for an excellent verse section, that becomes even catchier in the chorus, although a little bit too cheesy for me. All is forgiven once the extremely headbang-able bridge makes its appearance. “Into the Break of a Better Day” brings things up a notch with its breakneck pace, driving riffs and double kicks. Definitely the most enjoyable song so far, and a clever pick as a first single. “Heart Begins to Break” is probably my favourite track in the whole album, especially once the rhythm kicks in. It might be a little bit too Techno and less on the Metal side, but it has a lot of good ideas.
After a quite solid first half, I was a bit disappointed to hear the 2nd half of the album struggles to keep the pace of the 1st one. The next song is “The Phantom Pain”, a slower song with a very defined and kick-led rhythm, but ultimately not nearly as memorable as the previous tracks both in melody and structure. “Seas of Grey” is another slower song with a bit of an awkward structure and pacing, and probably the weakest song in the album in my opinion. It does have some good Prog riffing and a decent guitar solo, but it fails to leave a mark I believe.
Now, I’m glad that “I3” is next, because it is a breath of fresh air and one of the best songs in here. The change that the guest vocalists bring is very welcome, and it works quite well actually. All singers create a nice harmony that contrasts very interestingly with the uber-precise guitar work. The 2nd verse in this song is a highlight, and the song’s only fault is that it feels way too short and rushed to finish.
“The Flame Inside” is next, and it is possibly the most Pop-sounding track, and although it doesn’t really bring many new things to the table, it is quite enjoyable.
The album ends with “Letter to the Last of Us”, an awkward balladesque song that feels a little bit forced and is totally skippable in my opinion. I wish the album finished on a higher and more intense note.
Now, my main issue with this album (and one that really did hinder my listening experience and appreciation of it) lies within its production. There are a few things that seem a little bit off in my personal opinion, and that manage to undermine the band’s music in general. First of all, the vocals, are way too loud and on top of everything else, to the point that sometimes they totally eclipse whatever is happening behind them. This is evident very quickly, and the fact they are not mixed in a more balanced way really makes them a little bit too distracting. Next, the pacing of the songs. I know this is Electro-Metal and a key component to it is the energizing and pumping speeds it needs to, to become as jumpy and catchy as it is, but sometimes I feel like the songs are going way too fast for the lyrics that are being sung. There are moments where this leaves poor singer Elisa almost rapping some words (like in “Heart Begins to Break”’s verses). And lastly, and probably most important, the rhythm guitar tone. This has got to be one of the blandest and weirdest-sounding guitar tones I have heard in Metal. It has basically zero sustain and almost feels computer-generated. This band does not use a lot of power chords, so distortion is not as important here, but the one resource they use a lot, the Djenty singe note precise riffing, manages to sound totally artificial and soul-less.
It is a shame the album has these mixing and production boo-boos because otherwise, it is a very nice collection of songs with thoroughly enjoyable melodies and earwormy hooks. The Electro part is very well applied as well, and it really brings these songs up and makes them shine and become very punchy. I hope the band can find an amazing tone for their next releases because their music deserves it.
Album highlights: The Fall of Human Race, I3, Heart Begins to Break
For fans of: Amaranthe, Follow the Cypher, Dynazty, Sinheresy
Reasons Behind: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Scarlet Records
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by Roman Ibarra
