Whiteabbey – Volume Two
Whiteabbey – Volume Two
Self-Released
Release Date: 04/11/22
Running Time: 35:38
Review by Laura Barnes
7/10
Metal is a vast, vast thing. The idea that Cannibal Corpse, Nightwish and Limp Bizkit each belong to the same musical family is a bonkers one. There are, of course, some people who are opposed to such bonkersosity (see: The Metal Archives ‘Rules’ page), but I personally believe that the Metalverse is better for it. The constant smashing and mix-mashing of boundaries and genres means that Metal is constantly evolving. You could spend your whole life listening to the genre and still, lying on your deathbed at the ripe old age of 102, load up Bandcamp and discover something new.
This is a very long-winded way of informing you that Whiteabbey’s “Volume Two” contains something I never in a million years thought I would hear: a Power Metal version of Take That’s ‘Rule The World’. This proves to be a bloody good time (as long as you don’t take yourself, or the song, too seriously), but also tells you everything you need to know about Whiteabbey. This is Power Metal at its most poppy and cheesy. This is Power Metal that your Gran would like.
I don’t mean that as an insult. The last couple of months, I’ve been wading through seas of Black Metal and Prog, so when I listened to this album, I was struck by how accessible it was. This is an album of catchy earworms, an album you can sing along with after just one listen. Clocking out at just 35 minutes, “Volume Two” is full of tightly structured songs that charge forward with confidence. It doesn’t particularly reinvent the wheel, but it’s perfect for fans of bands like Sonata Arctica and Battle Beast.
Album opener ‘Swan’ begins the album with an enjoyable but fairly standard Melodic Metal song featuring instrumentals that are reminiscent of Nightwish in their “Once” era. It is quickly overshadowed by its more anthemic successor, ‘Guardian’. This is an absolute fist-pumper of a track, with a passionately sung chorus, an incredibly impressive guitar solo, and a piano riff that makes me feel like I’m battling the Final Boss in a JRPG.
Of course, an album like “Volume Two” wouldn’t be complete without a power ballad. ‘Wish’ sees Whiteabbey take a somewhat stripped back approach to this time-honoured tradition. The usual electric guitar riffs are traded in for acoustic melodies that help to foreground the story of the song, a kind of back-and-forth evaluation of a failed relationship. Although it is a comparatively slower song, the back-and-forth style vocals give the song an energetic feel that will keep you engaged throughout, and the lyrics have enough specificity to make the song feel like a real conversation between two ex-lovers.
Other highlights include ‘Wicked’, a very chuggy and dramatic song that has major Battle Beast vibes, and ‘Shadows’, a magnificently malevolent earworm. Despite Whiteabbey having a slightly gentler sound compared to most Power Metal bands, ‘Shadows’ demonstrates that Whiteabbey are both willing and capable of pulling out all the stops when necessary. And then, of course, we come full circle with their very unique version of ‘Rule The World’.
As talented musicians, there is certainly room for Whiteabbey to take larger risks in future albums. Having short, tightly structured songs makes for an enjoyable listen, but it would be exciting to see them occasionally throw the formula out the window and show off their creativity – I am sure that they are more than capable. That said, I do hope we continue to see more from Whiteabbey. “Volume Two” takes a surprisingly gentle approach to power metal that I have scarcely encountered amongst newer bands, and it would be interesting to hear more.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Swan
02. Guardian
03. Angels
04. Wish
05. Shadows
06. Wicked
07. Heaven
08. You
09. Rule The World
LINE-UP:
Tamara Bouwhuis – Vocals
Stevie McLaughlin – Vocals, Lead Guitar
Steve Moore – Guitars, Bass
LINKS:
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