Symphony of Sweden – Haunted
Symphony Of Sweden – Haunted
Self-Released
Release Date: 07/02/24
Running Time: 35:58
Review by Simon Black
9/10
OK, I know that the site is called Ever Metal, but we’ve a fairly broad remit here at EMHQ. And hey, I’m the Editor, so if I want to review a Melodic Pop Rock-leaning-in-a-slightly-Metallic direction, I will. Especially when it jumps me from left field and genuinely impresses in the way this opus does.
Describing themselves as the missing link between Pop and Metal, Symphony of Sweden are at least honest about this in a way that fellow Swede Tobias Forge always tries to downplay (despite him shamelessly fusing the commercially successful sounds of ABBA with the legacy of his various failed attempts at Extreme Metal prior to Ghost hitting it big). This, by the way, I do not have a problem with (or with Ghost either if you were wondering where I sit regarding Metal’s answer to Marmite), and if any proof were needed about how you can unleash your Metal desires on an audience once you’ve won them over by the back door, look no further than Muse, who started in the safe British territory of Alt-Rock when breaking out of their home country, went all Progressive when they started playing stadia and who these days release records with a sound heavier (and indeed better) than anything Metallica have released this century.
But then. Let’s remind ourselves that most members of the general public brand everything with a bit of overdriven guitar as ‘Metal’, whether it falls into one of the myriad of sub-genres we hacks frantically try to pin acts into either when working out how to describe them or to give you, the reader, and indication of what they might actually sound like. I will be honest — my modus operandi when picking stuff to review is to list to 30 seconds from the middle of the second track and see if it rocks my boat. And this one does.
At its heart are two gentlemen from the Frozen North of their homeland, who have been creating their musical niche for a couple of years. Linus Wester takes vocal duties and his partner Pontus Hagberg on the keyboards crafting the nexus of the songs. Now it’s tempting to say that that’s how many Pop duo’s craft their compositions, but that’s because we tend to think of Rock and Metal coming together in the studio, but since most acts tend to have two writers at the core of their songcraft, the skeletons of many songs actually happen with vocals and keys (or acoustic guitar) because these allow hours of many hours if song-bashing it takes until something’s even half ready to share with a band in a rehearsal room to not disturb your neighbours at home or in hotels on the road.
There are two other highly competent players in the mix too, but it’s clear that this project revolves around the writing duo, and consequently the vocals and electronica melodies are woven together with every other instrument fitting around that structure. Now most Metalheads are almost immediately going to moan about this, but the end product is actually way heavier than one would think from reading this or reading their PR blurb. You could stick these guys in the mix with a plethora of Euro Power or Melo-Metal acts at a festival and no-one would blink. Tobias Sammet from Avantasia writes stuff like this all the time, and Frontiers Records have a whole label churning out hundreds of release a year, so it’s a viable market, but S0S keep enough of a Pop sentiment, and keep the keys and vocals far enough in the front of the mix to cross the aisles and appeal to a more mainstream audience as well.
OK, so what about the songs?
Well, these boys certainly know how to craft an arrangement well, as the twelve tracks on here all have strong opening hooks, flow their length well despite encompassing more than a fair few technical flourishes and run quite a stylistic gamut over the thirty-six minutes of run time. Then there’s the musicianship. Hagberg hogs the melodies, but can certainly tinkle the ivories when required, and guitarist Henrik Bodin-Sköld is clearly an incredibly talented shredder when he lets rip. Drummer Niklas Bengtsson is a veritable powerhouse, and can turn on the Heavy as good as it gets when required (‘Even If Solo’ is pure anthemic Metal and showcases both of these guys well in that regard).
However, for me it’s the angst-ridden, soulful gravelly-ness of Wester’s vocals that steal this particular show. He’s got some of the timbre of a Jørn Lande (but less in your face) and the soulfulness of a Bob Catley, but with a good octaval range and a shit tonne of charisma. I am not sure how this would translate live, but these anthemic tracks need a wider audience and deserve the chance to break out of the underground. Make it so, dear reader, make it so…
Symphony Of Sweden – ‘Haunted’
TRACKLISTING:
01. Haunted
02. EXIT – When There’s Nowhere Else To Run
03. Get Out Of My Mind
04. Bad Thoughts
05. Even If Solo
06. Lay Them Down (A broken son’s cry)
07. Show Me Love
08. Down And Counting
09. Just Let It Bleed
10. That Night
11. Black Painted Heart
12. Goodbye
LINE-UP:
Linus “Lee” Wester – Lead Vocals
Pontus “Evan” Hagberg – Keyboards, Guitars, Programming
Henrik Bodin-Sköld – Guitar
Niklas “Bullen” Bengtsson – Drums
LINKS:
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