Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Amaranthe - Manifest (2020)
Ever since their 2014 album Massive Addictive, Amaranthe have been in perpetual experimental motion. Some consider this Swedish band to be part of Europe's symphonic metal scene. Well other than a few grand symphonic pieces, and one of the singers, Elize Ryd stepping in as a guest vocalist for Nightwish in place of that band's freshly departed vocalist Anette Olzon for a show, I don't quite get that association. This band is basically metalcore/power metal mixed with euphoric electro-dance-pop.
That divisive mix is what caused the band's sound to slowly drop in quality with the lowest point being Helix. However, while Manifest picks up where that previous album left off, the metal quality seems to skyrocket a bit! Maybe it's all these familiar stars in the metal world guest appearing in this album. Let's see for ourselves...
The first 4 tracks are some of the most killer songs by Amaranthe I've heard since Massive Addictive, starting with "Fearless" where the band fearlessly slays through their trance-metalcore sound like a sci-fi dystopian battle. Then "Make It Better" makes their sound better and more killer than ever before. "Scream My Name" is filled with pyrotechnical synth-guitar duels. "Viral" is a little off because of the gigantic hooks being cheesy, but they're swept away by the triple-vocal attack and crushing metal.
"Adrenaline" leans more towards the Europop side with a cheesy chorus that could've been written/performed by Graham Norton, but the metal sparks are still there. The emotive "Strong" is a strong brilliant duel between Elize and Battle Beast's Noora Louhimo. "The Game" isn't as lightning-fast as DragonForce's song "The Game" but it does have some DragonForce vibes (from their recent synths and motivational lyrics, all it's lacking is the faster speed and the guitar solo being longer). The symphonic cello-infused seductive ballad "Crystalline" dedicated to loved ones passed away or locked away due to the virus. Guest appearing there is Apocalyptica’s Perttu Kivilaakso on cello and Dragonland's Elias Holmlid on keyboard orchestration. This crystalline ballad stands out with its peaceful spacious arrangement. Beautiful!
"Archangel" continues the sinister hooks that flash all over and serves as a bridge between the softest and the heaviest. The heaviest and most innovative song in the album is "BOOM!" which is more of a djentstep rap-filled track similar to Hacktivist with spoken vocals by Butcher Babies vocalist Heidi Shepherd. Harsh vocalist Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson does high-speed Eminem-inspired growl-rapping, which normally I'm not a fan of, but here brings wild technical force. "Die and Wake Up" is my least favorite song here, sounding closer to the cheesy pop metal from the previous two albums in some parts. However, "Do or Die" definitely makes up for that, both the male version and the female version, the latter being limited edition bonus track and an excellent collab with Angela Gossow, returning from the void since her departure from Arch Enemy. The song itself reminds me of Amaranthe's earlier era with radiant riffs and laser synths. There's also a bonus cover of Sabaton's "82nd All The Way" which is pretty cool too.
Amaranthe might not be able to hook all their listeners, new and longtime, but it is more likely with this album Manifest. This is their strongest effort in 5 years, putting much of their sound in glory and honor, thanks to half of the songs being solid, plus a few amazing guests. One of Sweden's most diverse non-progressive bands is still rising!
Favorites: "Fearless", "Make It Better", "Strong", "Crystalline", "BOOM!", "Do or Die" (both the male and female versions)