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Frantic Amber

Burning Insight

Written by: MN on 12/05/2015 18:04:05

Frantic Amber are a new force on the Swedish melodeath scene where bands like Deals Death and Arch Enemy continue the noble act of combining the aggression of old school death metal with neoclassical elements and theatrics. Frantic Amber are, unfortunately, mostly discussed on the basis of their members primarily being women. Let's leave this outdated discussion out of the question. Who the hell cares what gender stands behind the furiosity of Frantic Amber, if it's good then listen to it. The band that took me somewhat by surprise, somewhat in a similar way that Arch Enemy's "Wages Of Sin" did back over 10 years ago. A consistent record of 10 tracks with varying originality, but if pummeling double pedals, crisp death metal riffs and a tasty raspy vocal line is your cup of tea, then you won't be dissapointed by Frantic Amber.

The intro sets the mood with classic strings raising a sense of suspense, thus sounding a bit like a soundtrack to an adventure film. It becomes clear from the get-go, and cemented completely in the first track "Burning Insight", that Frantic Amber are going for an expression of power, fury and destruction, but are not necessarily depressive or eerie in character. Their music is fuelled by strength and a somewhat "thrashy" attitude. The first track varies rhythmically from a mid-paced chorus with bombastic lyrics to cacophonic blast-beats refreshingly combined with interludes of guitar solo dabbling.

"Soar" is one of the more invigorating tracks that clearly express the message of strength and passion that fuels the entire record. Lyrics of confidence such as "Soar, Spread your wings and fly. It's your time, it's your time, time to shine." are sung with furious fervour over strings and rib-rattling drums. The song also includes a 'Maiden-esque interlude to provide some variety. "Drained" has plenty of elements of groove metals and a selection of hard hitting solos. "Entwined" just screams out a thrash influence not to be missed, one of the stronger tracks on the record. The last two tracks of the record are some of the most fun on the record, and especially "Self-Destruction" has the given coarse vocals almost sung in a fast-paced nursery rhyme fashion. "Ghost" is the final track and arguably the most famous and complex of their triad of singles. A great finisher to a pretty awesome record. Commendable mentions go to the production value of the drums featured on this record, an element that really cuts through.

Frantic Amber have been active since 2008 and have therefore had plenty of time to test their sound at various music events including big-time gigs at festivals like Wacken and Sweden Rock Festival. After a couple of small releases, "Burning Insight" hits the market with great and deserved success. I will personally keep an eye out for this band to see how they fare on subsequent releases. Fans of Marionette, Children of Bodom and even Dark Tranquility should find some joy in Frantic Amber. Although not hugely original in sound, they are interesting enough to keep you listening throughout with no dwindling of attention.

Download: Burning Insight, Soar, Self Destruction
For The Fans Of: Norther, Arch Enemy, In Flames
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 15.04.2015
Border Music