Title: Edge
Artist: Reflexion
Genre: Gothic Metal
Release Date: 19th February 2010
Label: MachXX (Out Of Line)
Album Review
Gorgeous hard metal riffs introduce the first track 'Morning Sickness' with coursing bass lines and great guitar work framing solid drumming. It's a nice start to what promises to be an excellent album, which proves to be true as 'Moscow Nights' thunders through the speakers, dark and deep in its intensity. 'Written on my skin' is more melodic than it's predecessors and not quite so heavily armoured either but the excellent bass work is still fabulously noticeable. The one criticism I have about this track is that the vocal line was not loud enough to be able to adequately hear the lyrics which was a shame because it's a great track. 'Unbreakable' is chunky and insistent, rattling round your brain until it suddenly digresses into a soft and ambient ballad like verse finally falling into a memorable chorus without ever leaving or losing it's dark and haunting quality. This in my opinion is the best track on the album.
'Generation Kill' is more hard and harsh metal but again I'm disappointed with the mix as the vocals are again woefully low in there. I can't criticise the song or the band, but the sound isn't the best I've ever heard. THE CARDIGANS once did a track called 'Couldn't care less', and then a band called REFLEXION did it the way it should be done. I'm not a great fan of covers but this one is beautifully done and the mix is perfect for this track. 'On this dawn' is far more gentle and ethereal than anything else. It's still strong but it's sensitive and lacks the brutality of some of the previous tracks having a really indie sound to it, whilst 'No Roots on the ground' is back to the heftier sounds and truly great bass work of Mikko Uusimaa but again the mix is really good with the vocal line being really balanced and audible. 'Undress the beauty' is raw and harmonic, a strange mix of plaintive and aggressive which works really beautifully and is a fine, fine track.
'The Cage' is tight as cascading riffs give way to gentle desperate vocals in this gothic ballad where harmonies ride wild with harsh melodies and guitar work. It's a very cutting piece and truly showcases the abilities of all band members equally. The penultimate track 'Blind for Tomorrow' is probably one of the harshest on the album, being hard and uncompromising musically and insistently singable which is the storm before the calm as the final track 'I've burned everything I've got' begins with soft harmonics on reverbed guitars and wanders to a close harmony line of vocals, evocative and emotional. These Finnish guys really know how to put an album together without ever once falling foul of all the usual problems of unsuitable tracklisting or songs that all sound too much the same. It's a diverse and well constructed album and one that deserves to be heard. The only downside was slightly dubious mixing in a couple of tracks but it's not so bad it's unforgiveable and shouldn't ruin an otherwise excellent album.
Tracklist
01. Morning Sickness
02. Moscow Nights
03. Written on My Skin
04. Unbreakable
05. Generation Kill
06. Couldn't Care Less
07. On this Dawn
08. No Roots on the Ground
09. Undress the Beauty
10. The Cage
11. Blind for Tomorrow
12. I've burned Everything I've Got
Line-up
Juha Kylmänen - Vocals
Mikko Uusimaa - Bass
Juhani Heikka - Guitar
Ilkka Jolma - Guitar
Ilkka Leskelä - Drums
Website
http://www.reflexionmusic.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/reflexionmusic
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 7
Extras:-
Total: 7.5 / 10
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