Review by Richard Henry for MPM
This Swedish bunch are 6 years in existence and we are on album number 3, described as horror metal or melodic metalcore, they are a hard band to pigeon hole, let’s get into this latest release and see what’s up!
1- Root of All Evil
Nice crunchy riff to start this, very Killswitch in terms of the guitar sound right from the off, nice bouncing riff on the verse, good use of intertwining vocals, then in the buildup there are some clean vocals mixed in, before we hit the chorus and we get the full-on clean vocals, before we drop down after chorus into a slam part, then the middle section is a full-on breakdown, nice solo comes in then lovely harmony picked part and a nice bit of shredding in there, before it comes out into that intro riff and then back into the chorus, good opener!
2- Erzsebet (The Countess)
Now that’s an epic opening to that, full of orchestration and epicness, then it sort of drops into a mid-tempo riff on the verse, I really like the pre chorus with the clean vocals, then it’s an almost pop feel to the chorus, there is definitely a singalong to be had with that part when it gets played live, backs off in the middle to a clean riff then starts to build up again with a bass and drum groove with a low vocal before the solo comes in, again nicely played and some really good harmonies in there before we are back out to the chorus again!
3- Eye of the Storm
Thats an almost Swedish Death Metal riff in terms of At the Gates/In Flames, something a lot of metalcore bands latched onto, nice that the verse has the clean vocals this time to start it off, gives a bit of variation, really good chorus on this one with the clean vocals, that’s a huge hook right there for the chorus, then a breakdown in the middle of the song before we have another lovely solo, back into pre chorus and chorus to round this one out, great track!
4- Hand of Death
Synthy intro to this one, then a really grinding open string riff comes in with another dissonant guitar playing a melody, aggressive vocals in the verse to this one, then a really forward clean vocal comes in for the pre chorus and a growl vocal for under the chorus, this one feels a lot more metalcore than some of the songs so far, it’s a slow driver but there are some really nice elements in the orchestration of the song, there’s a lot of synth parts going on, that middle is a pure Deathcore riff, now that break with the clean vocals and synth to take it back into the chorus is really well done, nice touch!
5- The Doomsday Clock
Clean guitar to start this one, and a pulsing synth backing to follow before the break and bang we are into the track, heavy synth backing to that riff, the verse breaks right down though, this one is a bit of a departure, almost a Chester from Linkin Park verse vocal, before it builds into the orchestral chorus with the clean vocals and the layers on it, really interesting, there has been massive variation on every track so far on this album while still retaining the thread of what the band is, makes for a really good listen!
6- The Crooked Man
Sounds like a wind-up music box starting this one, and yeah it is that’s what comes in next, before the really unnerving riff comes in with like a children’s chorus part in the background, that’s a very Dani Filth vocal delivery in this one, builds up into a huge chorus, yeah this is like Rob Zombie crosses Cradle of Filth, if you can imagine that, there is a part after two mins that gets super melodic and it is a great part before it goes back down into the prechorus again, really interesting track!
7- Survival of the Sickest
Now this is metalcore, starting with a harmony guitar over the riff before the drums come in and sort of bounce along, I am waiting for the buildup, and there we go, but I was not expecting the clean vocals on the verse as it is again very In Flames riff, then the pre chorus adds the growl vocals, and it really builds the song nicely into the chorus very it slows down and gets massive sounding with the clean vocals, that push sort of riff in the middle under the solo is really cool. And the solo is yet again really well played, nice, hey come out of the solo with a synth/piano part with the clean vocals coming in and it builds right back up again into the chorus!
8- Until the End
Sort of a radio distant sound to start with the piano and vocals, again this one sort of is like a house of horrors riff to kick it off before we break down to a broadcast, then the double kicks come in for the verse with the growls, before we hit a huge chorus, really melodic and super memorable as well, not sure that that broadcast thing doesn’t take away from that second verse after the chorus, sort of kills the momentum a bit for me in this one, the middle break with the music box and the soft vocal before the solo is lovely, really super melodic solo that brings us back into that huge chorus!
9- Haters
A lot more aggressive start to this one, very power metal in a way, before the verse slaps in with an almost Arch Enemy vibe to that verse, then a lovely syncopated drum and guitar riff in the pre chorus, before, we hit another absolutely huge chorus, something these guys have done in every song, I love the more aggressive feel of this one, that is a sick guitar solo and I love the backing underneath it, then we have a very quick break and into that massive chorus, this is a belter of a track, love it!
10- Saint or Sinner
Sort of trippy synth intro with another broadcast sort of intro, this one has huge orchestral slabs at the start before it goes into a very groove orientated verse drum and guitar groove, then the double kicks come in for the pre chorus then it builds into another singalong chorus part, something they have done in every song so far, this one is super melodic and almost (wait for it) a Disney feel, that’s what I am getting, short one this and to the point, another cool track!
11- Ripper
Synth intro again before a really slow deliberate drum groove comes in, this is a massive sound as well with all the layers of synth and guitars in there, before a melodic phrase comes in and it all changes into a much heavier verse, again it twists and turns in both vocals and instrumentation before it makes its way to the chorus where we get the clean vocals and the song slows right down and everything opens up, that middle riff is an absolute banger and really drives with the drums, before we get back to the soaring clean vocals, love it!
12- Dark Legacy
Clean guitars and layers of synths to open this one, then you get slapped in the face by the next part that comes in, a slab of a riff with a lovely melodic part, that verse is really well done with the building riff and synths before the slow double bass comes in, then all of a sudden it has dropped to vocals and synth, unexpected for sure, then it hits a chorus that is just absolutely massive, these guys excel at this part of their sound, that’s for sure, then after the second chorus, we go back to the synth and vocals enveloping the sound, a lovely guitar solo in the background starts to come in, really nice harmony, but where you would expect it to build around the solo it doesn’t, it lets the vocal carry it for a bit before we hit the last chorus before it fades away!
8 out of 10
It’s a great album, I personally love it when it gets a bit heavier, there is a lot of variation, you have more horror metal songs, then I would say more Orchestral/Power Metal tracks and then a few that are more Melodic Death, while having all these different styles makes it an interesting album it also loses cohesion in a way as it’s a bit random, its well-played, I love all the tracks but as an album it’s a bit of a mish mash, that’s the only reason I scored it an 8.
In support of their upcoming record release, MISTER MISERY will embark on a headlining tour in October 2024. Find all dates listed HERE, tickets are now on sale via:
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