By Damien Ellinghaus
ALESANA
- The Emptiness (Fearless)
North Carolinian post-hardcore rockers Alesana
are no strangers to concept albums. Every album
of theirs has had some form of recurring theme
(aside, of course, from the usual fare: lying
girlfriend, killing said girlfriend, loving
said girlfriend.) Their debut,
On Frail
Wings of Vanity and Wax, dealt with Greek
mythology, the title a reference to Icarus,
and their second release,
Where Myth Fades
to Legend, was based off of tales from
the Brothers Grimm. What separates
The Emptiness
from the others, however, is that this one is
a full-on concept album, revolving around the
tale of a sketch artist gone mad, in a nutshell.
What, you didn’t think that I was gonna
tell you the whole story, did you? Silly reader….anyway
though, this album is not exactly just another
run-of-the-mill release from yet another run-of-the-mill
emotionally charged metal band. This time around,
Alesana has turned on the song-writing oven
and cooked up a pretty intriguing album. Their
standard vocal harmonies, black metal and death
metal-tinged screams, and three guitar attack
are retained, and they’re not doing anything
that previous fans are gonna scratch their heads
at, but there are some new aspects of their
sound that further the overall mood of the album.
There is a fairly constant usage of strings
and piano, which add to the dramatic and ominous
mood that the lyrics set, and it’s used
sparingly enough so that it isn’t overwhelming.
While we’re on the topic of lyrics, they’re
very well put together. Vocalist Shawn Milke
delivers the goods in all the right places,
his voice not as whiny and annoying as many
of his peers, and the screams are also very
well-placed. The brutality is toned down slightly
in order to convey the story, but there are
plenty of breakdowns and headbanging moments
for everyone to enjoy. Overall, the cd is an
enjoyable experience, good for more than a few
listens, and is a very nicely crafted vehicle
for Alesana to further propel themselves above
the thousands of imitators around them. Oh,
and I recommend picking up a physical copy.
You’re gonna need it if you want to fully
appreciate the story. Thumbs up, boys.
Stand out tracks: "Artist," "Murderer,"
"Thespian," "In Her Tomb by the
Sounding Sea"
