Echoterra - Land of the Midnight Sun
Land of the Midnight Sun
CD Info
2011
Blinding Force Records
11 Tracks
English Lyrics
Land of the Midnight Sun, which will be released on October 17, is my first foray into the world of Echoterra. Previously, this American symphonic power metal outfit released a 10-track debut entitled The Law of One in September 2009, followed shortly thereafter by an EP called In Your Eyes in early 2010. In 2009, symphonic metal veteran Melissa Ferlaak came on board, replacing Suvi Virtanen, in time to record the EP. Ferlaak, in case you didn’t know, has some pretty incredible credentials: not only does she hold a master’s degree in vocal performance from the New England Conservatory, she’s fronted two metal bands, Aesma Daeva and Visions of Atlantis. While Echoterra is a new band for me, Ferlaak herself is not as it was her voice I originally heard with VoA when I first discovered them.
Not having any previous experience with Echoterra, I was pleased to be assigned Land of the Midnight Sun to review since I’m always looking for new female fronted metal, and I knew Ferlaak would deliver. I have no past to compare the present to, and with music - especially with bands who have undergone a major change like acquiring a new vocalist - I find that’s often a good thing. I come into this review with no biases (apart from being a fan of the vocalist) and no pre-judgements.
And overall, I was impressed with this CD, and kind of refreshed that female-fronted symphonic power metal of this calibre is being produced in the States, which isn’t a country known for this particular heavy metal sub-genre.
The first track, "After the Rain", starts of very well with a great symphonic intro and goes right into the stuff heads are meant to bang to. It’s fast, energetic, heavy and contains all the elements that make this genre great. Right off the bat, I liked the guitar work and the melodies. As one would expect with a vocalist with the experience Melissa Ferlaak has, she delivers and sounds as good as ever, or even better.
And speaking of vocals, another element I really enjoyed in Land of the Midnight Sun was the dramatic vocal lines. Ferlaak makes full use of her impressive range, technique, and power. The vocal harmonies are also fantastic. Songs like "All the Lies", which will be the first single released, "Genes of Isis", and "From the Gutter to the Throne", stand out to me specifically because of their vocal lines. This album also boasts some nice, complex backing vocals, all performed by Ferlaak. She totally shines, and I got the perception early on in my listening that she had a sense of freedom with her singing in this album than I didn’t perceive her to have with VoA.
Lyrically, there is some pretty dark stuff going on here: natural disasters, the imminent destruction of the earth and the losses that creates, and desolation are the prominent landscapes and imagery - which isn’t surprising given the title of the album.
My favourite song is probably the aforementioned "Genes of Isis," which is the final track. It’s also the most complex and progressive offering on the album, and there is a really distinct classical feel to this, with keys that sound like harpsichords and Melissa sounding like a choir unto herself. This piece almost sounds to me like something you’d hear at Prince Albert Hall, with performers wearing powdered wigs and elaborate costumes reminiscent of the 18th century.
I do have a couple of critiques, however, if I may. One is the quality of the recording. The mixing is off and the bass sounds fuzzy. Sometimes the main vocals and the backing vocals don’t mesh well together. I’m not a sound expert by any means, but even to my uneducated ear there was something not quite right about how this was all put together. However, I didn’t let that impede my general impression of the music.
Another small criticism I have, and one that became apparent to me after perhaps the fifth or sixth listen, was that the songs were all similarly structured. Though the keys, guitars, and vocals were all well-executed and certainly complex enough, there wasn’t a lot variation in how each song was constructed, except for "Genes of Isis", which was the one notable stray from the herd.
All in all, this was a very positive and promising introduction to a band completely new to me. Although I had a few issues, I think this CD has great bones and really shows off the talents of some obviously high-calibre musicians. I also must applaud whoever did the album art because it’s great! The single "All the Lies" will be released Oct. 1 and will be accompanied by a video. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Echoterra’s path takes them with Land of the Mindnight Sun.
8.5 / 10
