Solution .45 – For Aeons Past (AFM Records)
Tuesday, 19th March 2013
Congratulations, Christian Alvestam, you are now the sole and lone owner of the most annoying clean vocals in melodic death metal. If the Swede’s saccharine-beyond-all-hell vox weren’t nauseating enough during his run with Scar Symmetry, Solution .45 is a step up from that level. We understand the whole “good cop vs. bad cop” approach; it’s fine, but how anyone in their right mind doesn’t find this the slightest bit annoying needs to pick up a box of Q-Tips, and fast.
A safe reference point for For Aeons Past (which needs an apostrophe in the title) is in fact, Scar Symmetry, who Solution .45 would sound exactly like if the band had some flashy shredders, which they don’t. Song, production, and composition-wise, the band mirrors itself after SS, which is in some respects, is a safe move for Alvestam. After all, there were some people who cited his vocals as being one of SS’s primary selling points.
Breaking it down, yeah, there are some cool riff moments on “The Close Beyond” and “Wirethrone,” both of which have the necessary melodic death metal muscle. Problem is, Alvestam can’t stay out of the way. Whenever some momentum is built, like on “Gravitational Lensing,” in comes the ridiculous clean vox and an even more ridiculous-sounding chorus. Everything gets sullied by the man’s clean vocals. EVERYTHING.
Having seen the flicker of hope Scar Symmetry demonstrated around the Pitch Black Progress album, it’s not a reach to think Solution .45 will at least try to approach that mark. Since their sound is practically lifted from Scar Symmetry’s it makes sense, only difference is that no one is going to remove Alvestam from his own band.
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)
