Solence: ANGELS CALLING
Swedish electronic metal group Solence are having a massive year. After kicking things off with their ‘Blue Monday’ EP back in January, the genre-blending quartet have now returned with their most powerful and ambitious project yet ‘ANGELS CALLING’. It is jam-packed with energy, crushing breakdowns and undeniably catchy hooks. It showcases the evolution of their sound, whilst also leaving fans with some important messages.
“‘Until I hear the ‘Angels Calling’ reminds us that life is way too short to worry about doubt or making mistakes,” frontman Markus Videsäter points out. “We never know when our time is up, so let’s make the most of it while we can!”. Whether you are a die-hard fan, or only just tuning in for the first time, this album will have you hooked. It is easily Solence’s best work yet.
Title track ‘Angels Calling’ is the album opener, and sounds like it was taken straight from a video game or an anime show. The relentless, punchy drums steal the show and drive the entire song as the gritty riffs and electronic breakdown give it a futuristic feel. It’s the perfect theme song for the album. The opening of ‘Monsters In My Head’ is then a complete 180 from this, just an acoustic guitar and isolated vocals allow Videsäter’s voice to shine through. Just as I think this will be a slower track, the energy comes right back! The aggressive scream of ‘Monsters In My Head’ is like a battle cry as the drums and guitars come crashing in.
‘Where Were You..?’ incorporates strings to give the track an old-world, fantasy feel almost. It is as if they are combining old and new as they blend this with electronic and modern metalcore elements. It still has that video-game feel, but also reminds me of bands such as Rain City Drive, modern Bring Me The Horizon and Pendulum in the best way, whilst still having a sound so unique to Solence. Nobody is doing it like they are right now.
Solence love to blend elements of metal with pop, and ‘MESS’ sounds like it was taken straight from the early 00s pop charts! It has the most satisfying guitars and a beat you can’t resist moving to. It reminds me a lot of ‘Black and Gold’ by Sam Sparro, with the addition of a breakdown with distorted riffs towards the end. It is just as catchy too!
‘<alive’ is a 42 second interlude, in which the soft acoustic guitar gives us a little breather from all of the chaos. It seamlessly transitions into ‘Dead_Alive’ which opens with that same acoustic guitar continued on from ‘<alive’ before diving straight back into the electronic, energetic chaos. It reminds me a lot of Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Wonderful Life’, especially with the lyric “Oh what a wonderful life” repeated. Towards the end the track has frantic solos and fierce screams, fully showcasing the band’s talent.
‘Wish You The Worst’ is a much bouncier and fun track. The vocals are a lot more American sounding here, which helps the track stand out. It’s an infectious, feel-good track guaranteed to go off at live shows.
‘Dangerous To Love’ brings the heaviness right back again with dirty riffs. The vocals are a lot softer and more melodic, showcasing Videsäter’s versatility as a vocalist, whilst also serving as the perfect contrast to the guitars. The drop-out of the pre-chorus helps the chorus hit even harder and feel more explosive than ever when the guitars and drums kick back in. The hook of ‘You are dangerous to love, you are dangerous to love’ is such an earworm, and had me singing along before the track even finished!
‘All Of The Pain Must Go’ is the true grand finale of the album, despite being the penultimate track. The whole thing just feels huge. It is the catchiest power metal track. It sounds like a Eurovision-winning track in the best way! It’s got everything from gang vocals, to blistering guitar solos, to the most addictive hook of the whole album. It is the perfect track to leave listeners with as the record starts to close out.
‘Angels vs Demons’ is a short closer just to bring the album full circle. As it started off with a soft piano and isolated vocals, I was convinced it would be the stereotypical mellow ballad that’s always at the end of metal albums. I was instantly proven wrong as Solence once again flipped the switch and turned it into a grandiose finisher. It has church bells, choirs and explosive crescendos before gently fading out.
It is safe to say this album has instantly made me a die-hard Solence fan. There is nobody else doing it like they are right now and this album may be the catalyst that makes them blow up. As they gear up for their huge European tour with Nothing More, Catch Your Breath and Ankor, I am excited to see them bring this record to the big stages where it clearly belongs.