Label: Lifeforce Records
Review by CriX
Shear is a metal band from Helsinki, after their EP “In Solitude” (2009) and the first full length “Breaking the Stillness” (2012), they are back with a new work called “Katharsis”. They define their music ‘multifaceted metal ‘ and with this album you will understand what they mean.
The magnificent intro “Katharsis” opens the door of this album, “Last Warning” is a speed track and everything works good, excellent is the guitar solo and the powerfull voice. “Home” is a power metal song like the catchy “Heaven Into Hell” that takes us really in a fire heaven, the rhythm of “Hollow, Black & Cold” and the final chorus and talk part at the end make it a unique track. The ballad of the whole album is “I Care”, a really sad song with rhyrhmical changes. “A Hopeless Tragedy” starts with a good part of bass that then makes combo with the guitar and drums, we can definite this track as progressive. The soft keyboards intro in “Whispers Follow You” is followed by a fast continuation,this is a song that come into your mind easily.
In “For the Restless” the voice becomes more aggressive, with the progressive “Not Myself” we are almost at the end of this album, “Turmoil” the last track is surely the best of the whole album, the sound remind me a bit from Circus Maximus. This is an album that comes immediately to the listener, recording and mixing are made very good, and they are really great musicians. The voice of Alexa sounds pop-ish in the middle of this power-progressive-symphonic metal. Listening to this album will open the door of your mind to discover something of pretty different from the usual symphonic metal.
Rating – 80/100
Tracklist
- Katharsis
- Last Warning
- Home
- Heaven Into Hell
- Hollow, Black & Cold
- I Care
- A Hopeless Tragedy
- Whispers Follow You
- For the Restless
- Not Myself
- Turmoil
Line Up
- Alexa Leroux – Vocals
- Mikael Grönroos – Guitars
- Lauri Koskenniemi – Guitars
- Lari Sorvo – Keyboards
- Silver Ots – Bass
- Juhana Karlsson – Drums