AMARANTHE

Helix SPINEFARM A smart mix of fury and finesse from revitalised melodic metallers

It’s long been due, but Amaranthe have finally found themselvs at a crossroads. The Swedes’ previous four have all been worthy, if lacking a little in confidence, but on Helix time they’ve finally embraced all aspects of their artistic tendencies. So, while you get the vehement death metal fire, you also get hints of a dance beat on 365, and pop melody on Countdown. The songs are better constructed, and the vocal triplet of Elize Ryd, Nils Molin and Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson is a lot more organically choral. There’s also an obviously prevalent pomp edge to the keyboards and guitar, both courtesy of Olof Mörck, which allows the band to be more artistically exploratory. Amaranthe’s metal commitment is still clear, as you’ll hear on My Haven, Iconic and Momentum, but the passion for diversity is starting to pay dividends.

FOR FANS OF: IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL, THERION