APOCALYPTICA: Cell-0 (MELODIC METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Twenty-three years ago, the metal community discovered, not without surprise, a new band that had become cult: Apocalyptica. Four young Finns released an album of Metallica standards... on cello, and in an instrumental way! The album was intriguing and the quartet soon became famous. Twenty years later, in order to pay tribute to their debut, the musicians decided to go on tour to bring this first album back to the forefront. Since then, the foursome have always used vocals to enhance their compositions, but the return to a more minimalist format, with four cellos and nothing more, particularly appealed to them.

In 2020, the Scandinavians were back with a new album, "Cell-0". As its name suggests, the cello once again becomes the major instrument declined throughout the album, to the detriment of vocal, which totally disappears. This change being, to say the least, risky in a music industry which demands short, catchy and immediate formats, the band took the courageous decision to self-produce this album, in order not to be disturbed by the slightest outside opinion which could take them away from their purpose.

A risky gamble, but a successful one. Apocalyptica, even in a smaller format, still benefits from an excellent production and in its DNA, there is always an obvious metal influence. On 'En Route To Mayhem', after a mysterious beginning which is getting stronger and stronger, we quickly get to the heart of the song with an extremely sustained and powerful rhythm. Maybe we're not far from using the shred at times with ultra fast, overexcited and brilliant cello phrasing.

'Ashes Of The Modern World' is also part of a metal dynamic, but heavier, darker, with a light and airy touch. The perfectly written track has a cinematic side that we can find on the sumptuous 'Fire & Ice' on which Apocalyptica likes to mix the ambiences. On the beginning of the track, it seems to travel to faraway lands, while the unleashed finale tends towards melodic/symphonic progressive metal. A symphonic metal also present on the eponymous track, 'Cell-0', which along its ten minutes, does not impose any limit in its experiments.

Always in this perspective of diversification of the atmospheres, one will note the presence of the relaxing 'Rise'. The single chosen by the band to highlight their album gives the impression of floating above a frozen lake and flying in the middle of a Norwegian fir forest in a winter landscape.

If you doubted it, Apocalyptica can do everything, play everything. And over almost an hour of music, not only is the absence of vocal not felt, but the perfect and richly subtle execution of the musicians prevents the listener from losing interest. "Cell-0" nevertheless requires a certain amount of listening so that its diversity can be fully digested and appreciated to its true value. Five years after "Shadowmaker", Apocalyptica strikes a big blow with an album of great sensitivity, and it would be a shame to miss it! - Official website

APOCALYPTICA

CELL-0

AUTRE LABEL

MELODIC METAL