ELEINE: We Shall Remain (HEAVY METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Sweden's Eleine have been playing gothic heavy metal for the past ten years, and now have four albums to their credit, including "We Shall Remain", released this summer by Atomic Fire Records. Eleine is above all Madeleine Lijestam and Rikard Ekberg on composition, writing, vocals and production. Their partnership works wonders, with Madeleine's limpid, melodic voice contrasting with Rikard's growls and clear, rocky vocals, giving the whole album a symphonic yet rugged color.

The band plays on this duality to place melodies at the heart of their metal, with walls of guitar made up of simple, effective riffs and an equally heavy rhythm section. The melodic inspiration is to be found in Nightwish, with Madeleine having little to envy Floor Jansen, thanks to her clear phrasing, soft yet powerful tone and obvious melodic appetite.

From the outset, the triptych 'Never Forget', 'Stand By The Flame' and 'We Are Legion' show Eleine at their best, with driving riffs and melodies reminiscent of Nightwish. After a few pleasant mid-tempos, the album runs out of steam in the second half with more repetitive tracks. But the finale raises the level with 'War Das Alles', featuring doom/atmo arrangements of great epic force and haunting vocals, followed by 'We Shall Remain', which nicely concludes the album in an exciting power melodic whirlwind.

"We Shall Remain" is not without its critics, notably its somewhat repetitive aspect, but it does have other undeniable qualities, foremost among which is the clever combination of simple, jerky riffs with beautifully pared-down vocals. Above all, it's the assurance of a very good metal moment, original enough to stand out from the crowd this fall. - Official website

ELEINE

WE SHALL REMAIN

ATOMIC FIRE RECORDS

HEAVY METAL