The Evil in You

One of the things that can often befall the greatest bands of the metal scene is the eventual conflict between two opposing forces within the band. At Vance had been blessed with two driving forces, the vocals and occasional fits of compositional genius by Oliver Hartmann, and the memorable riffs and catchy Neo-Classical songwriting of guitarist Olaf Lenk. Sadly, Hartmann’s many projects took precedence over what was this band’s classic line-up, and he along with co-founding keyboardist Uli Muller and bassist Jochen Schnur left the band.

However, proving to be just as relentless in his quest for keeping At Vance viable and strong as Mark Reale was with Riot, Lenk tapped the vocal talents of former Malmsteen impresario Mats Leven and took over the keyboard duties. On this album Leven’s vocals are equally as powerful and versatile as Hartmann’s, and keeps the Malmsteen-like atmosphere that had been present on previous releases consistent. I can not truly choose whom I like better, both have highly recognizable voices and sing their hearts out on every song they’ve recorded with this band.

“The Evil in You” is the next step in the evolutionary ladder from the amazing “Only Human”, carrying many familiar traits both musically and lyrically. The progression of this band has always been gradual and highly controlled; consequently there is an almost unyielding consistency from album to album in terms of style and structure. You have your high tempo power metal anthems, your mid-tempo rockers, your poignant love ballads, and a few remakes of both a classical composition and a classic rock/metal tune from the 70s or 80s.

The up tempo songs on here are as blazing and catchy as always, although the increased emphasis on the drums in the production make them a bit more bombastic than previous albums. “Fallen Angel” and “Stronger than you think” are straight-forward power metal, emphasizing melody and vocal prowess that give way to some decent lead playing. However, “Right or Wrong” is highly memorable and one of the most agitated cookers put forth yet. The melodic guitar/keyboard line is gripping, the drums are large and thunderous, and the lead breaks are amazing. “Street of my Dreams” carries a similar speed riff to “Fallen Angel”, but with a lot more aggression and speed. Mats Leven has one of his better vocal performances on this one as well, particularly during the vocal interchanges in the chorus.

The ballads on here are not quite as sad sounding as on “Only Human”, but they make up for this in superior production and musical prowess. “The Curtain will Fall” has a heavy as hell opening riff, in addition to some interesting keyboard ambiences in the background. But the true strength is in Leven’s versatile vocal display, reminding a bit of his work on Malmsteen’s famous ballad “Like an Angel”. This song has good sing along moments during the chorus, which is a bit of a departure from previous ballads. “Shinning Star” is a bit more similar to previous At Vance ballads, although the classical guitar solo at the beginning is highly ambitious. It has a gloomy acoustic line during the verses that build up nicely to a sad yet slightly triumphant sounding chorus. “One Million Miles Away” carries a lot of background effects and reminds a bit of “Time” off the last album. This song clocks in at almost 7 minutes and is the longest on here, but it stays interesting throughout as Olaf Lenk appropriately places the needed changes between the various sections.

The true power on this album, however, is in the mid-tempo tracks. “Princess of Ice” is a hypnotic rocker with a solid beat and a balanced atmosphere. The riffs are heavy, the guitar and keyboard interchanges are tasteful, and the solo has a highly vocal quality to it. “Broken Vow” is very similar to the brilliant piece that was the title track of “Only Human”. The chorus forces you to sing along, the vocals are well polished, and the rhythm section is solid. Alas, the true diamond to be found in this sea of emeralds is the title track, which is probably the most original composition put out yet. It has a slow driving way to it that reminds a bit of Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath, and is equally as triumphant in the musical department.

The covers on this album are solid, as has always been the case. The Paganini Caprice is done with a solo electric guitar, fitting as it was originally arranged for solo violin, although the former has a very different voice to it. Olaf has a good sense of musicality about him here, and does a fine job of translating the passion of the original composer/performer to a new medium. Like it or not, Paganini is the principle influence on Malmsteen’s music, and most of the better guitarists of metal today take their cues from him. The remake of “Highway Star” that is included on the Japanese version is also well done. If there is any flaw in it, it is that Olaf doesn’t take many liberties on this cover and basically gives us a heavier guitar sound on an otherwise unchanged classic. Kudos to Mats Leven on this one for being able to sing it in its full range, something which Ian Gillian has not been able to do in quite a while.

At Vance has proven once again to be a solid messenger for the power metal faithful, refusing to change their sound with the whimsical fancies of the popular will. They are criticized as being generic and mediocre, but this label is about as far from reality as you can get. Few bands possess this level of musical versatility and consistency simultaneously, and even less of them possess voices that can match the amazing work done on this album and the previous ones. This album is recommended to fans of Melodic Power Metal and 80s Traditional Metal. If you wish to get acquainted with this band, I would recommend either getting “Heart of Steel” or “Only Human” first, but this one gets near equally high marks from me.

This is At Vance’s second album on AFM Records, and first without Oliver Hartmann. Their new singer is Mats Levén and there have been discussions whether he’d be up to the job or not. Well, he fills Oliver’s boots with good measure. Actually Mats make one of his best performances to date, on this very record. He extracts loads of power from that throat of his, all inspired and emotional. He may sing within a short range, but he does it with class, putting the force of his lungs behind every note. No false tunes either; these vocals are nothing but brilliant. Sadly, the record isn’t at par with the vocals. And the con isn’t about the other band members playing skills either. No, The Evil In You suffers from a marginal overproduction and a lack of song writing. The songs aren’t bad par se – they all have their certain qualities, and aren’t anything to be ashamed of, but all of them, except the title song, feels like fillers. This is perhaps the most even of At Vance’s releases, but it’s at the sacrifice of the standouts. The Evil In You is like an auriferous vein without any nuggets.

As it is power metal we are bound to have some repetition, but Stronger Than You Think pushes it to the limit and down the abyss behind it. Meh, that song is like the song Austria participated with in Eurovision Song Contest last year. Chorus again, again, again and then the song all over again. Otherwise the songs are varied using different speeds, shifting song models. We have the typical Manowar-esque war-metal-ballad that each and every German band does a couple of. At Vance’s such songs do sound a lot like Majesty. The inevitable epic has been avoided, and instead of the usual power metal song writing At Vance seem more to write it in the heavy metal way. Melody, choruses and occasional wankery, it’s all thee, added tastefully. That is, except for Caprice No. 16 which is nothing other than one and a half minute long guitar wanking session. It’s real out of place, but followed by Princess of Ice, one of the better songs.

The overproduction mostly affects the drums, causing somewhat more echoes than there needs to be. All in all, this is no bad album; it’s quite solid. It’s an easy listen and no one should be afraid of buying it. However, there’s one major issue. None of the songs stays in my head after listening to the album several times in a row. I remember the intense drumming of Right Or Wrong, the energetic vocals of Mats Levén, some of the unnecessary guitars… But I don’t remember any songs, and that’s their big problem. They write songs very different from another – but yet no standouts. It’s way too mediocre. I don’t know what is the problem with AFM Records, but each and every album they release seems to suffer from that.