Where Angels Fear

Graced with one of the lamest band names in the history of metal as a form of music, I often found myself skipping over this act while perusing through the archives for like-minded groups. Regardless as to whether I would rank them suddenly as a top tier band after giving them a spin, I could never say the name Lullacry with a straight face if someone were to ask me for recommendations concerning my musical interests. Therefore, in that sense it's probably fortunate that my introduction to them, Where Angels Fear, did not abruptly catapult these guys to the level of my personal favorites. Fucking Lullacry man, sheesh.

Name aside, I've heard worse. I'm not about to roll out a red carpet for them, but I acquired no serious issues absorbing the entire album on enough occasions to review it. In fact, a few of these tracks are actual keepers to spin when I'm in the mood for their commercially inclined gothic metal brand. The production is rock solid, the musicians do their job well enough, and the singer has an appealing though not terribly gifted voice. The problem with them is that a decent handful of these tunes sound so rote and without a memorable thread to cling to, that even after numerous listens, looking at the track-list again I could not hum a damn thing from, say, "Broken (Into Pieces)", although the pointless use of parentheses at least leaves some sort of impression. The ones that do stand out though do deserve mention for good or ill.

Mikko Herranen took the reigns as producer for the band's comeback here, and apparently felt the need to chime in vocally as well, dueting with Tanja in "Feel My Revenge". I can't deny that his smooth cape-wearing croon is more than serviceable as befitting a tall mysterious stranger vibe, but these sort of tunes really push the cornball musical theatre boundaries to borderline embarrassing levels. "Stay", an unabashed acoustic guitar led ballad, is also somewhat of an uncomfortable listen, but in this case it's more due to the melodramatic blunt nature of the lyrics dealing with the loss of a loved one. I tend to cringe a bit when this number rears its soft head, which only proves the song's effectiveness thanks to the heartfelt delivery which gives me the feeling that I'm listening in on some young woman's moment of grief. Not something I'm usually looking to waltz in on (I do a terrible job at trying to console people, often leaving them worse off instead and myself feeling like an idiot).

I can't write off Where Angels Fear completely from my playlists though, thanks to a few emeralds in the forest. "Antidote To You" is a robust and energetic opener adorned with an almost industrial-tinged mixing job that helps polish the track while not sterilizing it. "Bad Blood" boasts what sounds like Tanja pulling off a pretty spot-on Vince Neil impression, adding a bit of bratty attitude to a genre known more for its dreamy moroseness. The true winner from this album for me though is "Gone Are the Days", which comes across like the best original Lacuna Coil track in a decade, without a moronic spotlight-sharing Andrea-type male compromising the melodies with a warbled presentation cloaked in machismo. It revels in gloomy chord progressions that almost skirt the doom metal genre. Granted, Cristina Scabbia's band does seem like a significant influence on Lullacry, with "Thousand Suns" recalling Lacuna Coil's rendition of "Enjoy The Silence" to some degree, but this band manages to steadfastly sidestep the clone tag by circumventing some of the worst aspects concerning the newer material of their progenitors, and Tanja's vocals are particularly distinctive, managing to seesaw between luscious and snarly without veering too far in either direction.

Other than a few of these tracks, it's not the sort of album I'll be revisiting too often. Musically it's competent and sometimes creative, such as the sudden dark melodies that sprout forth halfway through "All Behind" that remind me of Alice In Chains at their bleakest. Unfortunately, with all the down-tuned riffs and occasional nods to a more alternative metal impression, my interest tends to wane during certain songs. Tanja has a likeable disposition with her singing, but her range isn't quite there and her straining during the high notes is apparent enough to make me wince at times. I will say that this album is decent enough in that I'm curious to hear what their earlier works have to offer and how the band evolved to this state. As well, I'll probably take a chance on what their next endeavor brings to the table and hope it's even tastier. At least it could never be as atrocious as their chosen name. Seriously.

Being someone who tends to gravitate towards the darker, more 'extreme' side of metal, it's always a welcome respite to hear a band and album that instead goes for more concise songwriting and the melodic approach that often goes unnoticed. In the case of Lullacry, I may have been first put off, thinking that they were going to be yet another continental European 'female-fronted' act, the sort that adopts the tired 'pop' doctrine and essentially becomes a showcase for the singer's voice. Although Lullacry's sound is dependant on Tanja Lainio's powerful vocals, there is more to the band's sound than I may have initially given them credit for.

This Finnish band deserves their share of comparisons to symphonic metal heavyweights such as Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil, but what may attract me more to Lullacry's sound is their more melancholic tone. Granted, they are labelled first as a 'gothic metal' group, but their aesthetic did not lead me to think that I may be ultimately comparing some of the riffs here to Katatonia. 'Where Angels Fear' is not a depressive album by any means, but there's a dark edge to the music that feels more sincere than most melodic bands. As the 'melodic' label implies, Lullacry aim for memorable hooks and catchy choruses to make their songwriting shine. To this end, 'Where Angels Fear' is an achievement, although the melodic focus comes at the cost of being a fairly predictable listen. Tanja Lainio's voice is not much unlike your typical 'female metal singer', although she's certainly more rooted in rock, and less rooted in 'symphonic music' than per usual.

The doomy vibe of 'Thousand Suns' and powerful chorus of 'All Behind' are both highlights on Lullacry's first effort in seven years. The production is quite clean and polished; not surprising for the style, but only benefits Lullacry with a professional sound. The only discernible weak point in Lullacry's work are the lyrics, which generally either border on cliche ("I am become death, the destroyer of worlds") or saccharine narratives about love, the sort of lyrics that wouldn't sound out of place in a sappy pop song. Although the lyrics do not necessarily feel out of place, it's a clear nadir in terms of what Lullacry do. I cannot say that 'Where Angels Fear' stands enough out of the crowd to give it an all-encompassing recommendation to all and any metalheads, but Lullacry has put out of the better melodic metal albums I have thus heard in 2012.