AMBER SOLSTICE «Elixir of Passion» [2010] new
R.U.M. zine 2011-01-26
Tak tohle je tedy pocin! Blackmetalovi vzbourenci, pohansti psi a folkmetalovi matadori v jednom se usnesli na komplotu, jez definitivne vyjima vychodni scenu z rad „tech ortodoxnich“ (toto berte samozrejme s nadsazkou). AMBER SOLSTICE je naprosto cileny (dalo by se rici komercni) pokus o vytvoreni citliveho electro rocku, a to nejen pro undergroundove publikum. Doufam, ze jste pochopili, kam tim mirim…dalsi charakteristiku si vsak vypucuji od samotne vydavatelske spolecnosti, ktera popisuje hudbu jako silnou syntezu mezi rockem, synth-rockem a elektronic music. Ano, s tim se da skutecne ve vetsi mire a ja osobne jeste doplnim poznamku o kvalitnich vokalech v zenskem i muzskem provedeniNe nadarmo label hlasa dalsi reklamni slogan a ja ho za nic na svete nemohu opomenout. „Toto CD pry uspokoji vsechny sklani vyznavace popularni hudby vysokych kvalit.“ To je tedy SAKRA rana a SAKRA komercni utok. Jsem skutecne zvedav, jake ohlasy tento projekt v budoucnu vzbudi.Pokud znate kapely (projekty) jako DEATHDEMONA, MUNRUTHEL, KOLO ci SOLARNIGHT, urcite se nedivite me zvidavostiJenze..pak nabizim jeste jedno „jenze“. I ten popik se zkratka musi umet delat, clovek muze mit more predsudku, narazek na ono komercno, ale kdyz na „normalni“ pisnicky sahne umelec, ktery zkratka vi co cini, nemusi se zakonite jednat o pruser. A ja si skutecne nemohu pomoci…“Elixir Of Passion“ je nadmiru zabavna deska s neskonale odlehcenou atmosferou. Jednotlive skladby se drzi jedine smerodatne linie, to znamena zadne moc velke vybocovani, pouze naznak nezneho mrazeni a citlive uchopena melancholie. Jedinou vyjimkou, rusici vyse uvedene, je cover „Enjoy The Silence“ od DEPECHE MODE. Kdyz jsem tuto skladbu v podani AMBER SOLSTICE slysel poprve, uvedomil jsem si, ze AMBER SOLSTICE maji s DEPECHE MODE vlastne mnoho spolecneho. Jen te kytary a ostrejsich beatu je tu prece jen o trochu vic. Nicmene samotna predelavka se myslim docela povedla a je jen skoda, ze si kapela vybrala prave tuto propranou vec…
Pokud si tedy chcete od metalu malinko odpocinout, prozit prijemna relax, AMBER SOLSTICE vam mohu smele doporucit. Za pripominku pak jeste stoji info o delikatesni brozure s nadechem stredoveke alchymie, kterou vytvoril slavny malir Mstiborg. A verte mi – cely komplet vypada opravdu moc hezky. Tenhle projekt tedy rozhodne smysl ma…. ALL
AMBER SOLSTICE «Elixir of Passion» [2010]
Cosmos Gaming 2011-01-02
There’s not a whole lot of information out there about Amber Solstice aside from the short little biography their distributing label Casus Belli Musica has provided for their debut album Elixir of Passion, but that’s not that big of a deal when the music speaks for itself. Elixir of Passion is a synth rock/pop album that really feels like it strikes an even balance between the electronic/synthesizer elements and heavier rock influences. It has some really catchy arrangements and the interplay between the male and female vocalists works quite well, creating an album that is sure to stick with listeners.
Elixir of Passion has seven original tracks, a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” and two remixes. What is immediately noticeable about Amber Solstice is that they don’t take the pure synth/electro approach like many of the other bands in the genre. Instead, their compositions feel as though they are equal parts rock and synthpop, as songs such as “The Dreams” start off with guitar riffs that have a rock/metal sound to them before heading into some lighter keyboard driven melodies. The instrumentalists have managed to make both of these styles stand out, as the riffs and electronic melodies will stick with listeners for quite some time, and their cover of “Enjoy the Silence” fits this description as well as it brings a heavier edge to the classic tune. The remixes up the electronic elements and bring more electro/techno oriented beats into the mix. While I can appreciate the decision to include them, I must admit that the remix of “The Dreams” is the only one that really grabbed me with its ideas.
As previously mentioned the vocals are shared between a male and female member of the band. The female vocals are very powerful and it sounds as though the singer really feels each and every word. There’s this sense of confidence behind her voice that makes her performance seem very strong. The male singer seems a bit more subdued and doesn’t appear quite as often, but his voice is still very pleasing to the ear and complements the rest of the material. I did like the few moments where it seemed as though the two singers were doing a duet of sorts and this is something that the band could consider doing more of in the future.
Amber Solstice has managed to create material that sounds slightly different from some of the other synthpop out there, and that makes them worth checking out. Elixir of Passion has just the right combination of heavier rock/metal influences and synth driven melodies that will keep listeners coming back for more. This release snuck in right at the end of 2010 and it’s a nice surprise considering that this genre doesn’t have too many new bands that are really trying to find a sound of their own. Chris Dahlberg