ELVENKING: The Scythe

Released: 2007

For some reason, with a name such as theirs, I picked Elvenking as a power metal band. But apparently they're not. Anymore. Having forgone virtually all aspects of their previous sound, Elvenking have now decided they want to try their hand at something totally different. This move has led to almost universal condemnation from former fans of their epic power style. Some have been so harsh as to suggest that The Scythe isn't even metal anymore, which is a pretty big call and not one I'm prepared to make but it is clear that this has been a drastic move. Not being in any way familiar with their previous albums, I can only judge them on what they are doing now, and that is something difficult to put my finger on.

The album is loosely conceptual where the "scythe" of the title seems to refer to Lady Death. For some reason the band has decided this requires some method of linking all the tracks together so they've included some dull, insipid poetry they found in a 13-year old Goth's diary and got some guy who couldn't care less the job of reading them. It's difficult to describe just how lame this is, but "lame" is probably putting it mildly. This is merely one example: "To cut the strings, to end their lives/No mercy, pity, no false disguise/Morte, Amore, Death and Love/Behold their pain from high above". Just imagine that sort of rubbish prefacing every song. If that wasn't bad enough, musically Elvenking seems to have come up with some almost indescribable amalgam of Trivium-like "nu-thrash" crossed with the half-arsed "metal" efforts of bands like Bullet For My Valentine and the alternative rock of My Chemical Romance and their ilk. There is no better example of this than "Divided Heart", which sounds like MCR trying to play metal.

That the band has taken a new direction is obvious from the outset, although it isn't immediately obvious what that direction is. The opening and title track sounds rather like a modern In Flames, not brilliant but catchy and reasonably decent with Mike Wead from King Diamond chucking in a nice guitar solo. From this point Elvenking seems to lose their way. The metal parts, particularly the guitar tone and the soloing, are decent enough but Damnagoras' vocals are all over the place and mostly try-hard and terrible, Elyghane's violin is more of a distraction that anything, there's breakdowns and "moody" parts everywhere and the riffing is mainly unimaginative chugging.

They haven't completely neglected their heritage, but by revealing it they show just what a complete mess The Scythe is. "A Riddle of Stars" is a near-perfect combination of heavy power metal and folk instrumentation that tops anything Skyclad ever did, but it is also a clear indication of how Elvenking has dumbed-down their music in what appears to be a cynical and possibly suicidal grab for popularity.

1. The Scythe
2. Lost Hill of Memories
3. Infection
4. Poison Tears
5. A Riddle of Stars
6. Romance and Wrath
7. The Divided Heart
8. Totentanz
9. Death and the Suffering
10. Dominhate

Rating: 35%