It’s a difficult task to stand out in the metal scene, usually a band has to venture into other genres and incorporate musical ideas that will be innovative. Amaranthe does just that not only on their new second album, The Nexus, but as a staple of the band’s identity and sound. The combination of three different singers makes for a very unique way of each vocalist playing off of each other and developing an unpredictable array of verses. The melodic metal band infuses a little pop element into their songs with catchy choruses but maintain their heavy side with growling and great instrumentation. The band is made of Elize Ryd and Jake E (lead vocals), Andreas Solveström (growling vocals), Olof Mörck (guitars and keys, Johan Andreassen (bass), and Morten Løwe Sørensen (drums).

The album includes a wide variety of tempos and electronic elements in each song. The slower pop-ballad “Burn With Me” features the vocal talents of Elize and Jake while “The Nexus” and “Theory of Everything” are the more power metal and fist pumping tracks. “Theory of Everything” has a great breakdown in the middle of the sing that is perfect to head bang to. The synthy-pop tune “Electro Heart” is a change of pace with the playful vocals of Elize being the focus. The song “Mechanical Illusion” is a real highlight on the album.  From the intro being frequent throughout the background as well as the groovy guitar riff and the extremely sing-along friendly chorus, it is the epitome of Amaranthe’s vision as a band. All the elements are present and executed flawlessly. It just goes to show that metal music doesn’t have to be 100% screaming and lyrics that can’t even be understood or translated. The clean vocals of Amaranthe make their music more enjoyable and relatable even with the difficult task of balancing three vocalists on a consistent basis.

Amaranthe is currently touring across Russia, Japan, and making their rounds across Europe from Sweden to Finland. There have been no plans for them to tour in the U.S., but hopefully that can change as their popularity grows.