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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
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Astrakhan: Adrenaline Kiss
Astrakhan: Adrenaline Kiss
Progressive Rock/Metal
3.0/5.0
Website
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Dead End Exit Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 25.05.2016
I'm not quite sure to begin with this review. Perhaps with some facts. First, the band should not be confused with the sludge metal band from Vancouver. Next, Adrenaline Kiss is Astrakhan's sophomore effort, after the universally well-received Retrospective of nearly three years ago. Teamed as a foursome at that time the had guest Marcus Jidell (Evergrey, Royal Hunt) on guitars, and he returns once more. As for my hesitation or reluctance to comment? My interest in the album sways between dislike and ambivalence.
Astrakhan
As a whole I found Adrenaline Kiss heavy, dark, and brooding. Much of the heaviness comes from the riffage and deep bottom end from bass and drums. This in turn affected the musical atmosphere. There's a haunting and brooding tone to most songs here which is accentuated by Alexander Lycke voice and vocal style. He sings clean, and with some passion. But that passion, for me, came across as sullen mixture of pain, brooding, melancholy, and desperation. Together the music wore me down, making me feel worn and tired. I've never had any problems with depression. Yeah sure, like others I've been "bummed out" by a circumstance, but really depressed? Nope. Adrenaline Kiss is a soundtrack for the Zoloft generation. Songs like Ballade de Rhodes, One More Day, Stockholm, and the totally misnamed Alive are wearisome and painfully disturbing. But that's not to say that some of the music is uninteresting. Sometimes the keyboards sound old school, tuning into the vibe of classic prog rock. And Jidell still inspires with his guitar work whatever the musical context or genre. As much as Astrakhan's music is the creative expression of the collective hearts and minds of the members, it's certainly not very lively or heartwarming. I really have no interest in listening to Adrenaline Kiss again.
Astrakhan - Alive
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The Bottom Line
As much as Astrakhan's music is the creative expression of the collective hearts and minds of the members, it's certainly not very lively or heartwarming. I really have no interest in listening to Adrenaline Kiss again.
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