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Kraemer: Kraemer
Kraemer - 2022 Self-titled Debut Album Art

Kraemer: Kraemer

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
3.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 19.01.2022 | Released: 21.01.2022

Kraemer is solo project of and eponypous title for vocalist Erik Kraemer debut album, who is one of the two vocalists for Finnish progressive metal band Simulacrum. (It also makes me wonder why the other singer didn't get a solo shot, but I digress.) Singing since he was a mere eight years old, Kraemer's experience includes recent work with Timo Tolkki and drummer Mirka Rantanen's Circus Of Rock. He's also a 2016 graduate of the Turku Conservatory. Helping with his debut is prolific songwriter and Frontiers producer Alessandro Del Vecchio on bass, keyboards, and background vocals, Andrea Seveso (Robin McAuley) on guitars and Michele Sanna (Brother Against Brother) on drums. The songwriting team consists of no less than eight contributors, but does not include Kraemer.

Erik Kraemer - Click For Larger Image

Erik Kraemer

Essentially, Kraemer is making a move, some may say a leap, from progressive metal to AOR melodic hard rock. Whether the latter is his best musical context may also be in the ears of the listener. In my view, Kraemer is a fine vocalist, but this album may not be the best example for his talents. Some of this is simply due to the repetitiveness of the songs which sound a whole lot the same: heavy and dense with synthesizers. Also, while Kraemer can carry both song melody and harmony he can seem overwhelmed by those aforementioned heavy and dense aspects of the songs. This may be a fault in the production, the mixing and mastering. I'm just spit-balling at this point. My gut feeling when listening to him sing was that he was going through the motions, rather than enthusiastic, and then trying merely to keep up with the arrangements. Perhaps if Kraemer had been a significant participant in the songwriting all these observations would be moot, or unnecessary. But, the songs rocked and, perhaps, after a third or fourth spin my observations and conclusions may change. The guitar solos are awesome. Nevertheless, I did have some favorites with Eat Your Heart Out and The King Will Come. With the milder anthemic ballads How Can I Survive and Forever, Kraemer can sound better, but still boxed in my the arrangements. All in all, vocalist Erik Kraemer's debut solo album is an interesting one, but perhaps not the best context for his vocal skills. Other listeners may feel differently. Check out the videos and support the artist.





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The Take Away

Vocalist Erik Kraemer's debut solo album is an interesting one, but perhaps not the best context for his vocal skills. Other listeners may feel differently. Check out the videos and support the artist.

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