At the end of 2005, and three albums in, Swedish thrash/death band Arise were forced to make a lineup changed due to musical differences within the band. With The Reckoning, Arise makes their return to the scene, debuting Patrik Johansson on vocals, Sternberg on guitar and Kaj on bass. One can only imagine that with such major changes, comes a change in sound. To a certain degree, this is true.
The Reckoning begins with what might initially fool someone to be a simple filler intro. Give it time, though, “Adrenaline Rush”, although short, is anything but. A quiet intro, for dramatic effect, leads into a heavy, machine-gun-esque riff. It’s incredibly aggressive throughout, and includes a well-executed harmonized guitar solo. Pretty standard sounding for the genre, but nevertheless a good way to start the album.
A main defining factor of this album is its use of heavy guitar riffs to make a song, creating a distinct balance between the pure heaviness and the noticeably more complex. “Blindead” is a prime example, because it features a certain amount of both characteristics, starting off with a consistent chugging style riff, and adding complexities as the song progresses. It also features slower sections, again showcasing nicely harmonized guitars. These sections are rare within the album, understandably, as this is typically a fast and aggressive genre to begin with.
The track that I consider my favorite from The Reckoning is “They Are Coming For You”, which comes at a bit of a surprise. It’s a typically hard hitting track with some new aspects thrown in that really give this track a more unique edge. The first being the vocals, most especially in the chorus, where Patrik Johansson seems to take a seemingly new approach, creating a much dirtier, yet smoother tone, which I absolutely loved. Having said that, this is also an excellent opportunity to point out that this is the main difference between this and past albums. Obviously, with different vocalists, you’re going to get a different sound, and whether or not that is a good or bad change is purely up to the individual. The track leads directly into “Pitch Black” which, if I’m being honest comes off as a bit of a filler track.
“End of Days” is, like much of the album, quick, very ambitious, and meant to be played loud. From the start, the heavy rhythm guitar is contrasted nicely with the much higher lead work. It’s got a dark, unmistakably ominous tone throughout, which fits perfectly, without losing any of the speed or impact. The song’s focus is the driving lead guitar, which not only is obviously present throughout but also really just takes control of the track. All this together makes “End of Days” an excellent closer for The Reckoning.
This album is solid. There’s a certain obvious similarity between this music and a lot of death and metalcore, which one might say indirectly stem from a lot of the same genres. And it’s for this that I address my rating: Although the music is good, and Arise clearly has got it together, they lack a certain originality for this to stand out from other, similar bands. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this album, but to say that this is something new would be inaccurate.
Hot Tracks: They Are Coming For You, Reclaiming the Soul, End of Days
March 7, 2010
