Eleine – Dancing In Hell

Eleine
Dancing In Hell
Black Lodge Records
November 27, 2020
49:57

The Swedish symphonic metal band Eleine was founded by singer and namesake Madeleine “Eleine” Liljestam as well as guitarist and growler Rikard Ekberg. According to Encyclopaedia Metallum, this was in 2011. But it wasn’t until 2014 that the band had their first live performances. In the same year, two singles were released, followed one year later by the self-titled debut album. Meanwhile another album, an EP and various other singles have been released. Now the third album “Dancing In Hell” is finished. And with that the Swedes obviously have big plans. There will be several formats. As a CD with a coloured or black and white cover, as a vinyl or as a music cassette. A box set is also planned.

Dark, brute riffs are countered by epic symphonic. This is how Eleine present themselves in the opener “Enemies”. Singer Madeleine Liljestam sings with a pleasantly dark timbre and a powerful voice. Besides the extreme heavyness of guitars and drums, this is probably the main difference to other symphonic metal combos. So, no classic interplay between beauty and the beast, although the beast (Rikard Ekberg) can also be heard every now and then. The title track “Dancing In Hell” doesn’t change that either. Although this is a little quieter at times, the driving double bass also determines here. In the video for “Ava Of Death”, the Nordic beauty lets her black mane go wild. And you can see their bandmates doing their hard musical work. The chorus is very melodic and catchy. But time and again, the epic computer samples join in – orchestras and choruses. And so it continues. Despite their merciless harshness, the Swedes repeatedly show their fine feel for beautiful melodies. And the epic samples are mostly not exaggerated. Anyone who believes that with so much power there is also a need for a point of rest will actually be taught better. If anything, you can look at the mainstream “Die From Within” as such. Here the hardness and shooting be slightly down one. And you can hear one or the other ballad-like interlude. A song suitable for airplay. I also count “All Shall Burn” among the songs that could be on the radio. But wait, there’s the acoustic piano piece “The World We Knew”. But that should be more like a coda. Because I interpret the final symphonic version of “Die From Within” as a bonus track. Here, the namesake Madeleine can demonstrate all of her vocal diversity.

On “Dancing In Hell” Eleine clearly show that even in a worn-out genre like symphonic metal one can always set new impulses. Perhaps one should rather speak of Power Metal with a thrash side and symphonic interludes. At least the Swedes show up here. An album that I would have expected in this form rather of a traditional Finnish band, now comes from Sweden. A generation change is obviously heralding here.

Eleine – Ava Of Death: https://youtu.be/_JABrGF8zh4

Lineup:

Madeleine Liljestam – Vocals
Rikard Ekberg – Guitar, Vocals
Jesper Sunnhagen – Drums
Anton Helgesson – Bass

Track list:

• Enemies
• Dancing In Hell
• Ava Of Death
• Crawl From The Ashes
• As I Breathe
• Memoriam
• Where Your Rotting Corpse Lie (W.Y.R.C.L)
• All Shall Burn
• Die From Within
• The World We Knew
• Die From Within – Symphonic Version