Apparition – The Awakening
Album Review by Rainer Kerber
The history of Apparition dates back to 1997. Bassist David Homer started a band project with female vocals. Only from 2004 there were also live performances as a real band. Two years later, the album debut “Drowned In Questions” was released. During this time, there were also various line-up changes. Especially on the microphone, the band often worked together with guest singers. Best known are Elina Laivera and Grace Meridian. In the current line-up, the band has been playing together since 2015. That year, I saw Apparition live for the first time, at the Dames Of Darkness Festival in Bilston, England. Around the same time, the work on the new album “The Awakening” began. After three years of intensive production, this album is now released. Thanks to the record deal with Wormholedeath, this album is being marketed worldwide.
I have an ambivalent relationship to music intros. And so, the eponymous “The Awakening” also belongs in the category “not bad, but rather dispensable”. The suspense curve for the following “Hold Back The Night” is not really built up. But then the British show their extraordinary sense for outstanding melodic bows. The individual songs do not necessarily have the heavyness of their genre colleagues, but beautiful melodies and grandiose guitar solos provide a lot of listening pleasure. The voice of Fiona Creaby is then the icing on the cake. Her return to Apparition was a blast for the band. The song title “The Dames of Darkness” evokes memories of the eponymous festival. That’s why it’s one of the highlights of the album for me. Here Fiona shows all facets of her bell-clear and versatile voice. Another face-off tip is the epic ballad “The Night An Angel Died”. At first, the vocals are accompanied by strings, before the rhythm section sounds powerful later. An ingenious guitar solo completes this song. The chorus towards the end is also impressive. With “Home” follows a short time later another ballad, this time first using acoustic guitars and piano. By contrast, “Break the Chains” is one of the hardest songs on the album. The double bass sets the speed here. The beautiful melody, the elf-like vocals and filigree guitar solos form the musical framework of this best song in my opinion. After the piano ballad “Twilight” the album ends with “As Shadows Play”.
On “The Awakening” the quieter tones predominate. For Metal purists this album should not be hard enough, but Apparition shine with beautiful rock melodies and skillfully inserted guitar solos provide rock sounds. Most of the songs are in the mid-tempo range, complemented by beautiful ballads. “The Awakening” is an album that is totally fun. Melodic Rock / Metal fans should definitely listen in here
Apparition – The Dames Of Darkness (Official Lyric Video): https://youtu.be/30oGYCsijxE
Lineup:
Fiona Creaby – Vocals
David Homer – Bass
Ashley Guest – Drums
Amy Lewis – Guitar
Paul Culley – Guitar
Label: Wormholedeath Records
Out: February 2nd 2018
Duration: 53:02
Track list:
- The Awakening
- Hold Back The Night
- The Dames Of Darkness
- The Other Side
- Resonance
- The Night An Angel Died
- Eternity
- Home
- Break the Chains
- Our Story Lives On
- Twilight
- As Shadows Play
Rating 8.5/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
