Confidential – Devil Inside

Confidential
Devil Inside
Massacre Records
March 25, 2022
Playing time: 53:24

Confidential are a Norwegian symphonic metal band, founded in 2020 by singer Astrid K(lara) Mjøen. And the line-up of Confidential is probably not complete yet. Bass and drums were played by session musicians. The album has autobiographical features. The singer tells stories from her life.

“Devil Inside” is Astrid’s diary.

That’s what the press release says. And this is obviously also reflected in the compositions.

The obligatory intro, with cawing crows, thunder, big orchestration and epic choruses, is also not missing on this album. However, does it have to be almost three minutes? But those who think of high operatic voices (male and female) when they think of Symphonic Metal will be disabused already with the title song “Devill Inside”. There is a lot of bombast here too, but front woman Astrid K Mjøen prefers the somewhat lower tones. Despite double bass and driving riffs, the song hardly goes beyond midtempo. Much emphasis is placed on beautiful melodies. Synth and guitar solos are just as much a part of the sound. Midtempo continues with “Salvation”. Jake E (ex Amaranthe) is the vocal partner. And he even sings in higher tones than Astrid. With “Forever Angel” the first ballad follows immediately. The vocals are only discreetly accompanied by piano, strings and later by a longingly sighing guitar. Only at the very end does the sound become more powerful. With “Release My Symphony” the tempo picks up a bit. The second ballad is “Queen Of The Dark”. The instrumentation is also sparse at first. And there’s another one right after that. Unfortunately, “Brother Of My Soul” doesn’t offer much new. So that the album doesn’t fall too flat, Confidential add a hymn with “Prophecies”. A bonus song that is not at the very end? “My Evermore” is missing on the vinyl version. Since this is another ballad, you can certainly get over that. On the other hand, “My Kiss Of Death” is a bit more of a banger. Eleine guitarist Rikard Edberg contributes the spoken words. And Morten Gade Sørensen (Pyramaze) can be heard on drums. Nevertheless, it doesn’t get any heavier. The best is obviously at the end. Astrid in a duet with Madeleine Liljestam (Eleine) as well as Rikard Edberg as lead guitarist. A hymn to end with.

Even after listening to “Devil Inside” several times, I find myself in a rollercoaster of emotions. On the plus side, you can note Astrid K Mjøen’s vocals and the great feeling for beautiful melodies. However, it is not heavy enough for a Metal album. Even though ingenious guitar solos can be heard again and again. The synths often push themselves too much into the foreground, while the bass guitar and drums (even the double bass) are not emphasised enough.

Confidential – Black Angel (feat. Madeleine Liljestam): https://youtu.be/mh39VFqGgjo

Lineup:

Astrid K Mjøen – Vocals
David Hovde – Lead Guitars
Frode Hovd – Rhythm Guitars
Charlotte Stav – Synth, Piano, Backing Vocals

Session Musicians:

Jacob Hansen – Bass
Robert Myrhaug – Drums

Track list:

• Prelude To Resurrection
• Devil Inside
• Salvation (Feat. Jake E)
• Forever Angel
• Release My Symphony
• Historia
• Queen Of The Dark
• Brother Of My Soul
• Prophecies
• My Evermore (Bonus Track)
• My Kiss Of Death
• Black Angel (Feat. Madeleine Liljestam)