Fraise – The Fifth Sun

Fraise

The Fifth Sun
La Production/Distrosong
May 11th, 2020
Time : 42:32

Where is the home of melodic Power Metal. Many music fans would say immediately in Sweden. And that’s exactly where Fraise comes from. The metal project was founded in 2002 by drummer and songwriter Patrick Fransson. As a self-financed project. This allowed the band to produce all of the albums on their own without being dependent on a record label. Own studio, sales via online platforms. Since then these have been the magic words. And in May 2020 the fifth studio album “The Fifth Sun” was released. The band describes this as the most complex production to date. So let’s have a look.

The short intro is almost mandatory. But unlike many genre colleagues, Fraise really goes crazy with the 41-second “Opusalis Consentum”. A teaching example for other bands! The transition to the first song “Wake Up, Shining” is seamless. Catchy melodic power metal. Reminds a little of Axel Rudi Pell. Guitarist Fredrik Falkerstedt doesn’t have to hide behind the great German string witcher. Great introduction to the fifth studio album. Priestly heavyness and speed can be heard at “Be One Of Us”. A high speed parforce ride. And the Swedes also have metal anthems in their repertoire. You can hear that for yourself in “Twin Of My Soul” or “In The End”. After that, they continue to work at high speed and with a lot of power (“In The Dead Of The Night”, “Lust For Life”, “Sintasia”). A good power metal album also includes a ballad. However, the piano ballad “Farewell” is a bit too short for my taste (1:55). I would like to have heard more about it. The final song “To Be” sounds really epic again. So, an instrumental is really fun.

“The Fifth Sun” is cinema at its most. Fraise cut out a real masterpiece. Produced in a modern and bold style, the album is one of the best I have heard so far this year. The Swedes are one of the great new discoveries for me in 2020. I wonder why I haven’t heard from this band before.

Lineup:

Staffan Ericson – Vocals
Fredrik Falkerstedt – Guitars
Simon Lindholm – Bass
Patrick Fransson – Drums

Track list:

• Opusalis Consentum
• Wake Up, Shining
• Be One Of Us
• Twin Of My Soul
• In The Dead Of The Night
• Lust For Life
• Meditation
• Sintasia
• In The End
• Farewell
• To Be…