Metalite – Expedition One

Metalite
Expedition One
Label: AFM Records / Soulfood
Out: January 19^th, 2024
Playing time: 01:07:37

It is certainly not easy to write a concept album. The concept is often far more important than the compositions. And thus makes for over-ambitious songwriting that is far away from the band’s usual sound. The Melodic Metal band Metalite from Sweden dared to tackle such a project. The band’s last two albums “A Virtual World” and “Biomechanicals” were not yet able to fully convince me. So, the question becomes, can the band handle such a big project? At least the playing time is significantly longer than its predecessors. And the story sounds promising. It tells a fictional story from the year 2055, where the glass man has become a bitter reality on Earth …

First impression after the opener “Expedition One”. In terms of sound, not much has changed by the Swedes. Pop Metal continues to dominate, with sing-along choruses and lots of synth passages. OK, it seems a little more compact. There are also the filigree guitar solos again. And Erica Ohlsson’s vocals are once again convincing. But can she displace Elize Ryd from the Pop Metal throne? “Aurora” (Dawn) is the second song. Synths again, partly in staccato style. “CtrlAltDel” is the name of the bracket monkey handle with which you can restart a PC. Hectic sound (do I need to mention the synths?). It’s a bit too well-behaved for the meaning of this abbreviation. Or does it refer to Tim Buckley’s webcomic? This assumption is obvious if you look at the song title “Cyberdome”. “Blazing Skies” is clearly more Metal, but does it come close to the literal meaning? Among other things, this is the title of a book on the development of air defence systems. And so, it continues, varied in composition but predictable in sound. A musical low point of the album for me is “New Generation”. Meanwhile, the ballad “In My Dreams” is a positive surprise. Also “Sanctum Of Light” is a ” breakout” upwards. The instrumental “Utopia” also offers interesting splashes of colour. Here, Metalite show a feeling for great melodic arcs. While “Take My Hand” tends towards the mainstream. On the other hand, the final song “Hurricane” is once again literally overwhelmed by synths. Only the good vocal parts (including the sing-along chorus) prevent anything worse from happening.

Metalite have successfully endeavoured to create varied songwriting on their latest album. And sound engineer Jacob Hansen has ensured a rich Metal sound over wide ranges. It’s not just today that we know that the musicians know their instruments inside out. What really annoys me, however, are the omnipresent synths. If the Swedes managed to tone them down a bit, my ratings would perhaps be even more positive.

Metalite – Blazing Skies: https://youtu.be/MhD5GO9KAtA?si=1x17M7kmpStgbRnU

Lineup:

Erica Ohlsson – Vocals
Edwin Premberg – Guitar
Robert Örnesved – Guitar
Lea Larsson – Drums
Robert Majd – Bass

Track list:

• Expedition One
• Aurora
• CtrIAltDel
• Cyberdome
• Blazing Skies
• Outer
• Worlds
• New Generation
• In My Dreams
• Disciples of the Stars
• Free
• Legendary
• Paradise
• Sanctum of Light
• Utopia
• Take My Hand
• Hurricane