SCARLEAN: Soulmates (ALTERNATIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Scarlean is a French formation that is starting to have a great experience. After releasing a first album, the band shared the stage with Mass Hysteria, Disconnected, Bukowski... Navigating on a modern alternative metal, the combo came back with a new production at the end of last year called "Soulmates".

Although the band highlights its collaboration with Anneke Van Giersbergen for the re-reading 'Wonderful Life', this is not the main attraction of this surprising new album. The cover, which is almost reminiscent of the film 'Hellraiser' (without the needles), is immediately disturbing and intriguing. The first track confirms the overall dark atmosphere of the album. 'Next To The Makers' paves the way for an album that is more complex than it seemed at first, mainly thanks to the very classy arrangements. The strength of the band lies in the conviction that you shouldn't stay locked in one style, but on the contrary combine several to become richer. So this first track is a mix of metal and trip hop, while flirting with black and Burton film music (keyboards) to give a surprising whole.

If all this may seem disparate, the band reassures by not looking absolutely for originality but by keeping in mind the song aspect of the compositions. Scarlean is therefore both accessible and adventurous enough to offer a certain freshness to a metal that is too often sclerotic. The various verses are often catchy as in the easy 'Haters' and then more nervous and obscure, sometimes almost hardcore ('Wasting My Time'). The French rely mainly on effective choruses that are easily imprinted in the memory ('The Smell Of The Blood', 'Our World Will Surely Stop').

Let's talk about the previously mentioned cover. The game of the rereading is sometimes a precarious balancing act between respect for the original work and personal appropriation, which risks distorting the first version. Indeed, there is no point in reworking 'Wonderful Life' to the nearest note or in destructuring it, even if it means sending the great emotional force of this tube into the air. Here, the conclusion is that Scarlean and Anneke get away with the honours by darkening the song with the right metallic power, and a duettist vocal interpretation that doesn't overdo it. The bass is roaring and the guitar riffs remain sharp without being too much emphasized.

On the headphones, the album takes on even more scope and relief, letting the arrangements come to the listener. The vocals of Alexandre are powerful as the riffs of Geoffrey and Michel, the precise keystroke of Eric or the groove of Olivier's bass. We can feel these individualities in tune with the compositions, proposing a beautiful balance between each one.

At the same time modern, fresh but dark as a whole, 'Soulmates' is a varied and at the same time coherent album. Scarlean displays a well asserted personality with well digested and integrated influences at the service of the emotional research of songs. - Official website

SCARLEAN

SOULMATES

AUTRE LABEL

ALTERNATIVE METAL