Despite its limited budget, the participation of numerous amateur actors and the Australian writers' first attempt at creating a script, Saw became an unexpected massive success that has sparked a total of eight entries in the franchise so far. While other popular horror franchises like Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street had their share of significant ups and downs, Saw is one of the most consistent franchises of its kind. It represents horror cinema of the new millennium like nothing else.

There are numerous reasons why this first film of the franchise is nowadays considered a contemporary classic. The bleak settings get you into the film right from the start. The plot gets increasingly complex, surprising and twisted as it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The acting performances are surprisingly solid and intensify the movie's grisly emotions. The sinister special effects touch a profound survival instinct in the viewer that is repulsive yet inherent. The haunting soundtrack blends in perfectly. The camera work is calm and precise as it can be interpreted as an antithesis to the highly emotional story. A particular element of this film and the franchise in general are its concise flashbacks offering important background information adding continuous depth to the story.

For those not familiar with the movie's content, the film revolves around a photographer and a doctor who get kidnapped and awake in the restroom of an abandoned building. They soon realize that they are being held prisoners but are offered clues in order to find out why they have been imprisoned and how they can find a way out. The protagonists also realize that the person behind their fate is a philosophical serial killer known as Jigsaw. Meanwhile, the wife and daughter of the doctor also get involved in this deadly game. Frustrated police officers as well as a desperate private investigator try tracking down the anonymous serial killer separately before time tuns out for the two victims.

The combination of desperate survival instinct and grisly gore elements on one side and the detailed film-making and intelligent plot on the other side make Saw completely unique. Splatter film enthusiast and supporters of intellectual psychological thrillers will be equally drawn to this film and its ensuing franchise. Saw even deserves a better reputation than it has as it's often reduced to its visually shocking elements which neglects one of the best stories one could ever witness in a horror movie. No matter what kind of cinema you prefer, you should know that Saw should be considered the type of movie you should watch at least once in your lifetime. Having hesitated a long time to give this franchise a chance because of its unjustified stereotypical reputation, I have ended up discovering a modern cinematic masterpiece and the greatest horror movie franchise ever.

Despite hailing from Argentina, Ariel Perchuk's Odyssey is a progressive metal quartet that incorporates Middle Eastern folk elements in its sound as the cover artwork and album title Eastern Symphony indicate. Ariel Perchuk is the keyboardist and pianist of the band which already gives you an idea what instruments are particularly showcased on the band's debut release. The band sound focuses much more on a mysterious atmosphere than on progressive musicianship. 

The instrumental work is still great. Especially the atmospheric keyboard layers are quite prominent and the melodic guitar play is performed skillfully. Many songs have extensive instrumental sections that are though often calm and structured and never rushed or overwhelming. The vocalist is at times underused but has his shining moments and a quite passionate melodic voice with an almost operatic timbre recalling Italian power metal bands. The song writing is overall concise, diversified and entertaining as the song never go beyond the six-minute mark.

The best track to get an idea what this band sounds like is ''God's Punishment'' with its operatic clean male vocals, sacral keyboard sounds and playful guitar play. The Middle Eastern folk elements work best in the dynamic, playful and surprising ''Just a Dream''. The greatest keyboard work can be found in the diversified ''Reflections'' that varies from ominous sacral passages to organ sounds recalling classic progressive rock of the seventies. The fast-paced instrumental ''Dreams and Nightmare'' finally also showcases the talent of the bassist and flirts with a combination of power metal and jazz undertones.

Despite its talent, there is still room for improvement. The instrumental passages are at times too prominent and the charismatic skills of the singer should be used more often. The rhythm section could be a little bit more adventurous as the drum play is at times monotonous and the bass guitar isn't very present in the production. The album is often closer to progressive rock than progressive metal and the production could be a little bit more heavier, organic and powerful.

Progressive rock and metal fans should listen to Ariel Perchuk's Odyssey's Eastern Symphony as it finds an entertaining balance between progressive musicianship and atmospheric folk and symphonic influences. The Argentinian quartet shows a lot of promise and its debut album grows with every spin. The band could take the next step with a better production and even more concise songwriting for its next release.

Final rating: 80%

Riverwood is an Egyptian quintet that plays progressive folk metal in the key of Amaseffer, Myrath and Orphaned Land. Fairytale is the quintet's debut record and already shows a lot of promise. 

Even though the folk sounds seem to come from keyboards, they sound quite authentic and add peaceful layers of atmosphere to the progressive musicianship. The melodic guitar play is however the domineering element on this record and is performed both skillfully and passionately. The rhythm section around bass guitar and drums adds the necessary dynamic elements to keep the long tracks together but could be even more prominent. The melodic, melancholic and dramatic clean vocals suit the folk metal elements while occasional bestial growls give the music a grittier touch. Occasional decently employed choirs and orchestral sounds give the music an additional epic soundscape.

Highlights on this debut record are the melancholic ''Möt ditt öde (Meeting Death)'' with its numbing atmosphere and impressive guitar work, the futuristic and progressive title track ''Fairytale'' and the highly diversified instrumental track ''Lost in Nature'' with its almost meditative vibes that offer nearly ten minutes of appeasing escapism from reality.

Among the few negative elements, let's mention the production that could sound even more organic and powerful, especially regarding the rhythm section as backbone of the release and the prominent keyboard sounds. The growls sound powerful but are sometimes quite sudden and loud and could benefit from a more skillful approach. While the songwriting is positively ambitious, a few tracks would have benefited from more concise renditions to avoid repetition.

Riverwood's Fairytale is a very creative debut record that offers Middle Eastern and Maghreb folk elements combined with progressive metal. The skillful guitar play and diversified keyboard sounds manage to stand out particularly well. Despite a few minor flaws in the production, somewhat sudden growls and at times overlong song structures, the Egyptian quintet shows a lot of promise and isn't too far away from the quality of similar bands like Amaseffer, Myrath and Orphaned Land. The band could take the next step if it could perform a series of concerts with one of the aforementioned groups or similar artists. Let's also hope the quintet gets signed by a label with a bigger budget to support this ambitious group for its next album.

Final rating: 80%

In the beginning of its career, Swedish power metal sextet Sabaton was considered the next big thing in the metal scene. Nowadays, the band has become a synonym for predictable repetition appealing only to occasional metal fans during the festival season. One has to wonder at what point the band reached its turning point. In hindsight, this climax is obviously the moment when the two guitarists, the keyboarder and the drummer simultaneously left the band that was then painfully reconstructed by the remaining bassist and singer. The last record released by the classic line-up was Carolus Rex, marking both the band's greatest hour and its last peak so far.

The record is a conceptual record based on the rise and fall of the Swedish Empire and its monarch Charles XII, also known as Carolus Rex. It's obvious that the band invested a lot of time, passion and creativity into this release. The ten songs deal with different historical events such as battles, crownings and deaths. The album was released with English and Swedish lyrics. The two versions aren't simple translations of each other but rather offer a few precise lyrical changes. The Swedish vocals feels even more heartfelt and certainly sound more unique than the international version.

All songs find a dynamic balance between epic soundscapes and gripping melodies in concise song writing. The middle section is certainly the centrepiece of the record. Highlights are the epic, melancholic and sacral mid-paced ''The Carolean's Prayer'' and the elegant, majestic and uplifting title song ''Carolus Rex''.

To celebrate its quadruple platinum status after remaining on the Swedish chart for a whopping three hundred twenty-six weeks, Sabaton commemorated its opus magnum with a new release including both the English and Swedish version of the record as well as four bonus tracks in form of the powerful heavy metal anthem ''Harley from Hell'' and three solid but unessential cover songs. If you haven't purchased this epic power metal masterpiece yet, you should certainly get your hands on this new commemorative edition.

Final rating: 90%

Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Cellos (1996)

Kickstarting the fusion of two profound genres

Classical tributes to metal bands might not sound like anything special by contemporary standards but the band that started it all was Apocalyptica. In a time when symphonic metal was still in the early stages of development, four Finnish cellists who equally admired classical music and heavy metal, decided to record a tribute to thrash metal giants Metallica. What initially seemed like an ambitious misfit or an odd experiment turned out being a winning combination and beginning of an era.

The record Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Cellos was a surprising success because it showed skeptical traditionalists that classical music and heavy metal have quite similar soundscapes and are actually compatible. The elegance, intensity and skillfulness of this project might have convinced Metallica to experiment with classical music as well and record a live record with a symphony orchestra about three years later which is now known as S&M. 

Apocalyptica's approach works in all departments. The epic, majestic and powerful ''Master of Puppets'' doesn't lose any of its oomph in seven and a half entertaining minutes. The wonderful ballad ''The Unforgiven'' feels as heartfelt, melancholic and resilient in its classical version as it does in its original form. Even more contemporary tracks like nu metal prototype ''Sad but True'' sound surprisingly detailed, fluid and profound in their classical adaptations.

The album was recently remastered and released anew with three additional tracks totaling a commendable running time of fifty-eight minutes that sparked a worldwide tour and the release of a massive live album twenty-two and a half years after the initial studio album. This only underlines the significant impact Apocalyptica's Plays Metallica by Four Cellos has had and continues to have if one takes the numerous classical tributes to rock and metal music into consideration. The original eight tracks might not be spectacular by contemporary standards but they are still timeless, dynamic and creative and contributed to the emergency of a fusion of classical music and heavy metal.

Final rating: 70%

Inquisition Symphony (1998)

A brutal collision of Heaven and Hell

Apolcalyptica's second record Inquisition Symphony still focuses on transforming metal songs into classical tunes with four cellos but there are already some significant changes between this sophomore output and its predecessor. The band covers a multitude of bands this time around and opted for a few unusual choices such as covering Faith No More and Pantera which are certainly bands one could hardly imagine in such classical soundscapes before. The Finnish quartet also wrote three own tracks for this release and this tendency would significantly increase on future outputs. The musicianship is overall more adventurous, diversified and also skilled on this second output that marks a step in the right direction despite the international acclaim of its more popular predecessor.

People have argued whether the band's three original tracks can compete with the successful cover songs and I tend to say that these songs blend in very nicely. ''Harmageddon'' offers indeed a combination of beautiful melodies and a sinister vibe referencing armageddon. It's quite a statement to open the record with an own composition and it sets the tone for the rest of the album very appropriately. The mysteriously titled ''M.B.'' is pitch dark with its gloomy, menacing and sinister tones but contrasted by an airy, dreamy and haunting middle section. Upon first listening to it, it seemed to be the least spectacular song of the three but turned out being the one with the greatest potential in my opinion. ''Toreador'' is the most engaging of the three songs with its at times playful, haunting and bittersweet melodies. The song proves that the line between darkness and light is a very small one. The band wrote and recorded an even greater sequel to this song for its Reflections release five years later that came around with vivid trumpet sounds giving the tune a most unusual Latin American folk vibe.

Among the cover songs, Sepultura's ''Inquisition Symphony'' that gave this release its fitting title might be the best because it's haunting, disturbing and at times quite brutal. The original song is great but witnessing cellos producing such sharply discordant sounds is even more fascinating and elevates this version over the original one in my book. ''Refuse / Resist'', another brilliant Sepultura cover, is equally disturbing and has an almost industrial vibe since the instruments sound so cold, discordant and nihilistic. Classical music can't get any heavier than this. 

In the end, Apocalyptica's Inquisition Symphony is a step in the right direction for the band as it combines diversified cover songs with three solid own compositions. The record is timeless and has aged very well as it combines classical instruments from the past with contemporary metal tendencies in an efficient way. The album title accurately represents what this record sounds like and stands for. Fans of both classical music and heavy metal should appreciate this unfairly overlooked gem.

Final rating: 79%

Cult (2000)

Haunting

Cult is the first Apocalyptica record I have ever bought fourteen years ago and it's still among my very favourite records of the Finnish cello quartet. It's the first record that focuses strongly on Apocalyptica's own material. Predecessor Inquisition Symphony had included three of their own songs while the predecessor here only features three cover songs on its regular version.

The sound that defines Cult is a quite apocalyptic, menacing and sinister one. There are a few more melodic songs like ''Path'' or melancholic tunes like ''Hope'' that offer some diversity but the almost nerve-firing''Struggle'' or the haunting and perfectly titled ''Hyperventilation'' exemplify a destructive mixture of dramatic classical music and thrash metal spirit. Listening to the record from start to finish feels like listening to an auditory horror movie that oozes with haunting atmosphere. The album title and cover artwork only underline this gripping approach.

The record's special edition is the first to include collaborations with singers that would later on become a regular element in the band's career. ''Path Vol. 2'' features Sandra Nasić, singer of German alternative rock and nu metal band Guano Apes, and her varied and emotional performance on this song is probably the best in her career. This isn't a case when the vocals make the music sound better but when the music makes the vocals sound better. The combination of both is a perfect match. ''Hope Vol. 2'' features vocals by Matthias Sayer, singer of German alternative rock band Farmer Boys who usually crafts a mixture of gothic metal and alternative rock. His vocals have never sounded as great as in this dreamy, mysterious and uplifting song as he manages to convince with his lower register as well as with his almost angelic high notes. The song was appropriately chosen for the soundtrack of visually appealing French gothic mystery masterpiece Vidocq. I usually don't discuss films in music reviews but if you haven't watched this film yet, do yourself a favour and do it since this unique movie hasn't lost any of its charm almost two decades later and is still among my very favourite films. 

Apocalyptica's Cult is a surprisingly apocalyptic indeed, intensively haunting and overwhelmingly sinister record where the sum is greater than its parts. Despite its constantly ominous atmosphere, the album also comes around with heartbreaking melancholy and mysterious melodies to keep things diversified. Ironically, the cover songs blend in well with the overall concept but are among the weaker tracks which only underlines the band's incredible talent. This record has more atmosphere, depth and energy than many regular metal bands are able to offer. It can be described as a symphonic metal milestone and important step towards emancipation for the band.

Final rating: 93%

Reflections (2003)

Emancipation

Reflection is Apocalyptica's last full length instrumental record to date and also its most diversified in this regard. It"s also the group's first album without any cover tracks and exemplifies the band's great leap forward in terms of self-confidence, identity and evolution in general. 

The band varies from heavier tracks with additional drumming by no other than Slayer's Dave Lombardo on tracks like the engaging ''Somewhere Around Nothing'', offers gloomier songs that could have been included on intense predecessor Cult such as the ominous ''Cohkka'', contrasts such tracks with adventurous ballads like the beautiful ''Faraway'' and also offers experiments such as ''Toreador II'' with additional trumpet sounds that give the song a lively Latin American folk vibe.

The record's special edition, entitled Reflections Revised, is comparable to the one of predecessor Cult. It includes, among other elements, a haunting cover version of Rammstein's gloomy ballad ''Seemann'' with German punk legend Nina Hagen on vocals who gives a truly expressive performance. This is one of the few cases where I prefer the cover version over the original track which was already great. You can almost feel the stormy waves hit you in the face on a dark night while listening to this atmospheric masterpiece. Things get even better with an alternative version of the dreamy ballad ''Faraway'' that gets additional vocals by Lambretta singer Linda Sundblad who gives an already intense song an even more soulful and almost sexy appeal. 

Reflections is one of Apocalyptica's finest hours and shows how diversified the mixture of classical music with cellos and occasional pianos and trumpets on one side and heavy metal song writing structures with drums and additional percussive elements can sound. The record exemplifies Apocalyptica's emancipation and grows with every single spin. It can rightfully be considered a symphonic metal classic in hindsight. If there were only one record to represent the band and what made it famous in the first place, this album would be the ideal choice because of its stunning diversity.

Final rating: 87%

Apocalyptica (2005)

A marriage between classical music and metal

Eponymous efforts either represent the beginning of a career, the end of an era or a significant reorientation. The latter option is Apocalyptica's case. 

The Finnish trio had collaborated with different singers for special editions of different albums and alternative versions of singles before but this eponymous album was the band's first record to feature regular tracks with different vocalists. Some fans of the band's early years were quite displeased but this change proved to be commercially successful as this album can be considered the band's breakthrough record on the old continent. 

The album even dares opening with the straight-forward ''Life Burns!'', featuring vocals by The Rasmus' singer Lauri Ylönen. To give you some context, The Rasmus had just had its commercial breakthrough and had conquered the charts all around Europe with its gloomy alternative rock style that equally appealed to younger gothics and younger metal fans. Their records were the kind of music that would be played at a party and appeal to all types of pop and rock music fans. Still, The Rasmus was everything but an ordinary band and especially the vocalist has a quite unique timbre that doesn't compare to anyone I had ever heard before or have ever heard after. Personally, I adore this record's courageous opener with dynamic cello sounds, emotional vocals and fast drum passages. It opens the record with a bang and leaves a profound impression. 

This isn't Lauri Ylönen's last appearance on this output. He performs vocals with HIM's Ville Valo on melancholic gothic ballad ''Bittersweet''. HIM was another highly successful Finnish band at the time and its charismatic chain-smoking singer was particularly popular among young female gothics. Traditionalists might have been shocked by his appearance on this record but the truth is that his incredible low register harmonizes perfectly with Lauri Ylönen's higher timbre. ''Bittersweet'' is a gothic ballad of the grandest kind, a timeless classic oozing with atmosphere that has stood the test of time. 

The record's final track includes a hidden track or alternatively a bonus track with vocals by either German-Czech alternative rock band Die Happy's singer Marta Jandova or French alternative rock band Dolly's singer and guitarist Emmanuelle Monet. This hidden track is in fact an alternative version of instrumental song ''Quutamo'' featuring English, German or French lyrics. The melodic vocals blend in surprisingly well and give the song an eerie vibe. It's noteworthy that the lyrics aren't simple translations as especially the French version has quite a different meaning than the other two songs.

As if that weren't enough, this album is only the second to feature drums and they sound particularly energetic here. Again, old-fashioned elitists saw this as a loss of identity while new audiences appreciated the additional drive. ''Fisheye'' for instance can almost be called a thrash metal track with complex drum patterns, incredibly fast cello parts and yet the band's typically melancholic melodies. ''Betrayal / Forgiveness'' features Slayer's drummer Dave Lombardo and could be described as best Slayer song from the new millennium that wasn't even written and performed by Slayer. Both tracks are among the heaviest songs Apocalyptica have ever written.

This leads to another point. Another element that makes this release special is that it's by far the band's most aggressive output. The sounds made by the three cellos are often more brutal than what many traditional metal bands manage to unleash with guitars and similar instruments. This just shows how versatile classical instruments can sound. ''Fatal Error'' for instance sounds quite stressful and evokes an unbearably apocalyptic atmosphere in only three consistent minutes.

Fans of the band's previous records should not be afraid though. Apocalyptica still features a few songs that slow down and focus on elegant melodies like melancholic ''Ruska'' and the elegiac closer ''Deathzone''. 

Until today, Apocalyptica's eponymous record remains my favourite release of the Finnish trio. The album is very atmospheric and features numerous soundscape from aggression over melancholy to mystery. The three tracks with vocals blend in perfectly and only enhance this album's overall angry and gloomy soundscapes. This commercially successful release was an introduction to both classical music and heavy metal for many young listeners one and a half decades ago and deserves more credit than it gets. Classical music and heavy metal have rarely harmonized so well as on this output. This record has aged perfectly and its impact and legacy are unquestionable.

Final rating: 95%

Worlds Collide (2007)

 Great instrumentals but hit-and-miss collaborations 

Apocalyptica had started as an instrumental band consisting of four cellists offering covers of metal songs before gradually writing their own impressive music. The band later on focused more and more on collaborations with different singers and even hired a permanent vocalist at a certain point. Worlds Collide is a transitional effort between both phases. The record still included numerous instrumental songs but also features four collaborative efforts with commercial appeal. While the self-titled predecessor was quite a success in Europe, Worlds Collide led to a lot of radio airplay in the United States of America and can be considered as commercial breakthrough on the American continent.

The title Worlds Collide is cleverly chosen because the band offers quite different soundscapes. This is particularly obvious in the collaborative efforts. ''I'm Not Jesus'' featuring Slipknot's and Stone Sour's Corey Taylor sounds quite repressed, modern and gloomy. David Bowie cover ''Helden'' featuring Rammstein's Till Lindemann is an atmospheric, epic and mysterious gothic anthem. ''I Don't Care'' featuring Three Days Grace's Adam Gontier is catchy alternative rock and turned out being the band's most successful single internationally. ''S.O.S. (Anything But Love)'' is a melancholic pop ballad featuring soothing vocals by Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia. While all four songs have their certain appeal, they don't really fit together. Personally, I neither like the pressured ''I'm Not Jesus'' nor the saccharine ''S.O.S. (Anything But Love)'' even though they might appeal to fans of the respective groups of the band members involved here.

Thankfully, the instrumental tracks make the record a little bit more cohesive, fluid and structured. They often sound adventurous, epic and somewhat menacing. The opening title track ''Worlds Collide'' has a majestic atmosphere and showcases the band's outstanding musicianship that made the group so unique in the first place. The limited edition offers some of the best instrumental tunes on this album with the melancholic epic ''Ural'' that unfolds progressively with surprisingly vivid drum passages, the uneasy, lethargic and gloomy ''Dreamer'' that would blend in perfectly in a film noir and finally the more dynamic, focused and melodic ''Lies'' that was sadly only included on Japanese versions of this record. 

Aside of the lack of cohesion, Worlds Collide can be described as Apocalyptica's most diversified release that serves as excellent introduction to new and occasional fans. Personally, I would have preferred more instrumental tracks without unnecessary drum passages and less collaborative efforts for a more cohesive release. The instrumental songs have a constant high quality while the diversified collaborative tunes won't equally appeal to everyone. Still, Worlds Collide is overall a very good and especially entertaining record. While it can't compete with the strong predecessors, it would leave a better impression in hindsight if compared to the unfocused successor 7th Symphony.

Final rating: 75%

Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony (2010)

A big loss of identity!

The phenomenon of Apocalyptica is dead. What has been original and unique one decade ago when the band began to reinvent well known metal songs into a classical and symphonic style or when the band made their first entirely instrumental albums which were really intense and profound, has now become a mainstream band which repeats itself. At least, the last albums still had a few very interesting collaborations but that isn't the case on this album.

All the songs with guest singers, apart of "Bring Them to Light" which is a positive exception but has already been recorded several years ago, sound very commercial and faceless. The worst one is really the pop rock song "Broken Pieces" which could be on a Twilight movie score. The first single "End of Me" is really faceless and boring. "Not Strong Enough" would have been the better choice but this song is also far away from emotional collaborations like the dreamy and soft "Faraway Vol. 2", the darker and intense "Hope Vol. 2" or the very melancholic "Bittersweet". The band decided to chose mostly some less popular singers from some modern and commercial bands and they lose all their charm and uniqueness by doing this. While collaborations from the past still gave a lot of space to the cellos and their unique sound and atmosphere, the new songs are concentrated on some cheesy lyrics and the classical instruments sound like ordinary guitars.

At least the instrumental songs deliver the expected standards. The only negative point is that the drums are more present in most of the songs which destroys their old and unique style somehow. The band only shows its brilliant talent in the songs without or with less drumming and when they take their time to develop epic and intelligent structures somewhere between Mozart and Metallica like they used to do a few years ago. The opener "At the Gates of Manala" goes more into a metal style and is a little bit too long while "Beautiful" has an original classic and acoustic approach but is way too short. The only really well done songs are in fact the melancholic "Sacra" and the very interesting and fresh sounding bonus track "Throgh Paris in a Sportscar" even if the song title makes you think of the modern crap which mostly dominates this album. It's a funny antithesis that this bonus track is one of the most traditional and profound songs on the entire album. The rest of the songs feel like some fillers and are only average stuff.

I must conclude that this album is the weakest one in the complete discography of Apocalyptica. The songs sound too much like traditional metal during most of the instrumental parts ("2010") and too commercial and boring during their collaboration with guest singers ("Broken Pieces" is maybe their worst song ever). One nice collaboration and four interesting instrumental songs save the album and make at least one half quite enjoyable. But overall, this album is still somehow boring. The bonus DVD is very interesting though and shows us that the band can still perform in a very personal and intense mood. I have seen them recently on stage and know that they are still really intense and powerful there. 

Let us hope that their next album will not only be based on commercial collaborations and want-to-be metal riff shredding, but on the unique power and creativity which has made this band unique. If they will fail, one of the most dynamic bands risks to become as horrible as pseudo-innovating metal clowns like Van Canto. Let us pray that the boys go back to their roots or reinvent themselves completely but that they won't chose the commercial and faceless path.

Final rating: 61%

Shadowmaker (2015)

A new beginning

Apocalyptica has always been a diversified yet unique band. In the past five years, the band has released a video game soundtrack, recorded a commercially successful regular album and gone back to its classical roots inspired by Richard Wagner for a couple of sophisticated concerts that were recorded for a great live release. “Shadowmaker” also tries out something new as the line-up includes a regular singer for the very first time in Apocalyptica’s career. Franky Perez has a powerful and versatile voice even though he isn’t the most charismatic and impressive singer. Still, his continuous presence on the record adds a coherent flow and Apocalyptica sounds like a real band rather than a project that invites a couple of random guest singers as it was the case on the previous efforts. Another thing that keeps the album together is its atmosphere somewhere between melancholy and mystery.

Fear not, old fans, for the band still includes a couple of great instrumentals on the album plus a few epic songs where the instrumental passages add much more to the listening experience than the vocals. The menacing bonus song “Reign of Fear” would be a perfect tune for a horror movie. In the beginning, the track sounds disturbing, heavy and slow and by the end it sounds dramatic, epic and fast. This is the best instrumental track the band has done in a while. “Riot Lights” is another outstanding instrumental track based on hypnotizing and rather fast cello sounds but it features an elevated amount of electronic samples and some weird background noises that give the song a quite unique identity. This is definitely the most courageous track on the new album. Those who want to hear some calmer and purely classically inspired material should appreciate the epic album closers “’Til Death Do Us Part” and “Dead Man’s Eyes” even though the latter one has some noticeable lengths and fails to end the album with a bang.

In general, the useless short opener and the unfocused closer are the weakest parts of the album and fail to kick the record off on a high note and end it in a glorious way. The only other track that I don’t appreciate on a personal level is “House of Chains” which sounds a little bit like a commercial metalcore song on cellos that could also come from Bullet For My Valentine or Trivium. I know a couple of great metalcore bands but the mixture of classical music and this kind of modern metal just sounds odd and reminds me of the track “Repressed” from Apocalyptica’s greatest hits record. The track feels alien on this album.

All other songs with vocals work quite well. “Cold Blood” is really catchy and features great cello riffs, intriguing background noises and truly soulful vocals. The song has the most promising commercial potential along with the compact bonus track “Come Back Down” which sounds a little bit out of context on the album but that convinces with an experimental drum play and a chorus that I would describe as chaotic beauty. The gloomy title song “Shadowmaker” goes in a very different direction as it sounds really epic and mysterious. I immediately liked this courageous first single choice that never falls off despite a challenging length of eight minutes. “Slow Burn” is another really melancholic song that could have found its righteous place on Apocalyptica’s amazing self-titled effort ten years ago. “Sea Song (You Waded Out)” has a similar approach but has a more elegiac yet hopeful tone that should please to those who liked Apocalyptica’s “Reflections” release twelve years ago. It’s not just because of the title that the song sounds like Apocalyptica’s own take on Rammstein’s melancholic ballad “Seemann”. 

The great thing about this release is that almost all tracks have grown on me after four or five spins. At first contact, I wasn’t all that impressed and missed Apocalyptica’s old classical and emotional style. This album is still not as consistent and profound as “Cult” or “Apocalyptica” but the record has convinced me with a balanced mixture of Apocalyptica’s old classical style and more recent commercial efforts, a fusion of a clear guiding line in form of a mostly melancholic and mysterious atmosphere and an elevated number of short experiments, a potpourri of extended instrumental parts and solid vocal performances by the same versatile singer. My first advice to fully enjoy this effort is to buy the limited edition of this release and to always listen to the record as a whole. My second advice is to give the album time to grow on you. Don’t give up after one or even two tries. Let the album work on you in different situations. I’m sure you will get rewarded for your patience at a certain point. It’s great to see that Apocalyptica has shifted away from more accessible music and delivered it most profound studio record in ten years. This album can be seen as a new beginning for the band and I’m curious to see where the band goes from here.

Final rating: 85%