Year : 2021
Style : Progressive Thrash Metal
Country : Sweden
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 121 mb
Bio:
Paranorm is a progressive thrash metal band based in Uppsala, Sweden. Starting out as a traditional thrash metal band, they soon began experimenting with other metal styles, before settling on a unique blend of thrash, death and progressive metal with a heavy focus on arrangement and melody.The origin of Paranorm dates back to 2007, when Markus Hiltunen (guitar), Fredrik Kjellgren (guitar) and Marcus Blom (bass) met in high school. With a shared love for heavy metal they soon began playing together with various drummers and vocalists. Drummer Karl Askebro officially joined the band in 2008, and main lyricist Hiltunen took on vocal duties to complete the lineup. During the following two years, the band recorded a demo, played numerous shows around their home area, and refined their sound to a progressive form of thrash metal.In 2011, Paranorm went into the studio with producer Nino Vukovic and released their first EP, titled Pandemonium’s Rise. After promoting the record on stage around Sweden, the band started work on a follow-up recording. The next release, a four-track EP titled The Edge of Existence and again produced by Vukovic, was released in 2014.Askebro left the band in 2018, and Paranorm recruited powerhouse drummer Samuel Karlstrand (Wretched Fate) shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, work was ongoing for their most ambitious project to date: their full-length debut album. This time, Paranorm sought out the talents of producer Lars Hultman, and the album was recorded in 2019-2020. The band signed with Redefining Darkness Records in 2020 and Empyrean is set for an early 2021 release.
Album:
When I first searched up this band on Spotify they had fewer than 4000 listeners. Now less than two weeks later, they are at almost 10,000 (thankfully not quite, as that would put them over our review cap!). Therefore, I feel that I am a little late to the party. Nevertheless, Empyrean warrants a review.This is a thrash metal album. Half the readers left after hearing that probably, given the genre’s modern state. However, if there is one thrash band in this decade that has received acclaim it is Vektor, and Paranorm sounds a hell of a lot like Vektor. Thankfully they are able to avoid just sounding like a clone. For one, Paranorm incorporates quite a bit more melody into their guitar playing, and overall the music is less aggressive. This is relative of course, as Paranorm is still an extreme thrash band. There is also a substantial modern tech death influence, clearly heard in the production, some of the guitar work, and most notably the vocals.So why has this album received rather positive reviews and rapidly increased the following of the band? Well for one the lead guitar work on this album demonstrates not only an impressive virtuosity, but also a capacity for solid thrash riffs. Interesting guitar harmonies and impressive solos fill the album as well. Moreover, The general song-writing principles of the band are quite well-fleshed out. The first track of the album, “Critical Mass” is pure thrash aggression, while the longer third track, “Edge of the Horizon,” features a long build before exploding into a similar frenzy, demonstrating a propensity for both thrashing hard and longer form songwriting. The occasional but not too rare use of dynamics helps keep the album engaging throughout. So is this album a modern thrash classic? Probably not, for a few reasons. While the lead guitar work is impressive, it is often excessive, and there are no memorable rhythm, bass, or drum parts or interplays throughout the album, which is mostly lead guitar spectacle. The vocals similarly can get a bit monotonous as they have the exact same delivery in every segment of the album. Ultimately, the album is purely based on the lead guitar work, which everything else just seems to serve to back up. Coupled with the extremely clean production, the album puts far more emphasis on impressing the listener with guitar work than it does on building atmosphere or emotion.Despite this criticism, Paranorm are clearly a group of talented musicians, and Empyrean is a strong, enjoyable album, certainly worth checking out. And perhaps, if many critics are praising it, and many prog fans are rushing to listen to it, it could be even better than I am giving it credit for.
Line Up:
Markus Hiltunen - Vocals, Guitars (rhythm) (2008-present)
Fredrik Kjellgren - Guitars (lead) (2008-present)
Marcus Blom - Bass (2008-present)
Samuel Karlstrand - Drums (2018-present) - See also: Incised, Wretched Fate, ex-Nekrodelirium (live)
Tracklist:
01. Critical Mass
02. The Immortal Generation
03. Edge Of The Horizon
04. Intelligence Explosion
05. Cannibal
06. Empyrean
07. Lost Cause
08. Desolate Worlds (Distant Dimensions)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
