Apocalyptica "Reflections" (Nuclear Blast)
By Eric Chon
Wednesday. Jun 29, 12:59 AM
When it does mesh, the result is aural bliss.

Some might recall Apocalyptica as those dudes who played Metallica tunes with cellos. But after the initial hoopla over such an original concept, only the die-hards remained tuned into what they were all about here in the States. But the graduates from Finland’s esteemed Sibelius Academy have not rested on their laurels in the slightest. On Reflections, their fourth studio album, they bring not only their unique and haunting cellos to the stage, but guitars, samples, drums, and vocals as well. The end result is filled with moments of inspiration.

It’s an interesting mix of sounds, to say the least. At times the haunting and emotional cello work gels perfectly with the distorted guitars and muted drums, creating a composition fraught with intensity and sentiment. There is certainly a sense of “heaviness” to the music that transcends a genre-label. Danger, anguish, fear: these emotions are all brought to the surface on tracks like “Cohkka” and “Drive.” Other times a wave of melancholy and sadness washes over you as in “Conclusion.”

When the vox do hit, they are of the ethereal, goth-like variety but minus the maudlin angst. Songs like “Seemann” remind me more of quiet, classically-influenced folk music from their native Finland. The effect is graceful and understated, oftentimes mixing in some judiciously placed samples.

However, it’s when Apocalyptica try to turn up the metal-quotient that things get a little hairy. On “Heat,” the driving guitar rhythms and fast-paced drumming seem entirely out of place with the natural sound of the cellos. It’s almost entirely too silly to take. Perhaps they should work out those numbers before going further. Still, it’s a sound like no other.

On Reflections, Apocalyptica have really expanded what people can call “heavy music.” But the end result is uneven and doesn’t quite work. Cellos and aggressive songwriting are a perfect fit, but adding in the “chugga” guitars and heavy drums pushes it over the edge, losing its grace. When it does mesh, the result is aural bliss.
www.apocalyptica.com
www.nuclearblastusa.com

Eric Chon

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