Maximum Metal Rating Legend



Elvenking The Scythe Company: AFM Records Release: 2007 Genre: Power, folk Rating: 2 Reviewer: Vinaya

A tendency toward commercialized mediocrity

Being a fan of diverse and tuneful metal with a flair for the slightly unusual or different, I was keen to check out an Elvenking release for the first time after hearing some of the clever folk-inspired metal they had delivered in the recent past. Getting this album, however, had me seriously wondering if I had them confused with another band, given the sheer number of bands out there today and the difficulty in keeping track of them--not to mention the content of the album itself.

I regret to say, however, that I was not mistaken. Instead, what we have here is an Elvenking album that is such a jolting, awkward departure that one could easily be forgiven for thinking the wrong CD has been packaged with the artwork for The Scythe. Gone for the most part is the classy and unique, folk-influenced power metal that essentially ensured their reputation, replaced by an embarrassingly self-conscious, watered-down, almost shopping mall-ready form of kiddie metal, with only faint hints of the violin and other elements that once distinguished the band.

What's even worse, however, is what has taken the place of the band's trademark sound. Instead of the smart, eclectic and tasty twist on power metal Elvenking were once known for, The Scythe is chock full of the kind of trite, rote metal-by-numbers that seems to be pretty much the only type of "heavy" sound tolerated on commercial radio (at least Stateside). Songs alternate between straight mid-tempo radio metal anthems and moderately fast holler-along chug-fests, both usually driven by clichéd and unimaginative riffs, saved only by the occasional folk flourishes, as on the short but welcome instrumental (well, mostly) respite offered on "Totentanz."

In fan comments I've read online, much of the blame for this album's annoying tendency toward commercialized mediocrity is assigned to recently returned singer Damnagoras. Much to my irritation (and apparently that of others), his whiny "melodic" vocals and utterly clichéd and generic death growls are all over the place on The Scythe. Worse, he seems to feel the need to throw pretentious, way too self-serious spoken intros at the beginning of several songs on the album. Rumor has it that the music of My Chemical Romance played a part in influencing his current thinking. Whatever the case, The Scythe strikes me as the kind of mistake made by so many metal bands who tried (often against their better judgment) to enter the mainstream, losing their credibility and creative vitality, and in many cases, not picking up too many fans from the mainstream audience they were attempting to court. A truly unfortunate choice from what had appeared to be a band with major promise.