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Engel: Absolute design
09/11/07 || Lord K Philipson
So, this is the second time (the first being Vicious Art’s latest masterpiece) in like a month that I have to review a album from a band that has some of my friends and bandmates in it. Engel features The Project Hate MCMXCIX bassist extra-ordinaire Michael, and drummer phenomenon Daniel “Mojjo” Moilanen in their ranks. But as always, this is hardly affecting my take on their stuff.
Engel released a really competent demo (actually, they released their first demo in 2005, but I never heard that one) prior to this album. A demo that, most of the time, showcased a promising-as-fuck band with shitloads of fresh ideas and a very 2000-ish approach as for how to create music in this new millennium. Engel got quite a buzz surrounding them while people awaited this debut full length. And waited they did. Is that buzz justified?
Sometimes.
One song really stood out on said demo, that one being “Casket closing”. A superb tune including some insanely catchy chorus. Usually when a demo song is re-recorded, it ends up weaker. That is not the case here. As on the demo, “Casket closing” is the album’s strongest tune, and it definitely stands up to the version they initially recorded. But there’s more to this album than this one song.
Closer (doing things in a chronological order is gay) “Seven ends” holds a very sad and beautiful chorus, one that will make you hum the melody for days. Opener “In splendour” fires up an incredibly catchy riff that, with the answers in hand, turns out to be one of the catchier riffs on this piece. “Calling out” is another of those demo songs that I have heard before. It never did much for me on the demo and that fact remains with this new version. It still holds a very groovy mid/end section though. “Scyth” starts off promising with its fine opening attack while losing a bit of gusto as it moves on into the chorus (yep, Engel sure puts some time into creating fine choruses), eventually making this track land at the “decent” mark. “Trial & error” displays yet another fine chorus and one ass-grabbing mid-part with delicate electronics spicing things up.
“Next closed door” is a song that initially makes you fear a syrup-drenched semi-ballad with its calm start. Can’t say that I’m a huge fan of the laidback verses, but (why am I not surprised?) the choruses make this one stay on track. “The hurricane season” is one of the stronger compositions on “Absolute design” together with “Casket closing”, a definite highlight. “Propaganda” is one of the more up-tempo ones with its chuggy riffing (it’s not like Niclas and Marcus are ducklings when it comes to playing guitar, you know) and Mojjo’s (always) tasty playing.
“Descend” is a slow thing and nothing I would put in the higher rankings on this absolute design (yeah, that was almost too easy). One of the fillers for me on this record. “The Paraclete” is another fine tune that moves along in the mid tempo direction, eventually ending up being a quality effort by all means. “I’m the one” does little to stray away from the Engel concept. It’s just another metal tune that borders on the middle-side of things.
I have heard alot of complaints about Magnus’ vocals. I always dug his voice (he used to sing in Headplate, a band I listened to quite a bit at the time) but I agree – sometimes it can be a bit annoying when the clean voice dominates the picture. Though generally, I have little-to-no problems with it. The guy can sing, sometimes it just sounds like he’s trying too hard to sound emotional. The screams he provides are always good though.
The production is completely ace, as expected when recorded in Dug Out Studios with Daniel Bergstrand. I wish Michael had a little more room with his bass though, but I guess the recordings he’s done with The Project hate MCMXCIX makes up for it. Hah.
To go back in time a little, bassist Michael visited me some months before the release of “Absolute design” and had me listen to the advance for this album on a special night of beer and booze. I told him during the listening session that I thought some of it sounded killer and some of it sounded quite weak. That opinion still stands, but nonetheless – “Absolute design” is a solid album, a first seed to what will most probably evolve into something stronger when the time comes to record the follow-up.
But no matter what, I think Engel will have some success with this effort. At least I hope they will.
7 “let me mention the fact that Engel’s got catchy choruses over and over in this review” out of 10.
- Information
- Released: 2007
- Label: SPV
- Website: Engel MySpace
- Band
- Magnus Klavborn: vocals
- Niclas Engelin: guitars
- Marcus Sunesson: guitars
- Michael Håkansson: bass
- Daniel “Mojjo” Moilanen: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. In splendour
- 02. Casket closing
- 03. Next closed door
- 04. The hurricane season
- 05. Propaganda
- 06. The Paraclete
- 07. Scyth
- 08. Descend
- 09. Trial & error
- 10. I’m the one
- 11. Calling out
- 12. Seven ends
