Bright & Black - The Album

2024-01-22 08:00:11

It feels like metal and classical music have enjoyed a close connection for years, be it through orchestral album participation, as even extreme bands like Dimmu Borgir have already done, or large-scale concerts from Metallica to Dream Theater to Alter Bridge. Bright & Black take the topic further and translate compositions written by metal musicians into an orchestral environment. Several performances are coming up in the spring, and there is also a studio version, simple „The Album“ called, which was recorded by the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, among others, in autumn 2022.

A look at the authors and contributors is enough: Eicca Toppinen (Apocalyptica), who appears live as frontman, Fredrik Åkesson (Opeth), Erik Danielsson (Watain), Nico Elgstrand (Entombed AD), Tomas Haake and Dick Lövgren (Meshuggah), Veteran producer Jacob Hellner and the Estonian conductor and composer Kristjan Järvi are behind this more than an hour-long undertaking. While Toppinen, whose cello is very prominently represented and repeatedly takes the lead, Järvi and the two artistic directors Jacob Hellner and Per Kviman take the lead, a highly varied work can be expected due to the diverse influences and songwriters. And that requires one thing above all: time.

The one-two punch at the beginning makes it quite confidently clear that both worlds are closely intertwined here. The opulent, expansive “Nidhugg” skillfully spreads out over more than eight minutes and focuses primarily on the symphonic aspect. While the cello is always carried forward, what ultimately reigns here is the proverbial rollercoaster of emotions, accompanied by great dramaturgy. “Bloodgrind” is completely different and is reminiscent of an orchestral version of the rough Apocalyptica songs with Dave Lombardo. All kinds of metallic extremes, Toppinen’s cutting guitar imitation and powerful drums serve black, death and thrash at breakneck speed. This is some damn great cinema.

Only rarely does it get so heavy and brutal, see and listen to “Armies Of The Preposterous” for example. Here Bright & Black manage to embed such neck blows in an epic steam hammer with washed-out call-and-response approaches, with the philharmonic orchestra skilfully colliding with the metallic dimension. But the quiet, truly classic moments also succeed, like in “Midnite Son”. Working towards a bittersweet climax is moving. When it all comes together, like in the epic “Collateral Damage,” where rough digressions meet pure grace, there is something almost like emotion.

Yes, there is some length in these 65 minutes. Yes, the balance between metal and classical is missing and – not entirely surprisingly – tends to shift to the second part. Nevertheless, “The Album” is a magnificent work to broaden your horizons and get to know other types of extremes. What’s more, when both worlds come together, Bright & Black are a real force. Even if the opus is sometimes a bit away from perfection, you shouldn’t miss this happening – a slightly different soundtrack of epic, brutal dramaturgy with heart and great technical and compositional class.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: January 26, 2024
Available via: Bright & Black Music (Rough Trade)

Website: brightandblack.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brightandblacktheproject