“Modern melodic metal” is a term that wants to say a lot, but in reality conveys very little. More often than not this is a thin disguise for “pop-oriented,” and such is the case before us today. Formed in 2015 and with three previous LP’s under their belt, Sweden’s Metalite seem to have flown under the radar here at AMG HQ. This could be due to an omnipresent dairy allergy circling The Skullpit™, or the aforementioned genre tag provided by the band’s label. Never fear, Iceberg is here, to add to this decidedly cosmopolitan January with an album chock-full of spaceship raves and gratuitous key changes. Strap yourself in, dear reader, for the maiden voyage of Expedition One.
Metalite blend aggressive melodic metal—that doesn’t necessarily read power metal—with earworm choruses and trance-style synths. This has been a mainstay of all their records, but the bleeps and bloops fit neatly into the purported storyline of Expedition One; a tale of a group of explorers racing against time to find a new planet for their civilization. Some might think this “corset-core in space”, but Metalite evoke less of the symphonic dark of Nightwish and a little more of the rousing anthems of Brothers of Metal. Erica Ohlsson’s vocals are the centerpiece of nearly every track, and with the exception “Aurora,” there’s no sign of the Beauty/Beast vocal style so often utilized in female-fronted metal. Not that it matters much, since Ohlsson’s performance is technically rock solid, and the rest of the band members aren’t far behind. Riffs stay on the safer side of aggressive, but the grooves are indeed headbangable and the solos slick. The synths are omnipresent but well mixed, a chattering electronic atmosphere borderlining on a rave (“Blazing Skies,” “Paradise”). Special kudos to Lea Larsson behind the sticks; the drum parts—especially the across-the-barline fills and tasteful double-kicks—add variety and much-needed vitality to some tracks that would otherwise feel monotonous (“Outer Worlds,” “Free”).
Metalite’s true strength as a band lies in their tried-and-true song crafting. This may be pop metal, but it’s expertly forged pop metal. Say what you will about gouda and brie etc., Expedition One has a veritable army of choruses at its disposal (“Aurora,” “CtrlAltDel,” “Cyberdome,” essentially the entire first half of the record). The average track length here is strictly managed, right around 4 minutes, a decision that maximizes the sticky brain hooks of the 3-4 refrains packed in that runtime. Not to be outdone, the guitars have a knack for unleashing riffs just as catchy as their choral counterparts, often popping up as bookends (“CtrlAltDel,” “Hurricane”) or bridges (“Cyberdome,” “Free”). Even on weaker mid-tempo tracks the band still turns out tidy, memorable moments (“In My Dreams,” “Legendary”). Taken at face value, this combination of pro-level performances and tight songwriting should yield an outstanding melodic metal record.
Unfortunately for Metalite, their greatest asset is also their greatest weakness. The standard song structure for Expedition One follows an intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-outro format, and the band follows this on nearly every. single. track. What’s more, almost every bridge sports a guitar solo (12 out of 16) and half of them a key change into the last chorus (8 out of 16). These details are hallmarks of the band’s style, yes, but the near-identical song-to-song structure leads to the fatal flaw of Expedition One: there are 16 tracks spanning nearly 70 minutes of music here. I understand concept albums are prone to under-editing due to storytelling, but I’m convinced much more trimming could have been done. Most of these tracks stand strong on their own, or even in groups, but by the time power ballad “In My Dreams” arrives at the midpoint of the album the fatigue is real, and the record is only half over.
Expedition One is the definition of a mixed album for me. The track lengths are perfectly handled, but there’s far too many of them. The performances are excellent, but they rarely reach outside of a premeditated formula. There are gems in here, though, for fans of melodic or power metal looking for a change-up amidst the roars and shrieks. I know of one or two certified bangers that will make a run at my SotY list. It’s clear to me that Metalite has all the chops to make a great melodic metal record, but as long as they keep constraining themselves to this rigid formula, they’ll never break out of the atmosphere.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: AFM
Websites: metalite.se | facebook.com | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: January 19th, 2024
