Apocalyptica - The 7th Symphony

September 22, 2010

Reviewer: Peter

It’s hard to imagine that Apocalyptica has been around for almost two decades.  The Finnish cello metal band began as a Metallica cover band and eventually branched out to covering other bands before deciding to perform their own original works.  Say what you will about the band collaborating with well known artists (metal and non metal), but there is a reason why they lasted this long.  Their new album The 7^th Symphony is the band’s latest in a long line of solid, if somewhat predictable discography.

On The 7^th Symphony, there are four tracks that feature vocals, with Gavin Rossdale, Brent Smith, Lacey Sturm, and Joe Duplantier providing vocals.  Also featured on the album is Dave Lombardo on drums, which isn’t unusual, since he has contributed to the band’s albums in the past.  The mostly instrumental album is what you would expect from Apocalyptica, so any surprises on the album are generally from how the music interacts with the vocalists on the album.  On “End of Me,” the cellos’ sound is generally mainstream rock, as it features Rossdale on vocals.  The combination of the two makes it one of the weaker tracks on the album in the sense that it isn’t anything to write home about.  “Not Strong Enough” features Brent Smith from Shinedown, and if you’re remotely knowledgeable about the band, you will recognize the band as being a part of the newer generation of radio rock.  Strangely enough, this is one of the stronger tracks on the album that features vocals.  “Broken Pieces” features Lacey Sturm on vocals, and this track, like “End of Me,” is fairly generic, with Sturm having all the range of your standard radio rock female vocalist.  The most “metal” track on the album is “Bring them to Light,” which showcases a heavier cello sound and the vocals of Joe Duplantier from Gojira.  This track has its moments, but it also has its flaws in the sense that it just tries too hard.  The longest tracks on the album are bookended, with “At the Gates of Manala,” “Rage of Poseidon,” and “The Shadow of Venus” providing the band a chance to show off its wares.

There aren’t many surprises in the Apocalyptica sound nowadays.  However, they continue to tweak their sound just enough to satisfy the listener.  Long time fans shouldn’t expect the band to stray too much from their style, but newer fans will find reasons to get into this band.  The tracks with the vocalists are a mixed bag, but the core of the band remains the cello, which is about a sure thing as the band being underappreciated.  The 7^th Symphony shouldn’t be the first choice for first time listeners, but it does hold its own for long time fans of Apocalyptica.

Release Date: August 20, 2010
Label: Mercury Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  At the Gates of Manala
2.  End of Me
3.  Not Strong Enough
4.  2010
5.  Through Paris in a Sportscar
6.  Beautiful
7.  Broken Pieces
8.  On the Rooftop with Quasimodo
9.  Bring Them to Light
10.  Sacra
11.  Rage of Poseidon
12.  The Shadow of Venus

Total playing time:  57:46

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