After the very good 'Return to Eden' released in 2019, it's only two years after that the new baby of the former guitarist of 'Stratovarius' sees the light of day. As we are used to now, parade a host of renowned singers from the metal scene with in mind 'Catarina Nix' with which he has in parallel the project 'Chaos Magic', the well-known 'Fabio Lione' ('Eternal Idol'), 'James Labrie' ('Dream Theater') or even 'Marina La Torraca' ('Phantom Elite'). This new baby named 'The Enigma Birth' is a continuation of what the Finn usually offers us with a mix of power metal with fast tracks and chorus to make sing a whole stadium and more measured atmospheres with heavy mid-tempo and magnificent ballads.
And it starts strong with the eponymous title of the album which propels us into speed metal in which the double pedal has a blast and which has a first unifying chorus chanted by 'Pellek' in a great form then, total change with the following title, 'I Just Collapse' which is a much more measured mid-tempo which is sung in a beautiful way by 'Catarina Nix' and which can recall certain titles of the joint project between the Finn and the Chilean, the addictive rhythm by making a composition that should work very well in concert. After this calmer track, we expected, in opposition, another energetic track but it is the ballad 'Reveries' which once again puts forward 'Catarina Nix' forming a very beautiful duet with the singer 'Brittney Slayes' ('Unleash The Archers'), then revert to, 'Master of the Archers' ', then, 'Master of Hell' returns to an energetic power metal with a remarkable performance of 'Raphael Mendes' which has a beautiful power in the voice for this kind of title. Follows 'Beautiful Life' which continues in a powerful power metal with the participation of Mr. 'James Labrie' in person, the singer of 'Dream Theater', then, 'Truth' and its fast rhythm is closer to melodic hard-rock with a new chorus that give the desire to resume with the former singer of 'Amaranth', 'Jake E' (see his youtube page here). And, sung by 'Marina La Torraca', the second ballad 'Another Day' comes to charm our ears with a chorus, certainly heard thousands of times, but that we want to play again and again with his solo whose melodic lines are very close to those of 'Hotel California', then, change of scenery with 'Beauty and War' which brings back an imperial 'Raphael Mendes', the rhythm section of 'Marco Mazzarini' bringing the energy needed such a title. The most epic and varied title of the album, 'Dreaming', is devoted to… Mister 'Fabio Lione', normal for the Italian who has made a reputation for himself in this style of compositions which happily alternate a double pedal with more measured sections. It is with the duo 'Jake E' and 'Britney Slayes' that 'The Fire and the Sinner' deploys a beautiful and melancholic melody embellished by a simple guitar solo but full of feeling, then, the refrain of the catchy 'Time', sung by 'Marina La Torraca', immediately enters in the head and stays there by turning in a loop. And to end this album, what better than a good super speed track with 'Without Fear' which recalls the opening track and in which 'Fabio Lione' gives us a last high-level vocal performance.
In summary, 'Timo Tolkki' gives us a remarkable new opus, varied, dense and accessible which alternates an efficient and energetic power metal and more measured compositions with melodic lines that remain engraved in our head for a long time, which intends 'The Enigma Birth' to an audience loving as much the power of a frantic power metal as melancholic power ballads... | |
