Список групп Dark Metal Sinners Paradise The Great Unifier

Her Whisper – The Great Unifier
review by Klaus Schmidt 2008.01.25

The rocking norsemen did a good job with their first album (Children of the Black Soil) which really got my attention back in 2006. It is therefore with great anticipation I now two years later insert their new album into my stereo.

First impression: the sound! After a bombastic (albeit short) intro one get nailed to the wall by the sheer heaviness of the guitars and drums. I was impressed with the sound on the last album but this album wins hands down. Period!

First song is called Structures of Deceit and boast some really heavy riffs a´la In Flames. Vocals are clean and powerful (here on can hear much improvement from the first album). There are some great keyboard playing, not too much, just perfect to add to the atmosphere. Chorus is very strong.

Second song, Path of the Redeemer, is one of my favorites. A mid-tempo gem with excellent vocals from Nestergaard. Here one can really hear the uncanny resemblense to Messiah Marcolin.

Artificial Intelligence starts with an atmospheric intro that transcends into an trancey arpeggio followed by a guitar riff that oozes of that typical swedish sound.
Again, great song and chorus.
A definite hit.

While Children of the Black Soil was indeed great it lacked some diversity. Songs were kind of same and no-one really stood out. That is not the case with The Great Unifier, a fact that the fourth song - Emperor of Sorrow – proves in a great way. Again, midtempo and crammed full of atmospheric synths, this song boast some ingenious riffs. Some parts are reminescent of early Opeth or even (dare I say it) Cradle of Filth.. Fortunately without the fake fangs and corpse paint.
The song ends with a lonely piano and a little girl chanting some kind of gibberish. Very nice.

Now, every metal album worth its name has to have some kind of ballad.
Enter Fiend Angelical. It has everything you expect it to have, even rain and thunder!
Not to worry though. Song efforts are as excellent as usual and while the guitars are kind
of laid back on this song, the keyboards really show their importance.

Schadenfreude is without a doubt the most brutal track of them all.
It is the only song on the album with raw vocals in the verses and clean choruses (a formula used extensively on Children of th Black Soil) and the guitars are insane. In fact the whole song is.
Arch Enemy-esque riffs in different flavours, a mad cembalo and superb vocals.
Chorus boasts some nice backing vocals a´la (insert your favorite power metal-band here)
and is immensely likeable. Thumbs up!

Their Finest Hour continues the victory train. A polished piece of metal with a steady tempo.
Vocals are sung a bit different which really suits the pace. Again, chorus is a real party-accelerator.
As I said, a bit different from the other tracks but probably the most “heavy metal” one.
If this is´nt one for live appearences I´ll eat my hat.

Mike Wead is a name spoken in awe by many a metal head. Perhaps most known for his participation in the now hibernated Mercyful Faith and also higly active King Diamond, Mike has granted Her Whisper a guitar solo on track nine – Sinners Paradise.
Jag Panzer meets Primal Fear was my first thought. There are indeed some powermetal elements in this catchy tune. And the solo is really nice.

The goth-sounding title Elegy for a Dying Rose is misleading, for here we have a beautiful song with an unusual structure. Fans of My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost will love this one.

And so we have come to the last track, titled as the album itself – The Great Unifier.
And it is indeed great, although I cannot guarantee the unifying part. :)
Awesome intro (which also turns out to be the chorus later on), some excellent piano playing and (I´ve said it before) great vocals. Beatyfully arranged and a worthy ending to one of the best metalalbums I have heard in a very very long time.

I´ll pray to the higher Gods that Her Whisper will get the attention they deserve and maybe come to Austria and play soon.

19/20

/Klaus