Russian alternative/gothic metal band The End of Melancholy is no longer a newcomer. The band has a loyal fan base and has already published several good musical works and music videos. Also, they’ve shared the stage with acts like Motionless in White and Theaters des Vampires throughout the years.
The End of Melancholy was founded in 2014 in Saint Petersburg by female vocalist Olly Lex and Andrew Petrøff (guitar, keyboards). Today, Roman Laine (bass) and Eugene Gnip (drums) also belong to the band. After the debut EP „Playing with Shadows“ (2017) and the first full album „Paradox Intention“ (2019), the band has now released their second full album „Nature Unleashed“, which I took a closer look at.
The first thing that catches the eye is the album’s awesome cover artwork, which appears simple but is nevertheless expressive – the first clear plus point. „Nature Unleashed“ contains a total of 10 songs (running time of approximately 37 minutes), which I would like to discuss individually. The album is opened by „Sacrifice“, which was pre-released as a single/music video. If you are not yet familiar with the music of TEoM, you can get a first taste of the album here: extreme guttural, but also clear vocals by the charismatic blonde Olly Lex, a powerful metal-sound with modern elements, but also a chorus that sticks in your ears. There are certainly worse ways to open a brand new album.
„On the Wrong Side“ is, in my opinion, one of the highlights of the album and has something oriental about it. Olly convinces again with a strong vocal performance and demonstrates her vocal diversity. There is also an awesome guitar solo, which fits the special atmosphere of the song. Highly recommended! The third song called „Dark Flowers“ is a solid song. Again, the stunning vocals blow me away, it’s really impressive how Olly can work with her voice. The title track „Nature Unleashed“ is also worth mentioning. With powerful guitar work and hammering the beat, this song is particularly suitable for headbanging. And, did I already mention that Olly Lex is a fantastic singer? Okay, just kidding!
With lots of bitterness in her voice it goes on with the mid-tempo song „Bloody Tears“, which is the longest song of the album. It impresses with interesting riffs and mainly clear but energetic vocals, especially in the chorus. The album continues with „Outsider“, which offers a good drum work and scary vocals. The song is short but to the point. The following „Black Horse“ is another peak of the album. Musically ingenious and excitingly arranged, with booming guitar sounds and pleasant-sounding background features, one can speak of a real catchy tune here.
With „Immigrant Song“ the band performs a cover version of the classic Led-Zeppelin-song from 1970. Quite a few bands have already failed on remakes, but Olly gives the song a special note with her vocals, which has its charm. The next one, „Monster’s Feeling“, is not a new song at all. The music video was released in September 2019. To feature this strong, melodic song on this album was a very good decision. Qualitatively it belongs to the high peaks of the album, without a doubt. In addition, there is Olly’s stunning vocal performance which, in my opinion, belongs to the best that she ever offered.
The album ends with the breathtaking ballad „Internally Eternal“. Anyone who had doubts that Olly’s voice is also suitable for softer tones will be taught a lesson here. Her voice sounds strong and soulful at the same time, she sings as if her life would depend on it. The masterpiece is accompanied by gentle piano and keyboard sounds. Four minutes that leave me behind almost speechless with the longing for more gems like this. There is hardly a more impressive way to finish an album. Great stuff!
Well, a conclusion is easy to draw: “Nature Unleashed” is a super strong album that convinces with musical coherence and yet, surprises with its diversity. The album impresses with an unbelievably strong and flexible vocal performance, good guitar work and straightforward, but melodic songs. The two songwriters, Olly Lex (lyrics) and Andrew Petrøff, did a very good job. In addition, the sound by engineer Alex Korshun leaves nothing to be desired. The most important is that the band reveals a positive musical development, which is proven by „Nature Unleashed“. It’s a very intense musical excursion into the world of gothic metal, but not just for insiders. Also, if you want to expand your musical horizon, „Nature Unleashed“ is absolutely recommended.
Release date: May 28, 2021
Label: Independent
01. Sacrifice
02. On the Wrong Side
03. Dark Flowers
04. Nature Unleashed
05. Bloody Tears
06. Outsider
07. Black Horse
08. Immigrant Song
09. Monster’s Feeling
10. Internally Eternal
Review by: Christian Flack
Metal Goddesses 