ALBUM REVIEW: Another Side Of You – Illumishade
Some things are made to go together, like bread and butter or bangers and mash. And, with ILLUMISHADE’s sophomore album Another Side Of You, we’re reminded that silky smooth vocals and blazing heavy metal instruments are the perfect match.
The album is filled to the brim with grandiose sounds, so thick with cinematic moments it is possible to get lost in it at times. Listening to Another Side Of You it’s blindingly obvious that ILLUMISHADE are a band building on their strengths, but not afraid to experiment with new noises. The result is a collection of songs that are ridiculously fun to listen to. It’s a playful album with moments that will have you double-checking you’re not listening to the soundtrack of a musical or fantasy film. There’s a track for everyone, and it is sure to bring in a new audience, without isolating existing fans by removing the key aspects of ILLUMISHADE that we’ve grown to love.
Tracks like Enemy are what make the album so strong; it’s the perfect example of how ILLUMISHADE can effortlessly toe the line between rock opera and modern metal. The track weaves seamlessly between quiet respite and heavy instrumentals that have you headbanging like you’ll never stop. In The Darkness doesn’t give you a moment to breathe. This is a track that gets the adrenaline pumping, paced as if it is straight out of a battle scene, with a razor-sharp guitar solo that tears through the centre of the track without missing a beat. If you need a new favourite guitar number, you’ve found it.
Cloudreader changes the tone a little. It’s a genre-defying track and serves as living proof that ILLUMISHADE aren’t a band that can be boxed in. It takes the best of the band’s clean-cut, powerful vocals, with upbeat, almost pop-like moments and mixes them in with the classic ILLUMISHADE guitar solos.
The standout of the album is Cyclone. This is a track on another level, with a distorted intro that grabs your attention from the get-go. And it’s all uphill from there. Contrast is key here, with whispering, smooth vocals layered over edgy metal drums and guitar, and the angelic delivery of lines like “I can tear this place up” constantly catching you off guard. The result is an unsettling, addicting sound that demands you give the song your full attention. It’s a journey of a track, taking you through moments of cinematic near-horror, only to be drawn back to safety by Fabienne Erni’s velvety smooth singing. One listen isn’t enough to take in the magic of Cyclone. It’s sure to go down as one of ILLUMISHADE’s best.
Following Cyclone with Fairytale is a stroke of genius. The two tracks are like fire and ice. It would be hard to top the vast landscape of Cyclone with another theatrical track. But, following it with the more straightforward storytelling of Fairytale feels like you’re breaking out of the storm and into the sun. It’s a moving track that wouldn’t feel out of place on stage in a musical. Another highlight of the album is TWILY, which somehow twines together old-school metal sounds with ultra-modern moments. It transcends genres and keeps you on your toes, darting between emotional vocals and heavy guitar breakdowns before neatly combining the two.
To say ILLUMISHADE are a band with huge depth is an understatement, and you only have to listen to a couple of the tracks on Another Side Of You to prove this. Listening to the full album, it isn’t hard to imagine that this is only a taster of what is to come. For now, there’s enough to feast on in Another Side Of You to keep a metal fan satisfied for months.
Rating: 9/10
Another Side Of You is set for release on February 16th via Napalm Records.
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