Apocalyptica
Worlds Collide

THE REVIEW

Let's be honest: when a metal fan hears their genre blend with classical music, they can't help but go into ecstasy (or, at least, that's what happens to most metalheads).

Apocalyptica, since their debut, have nailed it with the "cello-metal" formula, starting as cover artists of Metallica and then gradually distancing themselves from being just a cover band to achieve artistic and experimental maturity. That is, the phase where the band offers a mix of classical music performed rigorously on cellos but with gothic, sometimes sorrowful and funereal tones. But this has never been a bad thing, even when they were assisted in their performances by illustrious figures like Dave Lombardo (just to name one) in what I consider their best work, namely "Reflections". From then on, Apocalyptica seem to have lost their way, trying to vary and experiment more and more, attempting to write songs not only instrumental but also songs where the singer's voice blends with their cellos and classical music.

Which, let's be honest, some may have liked, while others not. But these are matters of personal taste just like, much more simply, a review of a band that, having reached their sixth studio album, seems to have practically lost their bearings along the way.

The album alternates, as has become customary, instrumental songs with sung songs which, to tell the truth, are really the worst that Apocalyptica could have written. The best pieces are always the instrumentals or, at least, the solos in the sung songs where the flavor of classical music, the keyboards, the cello strings can be savored.

But songs like "Helden" (sung by Till Lindemann, the singer of Rammstein) should be thrown in the trash, and the other compositions, particularly where the voice takes center stage, like "I'm Not Jesus" (sung by Corey Taylor, perhaps the best of the batch) or "I Don't Care", are really gaudy and ugly. There is also room for our Cristina Scabbia in "S.O.S. - Anything But Love", which does nothing but further sink the album. A prayer.

Only the instrumental pieces remain then. But even these, this time, are deadly dull. They no longer captivate the listener; I can no longer feel those transcendental emotions that captured me, that were alive and kicking in the previous works. And this is even though the compositions feature and will always feature the usual names deserving of an A+, trying to make a difference, like Dave Lombardo or Moikko Siern (the latter, now a permanent member, on drums) and the Japanese Tomoyasu Hotei on guitar.

Mere decoys. Decoys that, this time, got fooled but will learn next time not to go blindly on Apocalyptica, a band I see reaching the end of their rope with this "Worlds Collide".

Avoid like the plague.