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Amaran started out in 2000 when guitarists Kari Kainulainen and Ronnie Backlund started writing music and looking for members to start a band. Shortly after, they where joined by bassplayer Mikael Andersson and vocalist Johanna DePierre and released (without drums) a demo, in 2001. That very demo brought Amaran into the light, and Listenable records hurried to give them a record deal. As drummer Robin Bergh joined in, the band was complete and something completely new saw the light of day. What makes Amaran so unique is the combination of varaious musical styles. Heavy metal guitars that could easily be mistaken for melodic death metal (if they had more growling in their music) and clean, almost classical vocals. This combination is best described as a mixture between Nightwish and Arch Enemy (or any other melodic death band) and from time to time it also reminds me a bit of opeth. Although "Pristine in Bondage" is a bit more aggressive and furious than the previous album ("A World Depraved" 2002) you can hear that there's even more fury seething under the surface. That's something that I would concentrate on bringing into the light. Track number six (Katharsis) is the greatest example of how the fury and the more mellow parts melt together into an emotional rollercoaster ride, slapping and stroaking you all the way through. My favourite tracks are the slower ones. The grinding and repeating of the riffs can be a lot more meaningful than swift changes and fast riffs, if it's put into the right context. That's something that Amaran really knows how to do. I espacially liked "Inflict" since the vocals on it are very original and with slightly Arabic influences. Joanna DePierres vocals gives me goosebumps from time to time. All in all, this is an album that'll keep hanging around in my cd-player for a pretty long time. That is a very good sign, since I very often get bored with music fast. I strongly recommend this album and hope to see an even more aggressive one soon.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Atropine |
| 2. Revolution Without Arms |
| 3. Coming Home |
| 4. Inflict |
| 5. Without Stains |
| 6. Katharsis |
| 7. 24 Pills |
| 8. Wraith |
| 9. Crow me |
| 10. Primal Nature |
: 41.56
| Buy other Amaran albums |
