SOULLINE – We Curse, We Trust
- Posted on 29-06-2012
Here’s another surprise. The Swiss metal I’ve heard through the years hasn’t been this heavy, as the quintet Souline play a brand of harmony laden, melodic death quite different from the Krokus/ Gotthard classic hard rock sound I’m used to from bands in this country. “We Curse, We Trust” is their third full length record, and it’s an 8 song effort bringing the basics elements back to the genre with directness and a sense of fierce engagement. “Sleepers Statement” with its back and forth electrified verses/ choruses against the quiet, piano-led instrumental refrains takes in the beautiful melancholic nature of classic Sentenced and Amorphis. “When We Freeze” rages with the best elements of In Flames and Children Of Bodom, as Klod’s maniacal sustained screams, growls and clean parts give the listener a clear picture of Soulline’s diverse talent.
The closer “Fade In” has this build-up of alternative picking against a wall of thunderous riffs that are certain to move audiences in a live setting. They must be doing something impressive, as they’ve been able to gain some great tours with Vader, Rotting Christ, and Pro Pain over the past couple of years. Soulline don’t always feel the need to be the speediest, most dazzling instrumentalists on the planet- the simpler china crash crescendos from Yuvi on “The Curse In Our Minds” or the thoughtful piano interlude “Dreaming Change” convey so much more about texture in context than merely spitting out traditional twin guitar harmonies all the time.
“We Curse, We Trust” makes it easy for me to seek out the previous two albums- this is high quality melodic death metal with the right alternative and atmospheric flavoring to provide a groundswell of support from numerous metal camps.