Seems like not too long ago Harmony released Theatre of Redemption, about which I said…” If you’re looking for some orchestral, melodic metal with soaring vocals, blistering guitars, and a heavy keyboard influence in the sound, look no further”…and now Harmony is back with the Remembrance ep that contains new recordings of four previously released songs from their debut album Dreaming Awake and two new tracks.
The Borås, Swedish band Harmony was formed in 2000 by Markus Sigfridsson (guitars) and Tobias Enbert (drums), who added Henrik Båth on vocals and recorded a demo on 2001 that led to a deal with German label Massacre Records in 2002. Their debut album Dreaming Awake was released in 2003 which also saw the band lineup completed with Andreas Passmark (Narnia) on keyboards and Magnus Holmberg on bass. In 2008, Harmony released their second album, Chapter II: The Aftermath to great reviews and notably featured guest vocals by Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon, Heed). Markus, Tobias, Magnus, and Henrik also played together in the band Darkwater and in 2010 Henrik and Magnus left Harmony for Darkwater, leaving Markus and Tobias to carry on. Tobias has started the band Empire 21 and through contacts there picked up Raphael Dafras and added Empire 21 keyboard player John Svensson. Finding a vocalist was a challenge and eventually they decided on Daniel Heiman who had previously contributed vocals to a Harmony track. Remembrance was recorded at the same time and with the same members as on Theatre of Redemption, with mixing handled by Henrik Udd and Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman (At the Gates, In Flames) and mastering by Thomas ‘Plec” Johansson (Scar Symmetry, Watain).
After listening to Theatre of Redemption, my first impression of the older tracks on this ep is that one can see how the band has matured in terms of their song writing but the new performances and versions of these songs do breathe new life into them. This is epic power metal done as only a Swedish band could. In general, there is considerable variety to the songs as well as one can hear in just the first two tracks. “Eternity” opens up fast and the music stays at that breakneck pace throughout the song while the vocals are a few steps slower. With the symphonic elements that Harmony brings, there is an classical interlude just before a scorching guitar solo near the middle of the song. In marked contrast to that “Dreaming Awake” opens up with a somewhat chunky riff and very nearly turns into “Street of Dreams” by Rainbow, which is a very cool, if unexpected twist. I’ve commented before on the Yngwie Malmsteen/Ritchie Blackmore influences I hear in Harmony tracks and that comes through again for me in “Dreaming Awake.” While “Dreaming Awake” starts out differently than “Eternity,” it also features a quieter classical section in the middle before another great guitar solo. While those two elements seem a bit contradictory to have in one song, the arrangements are such that the listener almost expects them and doesn’t really notice the contrast that is there.
Harmony assembled an impressive soundscape on Theatre of Redemption and carried that over into Remembrance. Much like on Theatre of Redemption, arrangements are complex, guitars provide great solos and the vocals range from very strong to soaring. In essence, all the elements one would expect in a European power metal album are here, making for a great listening experience
Rating: 8/10
Written by John Jackson
Track listing:
01. Eternity
02. Dreaming Awake
03. Without You
04. She
05. In His Heart
06. Feed My Hunger
Band Members
Daniel Heiman – Guest lead vocals
Markus Sigfridsson – Guitars
Tobias Enbert – Drums
John Svensson – Keyboards
Raphael Dafras – Bass
Albums:
“Dreaming Awake” [2003]
“End of My Road” EP [2008]
“Chapter II: Aftermath” [2008]
“The Window Of My Soul” (Single) [2014]
“Theatre of Redemption” [2014] (review)
“Remembrance” EP [2015]
Record Label: Ulterium Records, May 2015
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Pre-Order / Ulterium Records Store
For an recent Interview (Dec. 2014) with lead guitarist Markus Sigfridson click here.
Video below “Remembrance” (Teaser)