Phoenix Effect

Phoenix Effect

Reviewed by Kaheli

With decades of experience collectively behind them, it isn’t any wonder Phoenix Effect went from the studio straight into awesomeville? First we have lead vocalist/guitarist Janne Kärkkäinen, formerly of Sunrise Avenue and current rhythm guitarist for Kärtsy, bringing his talent to the front of PE. Followed by fellow Kärtsy band mate and guitarist, Pyry Nikkilä. Backing up the band is the very multi-talented Anton Laurila on drums, who hails from bands such as Feiled, where he was lead vocalist and song writer as well as his current project, Faulty Messenger, where he shows yet another facet of his talent as lead vocalist and pianoist. Last, but never least, is bassist Lauri Hämäläinen, carrying his 4-string talent from Kemopetrol to Phoenix Effect. Given their past and present as well as their multitude of talents, one would expect to hear something pretty fantastic, right? Well, let’s just say you shouldn’t be disappointed. These guys aren’t newbies and it shows…

Add a dash of grunge with a hint of metal, mix well a hefty dose of good ol’ hard rock and you have…Phoenix Effect. Everything that their debut release ‘Cyanide Skies’ is, their self-titled sophomore album isn’t and yet still is…With ‘Cyanide Skies’ we were introduced to a softer side of PE with an album chocked full of ballads while ‘Phoenix Effect’ gives us the more rougher, hard rockin’ side of their talent. I think, I know, if you were to fuse the two albums together, you would find yourself with a single cohesive blend of tracks. I challenge you to try it…if you’re fortunate enough to already have both, put them into your favorite player, hit the random play button a few times and just listen. If I hadn’t already known what track went where, I don’t think I would be able to distinguish one album from the other. It’s for this very reason that I’m acutally looking forward to the day they release a complilation album.

When I first listened to ‘Black Art’ and ‘Euphoria’, opening and second track respectively, my initial thought was one of disillusionment of a political nature. Then I quickly realized it could also very well be within a relationship or even with one’s mind and self. It’s this kind of diversity within a song that give it the attraction and desire to continue listening, not just the songs again and again but the album as a whole. I curious to know what’s next. With ‘Killing The Afterglow’, I was immediately grabbed and held hostage by the drums while completely ensared by the vocals. While the song has some pretty amazing and rough guitar riffs, it’s the drums that dominated to make this song one of my personal favorites. The split second ‘A Light To Guide’ starts, I’m instanly catapulted back to the late 70′s and the sounds of The Police playing. Pairing that influence with the unique use of the background vocals is what put this track at the top of the must-hear list. Three words come to mind: echoes, reflections and dimension.

Next stop on this adventure of sound and rhythm, we enter the world of ‘Babylon’. Is it a song about the epitome of pure eternal love or is about the seduction of false religions? You be the judge. Either way, it’s all the same in the end: an all-encompassing eternal devotion that surrounds and envelopes your entire being. What can I say about the next track on our ear candy mission? Key features of this dose of sweet delight range from the title, the bass lines, the vocals to the message of the lyrics. The transition between duet to front/back vocals snagged my attention pretty fast. Of course, anything pumping out a good heavy bass line has my vote every time. That’s ‘All 4 Nothing 4 All’. And this is precisely why it’s roosting at the top of my personal favorites . Not to mention that you really can’t go too wrong with a title that’s readable left to right to left again. ‘Mask Of Sanity’ continues the onslaught of great rhythms and riffs while speaking of the inner turmoil, manipulation and confusion that often leaves one questioning themselves. The kind one keeps behind a smile and well-hidden from the world so can see just how derailed they’ve become. Just my interpretation of it, you could have your own…or not

The closest we’re going to get to a ballad on this album is found with ‘Into Flame’. Don’t get your knickers too twisted, it doesn’t stay that way but slowly escalates up into a strong guitar riff. Then winds back down to a softer play only to bounce back up. I find the play of the softer tones during the main song parts with the heavier riffs during the chorus to be an attractive combination between two rhythms. Just knew there had to be at least one song with a poppy flair to it and I wasn’t disappointed. I got it with ‘Sugarcoated Illusions’. Of all the tracks on this album, this is the one that will have you bebopping around while you try your hardest to hit that high note Lauri achieves with ease during the chorus….‘illusioooooons’. All in all, it’s got everything needed to land itself onto the must hear list: the right balance between guitar riffs, drum beats and vocals, particularly the use of the ‘layered’ effect of back to front vocals. Rounding out the ablum is ‘Stand Your Ground’, another track where I can hear some distinctive influences from The Police. If you’re looking for complicated guitar riffs in this tune, you’re in for a let down. The song has some of the most simplistic use of notes of the entire album and that is a major part of the attraction. I find myself paying more attention to the lyrics and vocals than focusing on the music. But at the same time, I also find myself moving in time with it, or bebopping if you will Of course, by this time I have to admit that I’m also completely enamored of Lauri’s backing vocals. The fact they’re neither subtly sung nor a mirror image of Janne’s vocals has a major play in the enchantment I find myself to be possessed with.

Whether you hear the album as bearing some connotations of political, religious or romantical statements, it matters not. All of them bear the same adjectives: powerful, seductive, beguiling, awareness, disillusionment, determination and perserverance. It’s what gives ‘Phoenix Effect’, as a whole album, that air of diversity and clearly opens itself to your own personal interpretation. Too many bands nowadays have a tendency to lack that very key element in their music so it’s quite the refreshing breath of sound to encounter it. Music, much like poetry, should always be open to the listener’s perception.

A Light To Guide

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Our Rating:

9.1/10

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