Amaranthe – The Catalyst

Swedish giants Amaranthe return with their 7th Studio album called “The Catalyst” Having heard 4 songs off the album before the release I knew I was going to get something good.
The album kicks off with the title song for the album called “The Catalyst” with Amaranthes signature synth sound followed by the grab of heavy guitar and hard hitting drums only Olof and Morten are capable of, accompanied by Mikael’s scream it is a hard hitting song with a catchy chorus! Nils and Elize are masters of lyrical melodies that just stick with you for hours to come! Its the perfect way to start pulling you straight in and making you want more!
Insatiable is up next, one of the earlier releases the band gave us before the album dropped. Its up beat bouncy riff makes you want to sit and bop till your heart is content until we get thrust into the vampiric world of Damnation Flame! (a personal favourite of mine)
I could describe each individual track one by one but this is an album but there is just so much to say. Amaranthe are masters of taking you to one place with a song but then throwing you in a completely different direction with the next but still maintaining the signature sound this band have shown they are capable of.
This is the first album Mikael Sehlin has appeared on and I have to say he fits in well showing that he is more than capable to stand his ground along side Elize’s and Nil’s powerful vocals with even more range and variation than previous screamers in the band.
A stand out song on the album for me is “Stay a Little While”. A ballad with Elize and Nils which shows the power of both voices combined taking you on an emotional journey while giving you a warming hug along the way!
Amaranthe are a for sure a force to be reckoned with. From the early days of their debut album “The Hunger” where they gave us a new sound that the market was not used to, to the latest album “The Catalyst”, they have shown not only evolution is themselves but the perfection of a craft that they do so well. I love this album and I am 100% sure that you will to! As I said before, there is just so much that has gone into the writing and production of these 12 songs that gives every listener something they will love about it. This band are only going to get stronger (yes they had a song called that) and I cannot find any fault. Check this band out, not just this album but their back catalogue! You won’t be disappointed!

It is a solid 10/10 from me and their best release to date!

Review by MikeP