Pyramaze's 'Bloodlines' - Album Review

I have told the story a few times on this blog of how I discovered the Danish progressive/power metal act Pyramaze by taking a chance on a copy of 2006's Legend of a Bone Carver at a local used CD stall. Over the years, I have made a number of discoveries in such a way - and I continue to expand my knowledge of music through the odd random second hand purchase. For some reason, though, picking up Legend of the Bone Carver stands out. I had already started to branch out from the influence of friends and family to discover bands on my own - but perhaps the amount which I enjoyed Legend of the Bone Carver made the discovery stick. The album contained a lot of the hallmarks that I looked for in metal at the time - and the mix of Iced Earth-esque rhythms with a symphonic flair certainly impressed. Since then, Pyramaze have become one of my favourites of the lesser-known progressive/power metal acts - and a new album from them is always something to look forward to. The band have changed quite considerably since the Legend of the Bone Carver era, which was already over by the time I picked it up, but the current era has lasted since 2015 following a hiatus during the early portion of the 2010s. Whilst the band do not play live very often, they have been relatively prolific when it comes to new albums - and back in June they released their seventh album Bloodlines. For me, Bloodlines had a lot to live up to. Whilst Legend of the Bone Carver is likely to always be my favourite Pyramaze album due to how I first discovered the band, 2020's excellent Epitaph (which I reviewed here) is a close second. For me, Epitaph was the album that the band had been working towards since returning in 2015 with Disciples of the Sun (which I also reviewed here). The heavier, riffier sound of the early albums was replaced with something much smoother and more keyboard-focused overall - whilst placing more of a focus on soaring vocal hooks thanks to the pop-ready voice of then-new frontman Terje Harøy. 2017's Contingent (which I also reviewed here) was similar, but arguably more cinematic and progressive in scope, with Epitaph the perfect meld of the two - whilst also containing a lengthy closing track which harked back to the band's early days by bringing back both previous frontmen for a triple-vocal attack. I wondered how the band would follow up Epitaph, and they have responded by stripping away much of the progressive feel of the past couple of albums and going for more of a straight forward, but modern, power metal sound with crunchier riffing overall and plenty of huge hooks. As such, the album is a little different from what has come before - but the cinematic scope remains, and the distinct vocals of Harøy help to join the dots. It is also, interestingly, the band's first album as a four-piece following the departure of lead guitarist Toke Skjønnemand last year - leading to rhythm guitarist and producer Jacob Hansen to handling all of the guitar parts (bar a few guest solos) as well as the bass. I do wonder if Skjønnemand's departure has contributed to the snappier sound adopted this time - as he had become one of the main songwriters alongside Hansen and founding keyboard player Jonah Weingarten. Hansen and Weingarten have written all of the material between them this time, with the latter dominating - which allows his soundscapes and lush arrangements to shine.

As has been the case of late, the lyrics have been written by Henrik Fevre (Anubis Gate) and Christoffer Stjerne - but there are a couple of instrumental pieces here which bookend the album, too. A symphonic intro is not out of the ordinary for Pyramaze and the album opens with its lush instrumental title track. Rumbling piano and cinematic synths build up slowly towards the first song proper - showcasing why Weingarten has become such a sought-after composer of such tracks for other bands. The band do crash in somewhat as it progresses, with founding drummer Morten Gade Sørensen adding some staccato crunch. Bloodlines slowly fades out, and is replaced by the mid-paced chug of Taking What's Mine - a hooky song which showcases the somewhat more straight ahead sound which Pyramaze have forged here. The opening guitar riff is pretty groovy, and is augmented by some keyboard flourishes, but the focus throughout is one the excellent vocals of Harøy. He has shone on all of the Pyramaze albums which he has sang on, but this one seems ready made to showcase his talents. The verses of Taking What's Mine feature him singing in a somewhat lower register than usual; before he lets rip during a massive chorus which grabs hold form the off. He sings in his typical range during the chorus, albeit with perhaps a little extra grit than usual, but that works well against Hansen's crunchy guitar backing and the hard-hitting drum pattern. The arrangement is perhaps less cinematic than the band have become known for - but the riffing and the gritty vocal hooks make the song a winner, and Weingarten still adds his trademark embellishments. The first three 'proper' songs here are all very hooky, although Fortress moves away from the overt crunch of Taking What's Mine to deliver a more symphonic sound overall. It feels more like the past couple of albums as a result, but there is a strong power metal vibe throughout. Sørensen often lays into his double bass drums to propel the song forward, whilst Weingarten's keyboards really dominate here. The intro is a dancing, symphonic feast - whilst the verses strip some of the heaviness away to leave Harøy singing against a dense backing of synths. The best part of the song, though, and perhaps the whole album, is its chorus. Harøy utilises his subtle grit to allow the melodies here to sound huge, whilst the synths create a melodic bed above Hansen's crunchy riffing. The hooks here are to die for, and it is the sort of chorus that will not leave the memory in a hurry. A brief piano-led instrumental section provides a moment of respite - but generally this is a harder-driving power metal anthem built around huge hooks. Broken Arrow is another winner in my opinion, and the song sounds a bit like a mix of the previous two - with a good mix of guitar riffing and synths. Hansen's guitars are certainly more present in the mix this time, and he drives everything - but the snappy track is also pretty lush-sounding despite its no-nonsense attitude and overall pace. Much of the song is pretty riffy, then, but parts of the verses are somewhat stripped back again - this time letting Sørensen's busy drumming shine. There are lots of interesting patterns and grooves here which help the song to stand out - whilst the big synths add depth. The song has another big chorus, which has more of an urgency to it than many of the others here. Harøy sounds a little different during it as a result, but he still delivers the good against a pacy backdrop and the song feels very much like a mid-2000s power metal anthem delivered through more of a modern lens.

Even if You're Gone is not quite as strong as the album's opening trilogy, but it is still an enjoyable track which mixes a good amount of heaviness with neo-classical piano melodies. The opening guitar riff is pretty heavy, but the intro overall feels very expansive with Weingarten's piano becoming more prevalent as it moves along. The riffing resurfaces throughout, but generally this song feels a bit lusher overall - despite the crunch. The verses mix metal grooves with an ever-present piano melody - and this vibe even continues throughout the chorus. Perhaps what holds the song back a little is this lack of diversity - as it is only really Harøy's overall approach which separates the two sections. He soars during the chorus, delivering another memorable set of hooks, but the reliance on similar repeating piano motifs means that all of the song's sections roll into one somewhat. Despite this, the song is still a decent addition to the album - but there is better still to come. Alliance slows things down, and includes the vocal talents of Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) duetting with Harøy. Bonny seems to be the melodic metal singer-in-demand at the moment, after her turn on Kamelot's The Awakening (which I reviewed here) earlier in the year, but her voice mixes well with Harøy's throughout this piano-led ballad - which actually has more than a hint of Kamelot's recent approach to such ironically. The song still sits nicely on the album, though, and the overall change of pace is welcome. The arrangement is pretty simple, and focuses on the vocal delivery, but Weingarten's piano breaks and string arrangements are suitably lush - and the rest of the band add a simple crunch when necessary. The vocal interplay between Harøy and Bonny make the song as good as it is, though, and the warmth throughout adds a lot to the album. The Midnight Sun returns to something more typical of the album's core sound, and opens with a ripping solo from Tim Hansen (Induction) - no relation of Jacob! Given Skjønnemand's departure, the album does lack guitar solos and leads - which is a shame. As such, The Midnight Sun stands out a bit as there is more excitement from a guitar perspective. It is testament to the overall songwriting that the album does not hugely suffer from the lack of solos, etc., but I do hope that the band bring in another lead guitarist going forward - as Tim's additions to this track to give it an edge. Outside of his lead work, though, the song is pretty typical of what has been heard up to this point. It is pretty crunchy overall, with big-sounding guitar chugs dominating - whilst Weingarten's piano backing is more muted this time. The song lacks some of the big vocal hooks of some of the standout tracks here - but the busier guitar playing makes up for that.

Stop the Bleeding returns to a sound a bit smoother overall, and harks back to something which could have sat on Disciples of the Sun with its synth-heavy and modern sound. Harøy sounds less gritty vocally this time, too, which also flashes back to his past performances. Given that this album is generally pretty crunchy, this look back into the recent past is welcome. It helps the album to have a bit of a dynamic overall sound - and presents a pretty hooky track which is not as in-your-face as some of the others here. There are nice dynamics within the song itself, too, with classical piano flourishes and a gentle bridge reining in the mid-paced rhythms found elsewhere - and there is even a somewhat progressive-sounding instrumental sections which sees some busier guitar playing from Hansen and some flashy keyboard flourishes from Weingarten. The chorus is another strong moment, too, and it ties the song together nicely thanks to its floaty melodies. The final vocal-led song here is The Mystery, which feels much more progressive overall - and harks back to the band's early days a bit more, largely thanks to a more of an old-school power metal sound and a lot more lead work. The song opens with a busy synth lead, setting the tone, before the verse slowly builds up around some busy drum grooves, a surprisingly prominent bassline, and lots of piano hooks. The chorus ups the pace, and I feel like it could have easily sat on one of the band's early albums. I can imagine Lance King singing it, and it is a good link to the band's early days in the context of a song which feels much flashier overall. There is a great instrumental section, too, which features a guitar solo from Andrew Kingsley (Archon Legion; Unleash the Archers; Sleeper Ship), followed by a great Weingarten synth solo, and then another guitar solo - this time from Olof Mörck (Dragonland; Nightrage; Amaranthe). This more intense use of lead playing really elevates the song for me, and it is one of the album's best moments overall thanks to great hooks and a powerful chorus - but it does make me wish that Skjønnemand had been replaced as, despite the album still being strong, a few more explosive moments like The Mystery's closing instrumental salvo would have been welcome here. The soloing closes the song out, and the album then comes to an end with Wolves of the Sea - a symphonic instrumental piece which has little genuine metal within it and feels more like something from a film soundtrack. It plays to Weingarten's strengths, and it sounds suitably epic, but given the overall more straight forward approach taken throughout the album as well as its relatively short length Wolves of the Sea does sound a bit overblown in its context. That being said, it works as a nice bookend to close things out - and with Weingarten on board something lush is to be expected. Despite the overall slight change in tack, Bloodlines is another strong album from Pyramaze. I feel like the band had to shake things up a bit after the excellence of Epitaph, and the focus on big vocal hooks and less complex arrangements generally works well - although the lack of a lead guitarist is noticed at times. This certainly feels a bit more of an 'everyday' album than some of the more involved works which have come before - and the plethora of hooks will no doubt keep me coming back.

The album was released on 23rd June 2023 via AFM Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Fortress.