Illumishade's 'Another Side of You' - Album Review

As much as I like a lot of the great symphonic metal bands which came to the fore during the 2000s and the 2010s, it is perhaps no bad thing that the overall genre bubble seems to have now burst. Most metal subgenres have their golden years and then become oversaturated, and I started to lose interest in the genre when it became packed full of low-effort copycats. The cream of the crop always survives, though, and I still love many of my original symphonic metal favourites - with bands like Epica arguably bigger than ever. The bursting of the genre's bubble has also meant that newer bands who tread a somewhat symphonic path need to do something different to stand out and not appear as a pastiche to what came before - and I think the Swiss five-piece Illumishade are a good example of a band doing something different. Part symphonic metal, part progressive metal, and part pop, Illumishade are hard to categorise. They are not truly a symphonic metal band, but that is it the subgenre they feel most at home in - albeit the more stripped down end of the genre alongside bands like Delain. Illumishade are much riffier than most symphonic metal bands, though, with the guitar playing of Jonas Wolf a constant presence in their music. His playing adds a more metallic and progressive flair than is typical for most stripped back symphonic metal bands - and the accessible voice of frontwoman Fabienne Erni gives the band an irresistible pop edge. Illumishade are not overly pop in the vein of bands like Amaranthe and Beast in Black, but there is an ever-present accessibility to their music despite the relative variety found within their sound. Illumishade were formed back in 2019 by Erni and Wolf - both members of the Swiss folk metal veterans Eluveitie. Illumishade sound nothing at all like Eluveitie, though, and any further comparison between the two bands is essentially meaningless. It is always great to see musicians branch out from their more established sound - and 2020's Eclyptic: Wake of Shadows (which I discussed briefly here) set out Illumishade's stall nicely. It seems that Illumishade were, at first, put together as part of Erni's studies - with Eclyptic: Wake of Shadows being the result of such activity. This perhaps explains why the album was self-released and on the short side for a band with a sound as expansive as Illumishade's - but it certainly impressed, despite it not being an album I have returned to that often. This month's Another Side of You, though, coming four years on from Eclyptic: Wake of Shadows, feels much more like a complete package. Now signed to Napalm Records, the band feel like a big budget act - and I think that Another Side of You realises the band's sound and style in a much more successful way. Joined again by bassist Yannick Urbanczik, keyboard player Mirjam Skal, and drummer Marc Friedrich, Erni and Wolf have pushed themselves again here - with the help of industry veterans like in-demand producer Joost van den Broek and Coen Janssen (Epica; Amahiru) who plays piano on the album's final song.

Despite Erni and Wolf very much being the 'names' behind the band, Another Side of You is very much a collaborative effort songwriting-wise - with everyone contributing throughout the 14 songs present. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the album opens with an atmospheric instrumental piece. Enter the Void features dense synths, atmospheric wordless vocals, and the occasional violin line - but the piece sets quite a dark tone as it progresses, which sets things up nicely for Elegy. Despite the darker tone established, though, Elegy in general feels quite upbeat. Wolf's opening riff is certainly heavy, and much more in-your-face, than is typical for symphonic metal - but Skal's keyboards add a different dimension, and when Erni starts to sing the heaviness is stripped away. Much of the verses are sung by Erni against a delicate synth backing, but Wolf does not let things lie for too long - and his riffing is never too far away, particularly during later verse renditions which feature something of a tech metal groove and plenty of drum trickery from Friedrich. What really sells the song, though, is its chorus - which is one of the album's best overall moments for me. Erni's vocal melodies here are so well worked - and they fit nicely against the riffy backing, creating a strong contrast between Wolf's fat tone and her delicate delivery. It helps that the melodies are so infectious, too, and the chorus is likely to be one of the big takeaways following a first listen to this album - even as the song descends into an almost doomy, groove metal chug later on following a brief guitar solo. Enemy is somewhat similar, but the riffing feels a little more reined in here. There is still a strong guitar presence, but the tone feels a little more muted this time - with twinkling keyboards providing a counterpoint. As such, the song feels a little more balanced perhaps, and it is one that allows the guitars and keyboards to shine. Parts of the verses are much more keyboard driven, with the help of some subtle bass playing, but a buzzing riff is never too far away - and the tight, relatively dry guitar tone opted for here cuts through the atmosphere nicely when needed. Vocally, the song is not as memorable for me - but there is still a strong chorus, despite it sounding a bit more typical of late-period symphonic metal. It is a bit more overwrought than the playful melodies of the previous song, but this suits the darker, more atmospheric approach taken - and the lengthy guitar solo also feels fitting. In the Darkness shifts things up somewhat, and opens with a bit of a power metal vibe thanks to some driving double bass drumming and a soaring guitar lead. This is another very melodic track and from the off it sticks in the brain. As such it is a real highlight. Busy piano melodies add extra depth to the flourishing intro, whilst the sweet verses certainly recall Delain at their most poppy. A strong rhythm is maintained throughout, though, despite this focus on poppier melodies - meaning that the song's driving, upbeat nature is never really lost. The chorus is based around the melody played during the song's intro, but with Erni's voice following the hook rather than Wolf's guitar. It makes for another excellent chorus, though, and Wolf still gets to shine during another big solo section which features lots of great shredded sections.

Cloudreader slows things down following three pretty hard-hitting and up-tempo pieces, but it is not exactly a ballad. Instead, the track goes down a bit more a softer rock route; with plenty of prominent piano playing and a mix of occasional riffing and melodic guitar leads from Wolf. Parts of the song feel somewhat ballad-esque, but overall it has too much of an upbeat vibe to fully qualify as one in my opinion. It is blessed with another infectious chorus, which is pretty bouncy given the softer feel overall, whilst another pretty blistering guitar solo is also included. Arrangement-wise, it also feels pretty stripped back. Whilst not exactly complex, the previous three songs have all featured a few twists and turns - but this one plays it straight, and it is over very quickly despite the melodies sticking in the brain. It contrasts nicely with the more expansive Here We Are, then, which opens with a slow-burning, mid-paced riff which injects some heaviness back into the album. This is soon stripped away again, though, as the first verse and chorus is a more atmospheric affair, with Erni's voice sitting against Skal's keyboards in a classic symphonic metal manner. This helps to set the tone, but the rest of the song is much heavier - and once Wolf's guitar kicks back in the track feels much groovier and powerful, with the chorus in particular soaring thanks to Erni's big vocal melodies and Wolf's snaking riff. A later instrumental break places a lot of emphasis on Friedrich's drum tricks, with his fills impressing in the surprising absence of a big guitar solo. Cyclone retains the heaviness of the previous song, and opens with a slow, yet heavy, riff which reminds me a little of the simpler end of Gojira's style. It certainly has that rhythmic approach, whilst incorporating some doom elements, but this nicely sets up what is another pretty epic track - which again channels some more typical symphonic metal tropes. The groovy riffing is what sets the track apart from efforts by Illumishade's peers, then, as Erni's emotional vocal delivery, which includes some somewhat creepy, effects-heavy sections, feels less sing-song than usual - with a more over-the-top approach taken, particularly during the sweeping chorus and lengthy outro section. Fairytale slows things down again, and this time the slower piece feels like a bona fide ballad. There are no sneaky riffs or up-tempo pop vibes this time, with the track being a pretty straight ahead ballad - with lots of emotional piano melodies, a ponderous drum pattern, and a very out-front Erni vocal. Musically, the band are much more restrained here. The piano is the only instrument which tends to have anything close to a lead role - with the rest of the band providing a bit of a punch behind Erni when needed. Her vocal display is excellent, though, so this low-key arrangement works well - and the song's chorus is filled with hooks, despite Wolf's emotional solo also adding some melody. Following the brief piano interlude The Horizon Awaits, Hymn returns to a poppier approach. Erni starts to sing as soon as Wolf's first guitar stab introduces the track - and the opening is based around her playful vocal hooks despite the odd knotty riff in the background. Unlike some of the album's recent tracks, though, this is a song very much built around more of a fun factor. There is less of an expansive sound this time, with Erni instead pushed to the fore. Some heaviness is created thanks to the riffing, which is welcome, but the hooky chorus really feels like the song's centrepiece - and it is another of the album's best choruses in my opinion. Wolf's guitar solo echoes this, with some John Petrucci-esque heroic, conceptual flourishes; with the song overall being another standout.

Twily feels less powerful overall, at least early on, and the song opens fairly slowly with some chiming guitar melodies - although their pace encourages a pretty pacy vocal from Erni. This opening section has something of a modern pop vibe, then, despite the lack of a big sound - but the song soon morphs again once Wolf kicks in proper. Despite his riffy additions, the song never really feels as heavy as some of the other cuts here - but it is another strong piece from a melodic perspective. It lacks some of the standout chorus melodies found elsewhere, but Erni's voice is as accessible as ever - and her melodies throughout the track remain interesting as the piece flits back and forth between poppier and heavier sections. The track feels busier and a bit more progressive than the previous cut, then, but it does not feel as expansive or as atmospheric than many of the tracks which made up the album's middle third. It is a piece which does something a bit different, then, and it helps to add to the album's overall appeal and variety. Riptide is a bit crunchier, but it is another song which goes for a strong melodic approach. It is more straight ahead than the previous song, but it feels a bit riffier and varied than some of the more overt pop metal anthems here. As such, the album's tone shifts again a little - but this is no bad thing. Despite this variety, the album feels very cohesive and Riptide perfectly fits in with the overall core sound despite it again doing a few different things. It is another piece that prides itself on a big chorus, though, so the melodies during the chorus do feel like much more of an overt hook than anything in the previous piece. Given the album's last two songs, though, this vocal-led approach works nicely - and it allows the album to have one more big chorus to latch onto before a much slower and atmospheric feel engulfs it. This is because the final two songs here are slow ballads, generally piano led, which bring the album to a slow-burning close. I am not sure that having two such tracks in a row to close things out quite works, but Hummingbird is a nice track - with strident piano melodies, emotional vocals, and symphonic flourishes which see strings and percussion adding plenty of depth. A few doomy riffs do come in towards the end of the piece, which counter nicely with the remaining piano melodies. This heavier addition is welcome, but the song always feels like a ballad despite this heavier final third - and this transitions into Verliebt. This is the song which features Janssen's piano playing, and Erni sings the track in German. Unlike the previous song, though, this last cut is a pure piano ballad. The heavier section of the previous track provides a point of contrast, then, as it is essentially just Erni and Janssen with some minimal strings for depth. Janssen's piano playing is dramatic at times, though, to up the tension - and I do think that the song ends the album well, I just think that having two quite similar songs at the end (despite the previous song's heavier moments) of the album feels like an extended coda. Both songs work well on their own, though, and I do not think that the album ends badly - it just seems a bit strange. Despite this minor matter, though, Another Side of You really is excellent. I picked up expecting to enjoy it having enjoyed the band's first album but this is a better album is almost every way. Illumishade feel like a proper band at this point rather than a side project - and with shows with Delain and Visions of Atlantis later in the year they seem to be really pushing themselves which is good to see.

The album was released on 16th February 2024 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Cloudreader.