Review Summary: Stratonata Angrartica.
Every time, it is the same thing. Even though music fans know better than to expect any sort of longevity from a supergroup – that famously fickle meeting of creative minds with over-inflated egos – each time a new one is announced, a portion of the demographic cannot help but get its hopes up that maybe
this will be the group to match the likes of Audioslave in the pantheon of star-studded side-projects to have actually released more than one album; and each time, said group inevitably ends up disappointed.
Power-metallers Symfonia are no exception to the rule in this regard; if anything, they
prove it. Coming together after Timo Tolkki, fresh off his split with Finnish juggernauts Stratovarius, struck up a friendship with former Angra frontman Andre Matos, the group represented a promising enough coalition of talents to pique any melodic metal fan's interest; that promise would, however (perhaps predictably) never come to pass, as Tolkki first fired drummer Uli Kusch, of Helloween fame, then summarily and abruptly disbanded the project altogether, after a single album and half a tour of South America (read: Brazil, where anything even remotely related to Angra is a guaranteed instant success). All in all, Symfonia's time together amounted to just over a year, making them just another entry into the ever-growing list of ephemeral supergroups.
In truth, however, the project's demise is no big loss – despite the appeal of a line-up comprised of Tolkki, Matos, Kusch, bassist Jari Kainulainen (also of Stratovarius) and keyboardist Mikko Harkin (of Stratovarius kindred spirits Sonata Arctica), the music created by the group never manages to break free from the strict and well-trod confines of its chosen style (Scandinavian symphonic power metal, in case the band name and album cover were not sufficiently obvious). The result is an album which, while undoubtedly well-crafted and never less than pleasant to listen to, ultimately proves too generic and unremarkable for its own good, making for a less-than-essential addition to a melodic metaller's collection.
The absolute unwillingness by these musicians to craft something even remotely new becomes apparent within the first few seconds of opener
Fields of Babylon, which immediately positions the all-star project's sound as little more than a direct sum of its parts; in the main, Symfonia sound just like what might be expected – a cross between Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica (nearly every song on the record is either a galloping, double-bass-led Euro-power-metal anthem, a cheesy metal ballad, or a failed attempt at recreating Stratovarius mega-hit
Hunting High and Low) with just a touch of Helloween on the drums and some very Kiske-an high vocal notes - the ending of the aforementioned opener, in particular, has a very
Eagle Fly Free atmosphere. Curiously - accessible and appealing though a 'Stratonata Angrartica' pun may be, and it is - Angra is the least evoked of the four bands involved with the Symfonia project, mainly because its sound is devoid of any Latin American influences, or even - with the exception of the long, layered title track – anything much by way of prog, leaving Matos's characteristic vocals as the sole link to the Brazilian metal heroes.
Still, give or take the occasional mildly surprising moment (the riff and drums at the start of
Santiago momentarily bring to mind the likes of Motorhead, Tank or even Sodom, before the usual Euro power metal sheen makes everything sound like Stratovarius again)
In Paradisum is fifty-six minutes (or just over sixty in the Japanese edition) of absolutely standard European symphonic melodic metal, with nary a unique or even vaguely adventurous idea to be found throughout its duration; each of these five musicians remains firmly and deeply entrenched in his comfort zone, and main composers Matos and Tolkki seem to be making a concerted effort not to deviate one iota from the formula which fuelled the bands associated to the project – in fact, had
In Paradisum been marketed as a regular Stratovarius album, just with Matos on vocals rather than Timo Kotipelto, most power metal fans would probably not have been any wiser.
Even still, being unoriginal does not necessarily equate to being uninspired, and such a coven of old and renowned hands would never be expected to deliver anything less than competent; in that regard, at least,
In Paradisum suceeds, being a perfectly serviceable power metal record which, while initially unremarkable and pedestrian-sounding, does eventually manage to successfully land a few of its myriad earworm choruses, with the initial salvo of
Fields of Babylon and
Come By The Hills, the vaguely Angra-esque
Forevermore and late-album highligh
Rhapsody in Black being particularly effective in this regard. In spite of this, however, the group is somehow not savvy enough (or perhaps too confident in its savvy-ness) to avoid a few stumbling blocks, particularly the insufferably treacly
Alayna and the much-of-a-muchness atmosphere of the title track (where the inevitable Latin choir evokes, of all things, the vocal melody to Sum 41's
Still Waiting!) which is mired with all the worst trappings of its kind of symphonic prog metal track – the 'small children reciting dark and depressive adult dialogue' trope, in particular, makes for the most cringeworthy moment on the album (the kids' rather pronounced accents being of no help, either.)
When all is said and done, however, checks and balances come out positive (if only just), as might have been expectable from a group of seasoned musicians from leading bands within their scene; what might also have been expected, however – and which Symfonia fail to deliver upon – was something a little removed from each member's day job, a little more in line with the purported objective of this sort of supergroup – namely, to serve as a blank canvas in which to test-drive more experimental and daring ideas which might not have fit into the members' parent bands. Had the project at least aimed for such a goal, some of its excesses and misfires might have even bern forgiven; as it is, the lack of ambition just makes it all the more frustrating that when Symfonia
do try something different, they do it badly.
Still, if one is able to overlook this glaring shortcoming – and knowing most Euro power metal fans, they will,
Symfonia is by no means a bad background soundtrack to house-chores or a lazy weekend. Therein, however, lies the problem – an album of this caliber should arguably amount to much more than just a mid-tier, throwaway time filler; the fact that
In Paradisum never does ends up being its biggest shortcoming.
Recommended Tracks
Fields of Babylon
Come By The Hills
Forevermore
Rhapsody in Black
