Apocalyptica, who is very slowly starting to make a name for itself here in North America, is a Finnish metal band who is huge in Europe. Playing metal and classic songs, they have released 4 albums, 5 if you count the limited edition "Best of Apocalyptica" released in Japan. No one thought adding pick-ups and hooking a cello to an amp, adding distortion or keeping it clean and adding drums would sound so good together. Selling over 2 million albums and touring worldwide the band currently has 4 members, 3 cellists and a drummer. Their former member, Antero Mannien, will sometimes play on stage with them. Here they are:
Eicca Toppinen - cello
Paavo Lštjšnen - cello
Perttu Kivilaakso - cello
Mikko Siren - drums
A friend of mine got a hold of this cd and made me listen to it. I love it so much so I decided to go buy it along with Apocalyptica: Plays Metallica by Four Cellos. Now I was disappointed with the previous but not with Reflections. This cd has two different moods to it. You have some nice fast paced songs and some nice slow songs. The first song from their cd, Prologue (Apprehension), is an excellent song to start off the cd. Starting off strong right off the bat, the boys show you their skills. Two different tempos in this song, you have the faster beats and the some slower ones along with a sweet use of effects on the cellos. Another song that caught my attention is Faraway. Now if you’re use to the bands fast pace songs, this isn’t one of them. This is very good mix of the piano with the cellos, even though this is a slow song, it picks up a little towards the end. If you like the faster, more metal songs, try No Education, Somewhere Around Nothing, Drive, Heat, just to name a few. The song Conclusion is another slow song. This song reminds me of a hero dying in front of his love. It is a really nice, calm song; definitely a classic and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it in the soundtrack of a medieval type movie.
I really enjoyed this album; I must say it is very unique, I have never heard anything like it. I am looking forward to buy other works from this great band.
Recommended tracks:
-Faraway
-Somewhere Around Nothing
-Conclusion
-Heat
Pros:
-Excellent cello playing
-Excellent use of effects
-13 decent long tracks
Cons:
-Songs tend to sound alike
-Could use some vocals on some songs
Final rating: 4/5
