Review Summary: No disco ball included.
Christmas time is almost upon us, and what better way to spend it than with an ABBA tribute album, straight from your favourite symphonic metal band? I’ll relent - there are better ways - but in terms of dumb fun look no further. Metal purists and gatekeepers, prepare your vomit bowls on my mark.
Amberian Dawn’s last record sounded like the spirit of old-era ABBA resurrected, but something was missing. The final step in Amberian Dawn’s evolution is complete: they have become ABBA. Songs here are exactly as you remember them, corny keyboards and self-harmonization included. It’s light, it’s bright, it’ll have you on the dance floor all night. The Amberian Dawn singer replaces the original singer of ABBA without any trouble, bringing the vibe, but not that similar to be a copy. All hail the new ABBA.
It’s truly amusing how effortless the transition to metal is. The original tracks don’t give much leeway for creative riffing, but Amberian Dawn manage to get spanking. There’s also some key changes, and little tongue-in-cheek additions such as a song ended on one operatic vocal note. Of course, that’s all there is to it. The album is an unapologetic duplication of the past, and an original band is nowhere to be found. The metal version of Lay All Your Love on Me is finally here, but you’re better off listening to ABBA’s rendition.
You can judge this album by its cover immediately. It’s put together well, and gives some rockin’ ABBA tunes. It can either be seen as soulless, generic metal or a bop. Being the positive person I am, who has always wanted a metal ABBA album, I like it - I also don’t love it. There isn’t enough creative spark to justify this full length album. ABBA wins this round.
