Review Summary: Fallenmania, Part 18
In my previous reviews, I mentioned that simplified, more pop-leaning sound that symphonic metal took on during the mid-2000s. There are many possible explanations for that new sound, among them, Within Temptation’s success or Nightwish’s “Dark Passion Play”, but also of course Fallenmania, since "Fallen" is basically a poppy symphonic metal album. I can’t really say that every poppy symphonic metal band is a Fallenmaniac, but some are, and they did some interesting things with that sound.
Today’s band, Xandria usually reminds me more of Within Temptation, but on their fourth album, they brought more dramatic lyrics, chugging, heavy riffs and a cartoon goth aesthetic, which turns out to fit their typical sound pretty well. It’s also, for the most part, pretty well-written, in fact it might be my favorite Xandria album. Let’s look at some of the highlights.
Now, I have to say this album gets better after the first song. “Save my Life” is not a particularly good intro to this album. It starts with a piano, then it keeps the same simple keyboard and guitar background, and repeatedly uses lyrics like “Save me”… I mean, “Save my Life”. Yes, it’s the “Bring Me To Life” of the album, and luckily, it’s followed by much more interesting songs.
You want the perfect cartoon goth song? You got it with “Vampire”, which has an instantly memorable, sinister riff that sounds like the crazy version of Going Under, a sort of dark but catchy vocal melody that immediately gets stuck in your head. Lisa Middelhauve’s deeper voice than usual bringing even more of a sinister tone to the song, like when she practically growls “Her dining table a cradle of mud”. She sounds higher-pitched, and softer on “Beware”, but that’s the point: you may not expect it, but the character she plays can absolutely beat you. Once again, the song has a pretty catchy riff and vocal melody. For her softer singing, there’s the ballad “The Wind and the Ocean” and her beautiful vocalizing. Lisa’s sometimes low and soft, sometimes higher voice is one of Xandria’s most recognizable features. In a way, that’s what Amy Lee would sound like if she made pure symphonic metal.
That’s even more obvious on “Firestorm” and its Going Under riff and solo, combined with a catchy power metal chorus, and Lisa’s powerful growls on the outro. Or on “Emotional Man”, with the most Fallenmaniac riff and violins, and lyrics about how her fans are so obsessed with their idea of her. The song’s analysis of fandoms and parasocial relationships still feels very relevant today. It’s also a pretty cool duet with Mika Tauriainen from Entwine, who has a bigger role on the catchy, poppy power metal of “Only For the Stars in Your Eyes”. They sound really good together. Lisa is kind of the female Mika Tauriainen, although of course her voice is very much her own.
But another really cool thing about this album, with Xandria in general, is how they tell all sorts of fantasy or horrors stories, how Lisa uses her unique voice to play different characters. In the more ambitious, almost operatic and vaguely sinister title track, she plays Salome with more nuance, as both “Villain and prey”. The song’s Middle Eastern-inspired guitar and keyboards solo are also really good. “Sisters of the Light” also has a sort of Middle Eastern influence, but it’s almost a pure pop song, about being part of a sisterhood of witches. It’s such an upbeat, fun song I loved it on first listen. For a song where she plays a sort of preacher rather than a Salome type, there’s “A New Age”, with its catchy, powerful symphonic metal that truly lives up to Within Temptation.
This is a really cool album, full of all kinds of things I like: there’s some good symphonic metal, some good pop, some darkness, some songs that could be on the soundtrack to a fantasy movie, pop culture references and yes, Fallenmania. It’s the kind of album that takes inspiration from bands I like, but still does its own thing. It’s also one of the few power/symphonic metal Fallenmaniacs, which is another sub-genre of Fallenmania I plan to explore more.
Unfortunately, it would be Xandria’s only album in that vein: while their previous albums sounded like Within Temptation, after Lisa Middelhauve left, they became a more obvious Nightwish clone. This has kept their career going to this day, but many don’t seem to take them seriously, dismissing them as an inferior copy of bigger symphonic metal bands. That’s a shame, because I think Xandria, at least during the Lisa era, are good enough to be enjoyed not just because they remind me of someone else. This album is proof of that.
