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Sunday, January 4, 2015

Amaranthe - Massive Addictive (2014)
As far as "guilty pleasure" bands go, this band is pretty much my #1. As good as Amaranthe's previous two albums are, I think "Massive Addictive" is their best to date. Every song is incredibly catchy and sticks with you on the first listen. It's just an absolute blast to listen to pump-your-first-in-the-air tracks such as "Trinity" and "Danger Zone." Sure, there's virtually no variation between them structure-wise, and the cheese factor is cranked all the way up, but if you just want to have a good time and sing at the top of your lungs then this is the album to go to. I don't usually listen to pop, but this might just the best "pop" album I've ever heard (if it can be called that). The growls are a bit lacking, especially compared to those on the first two albums, but Elize Ryd's singing is top-notch per usual.

While some may lament that this is a perfect example of the watering down of melodic death metal, my view is that albums like show its diversity and willingness to go in new directions. In fact, I'd argue that it's keeping the genre's spirit alive, especially in light of In Flames' subpar "Siren Charms" (which I won't even bother to review). But regardless of whether you're a death metal fan at all, you should definitely check this out. It's infectiously catchy, and is more refined and focused than their first two albums.

9/10
 

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