In the right hands, even the heavier end of the sonic spectrum can be as lyrically articulate and sonically interesting as any other genre. If hard rock and metal, and this latest album from All I Live For, ebbs and flows between both realms, they are not always known for elegance and eloquence, Into The Ether is here to set the record straight.
Drawing heavily from the glory years of classic heavy metal rather than the less melodic, more bombastic-for-the-sake-of-it later incarnations, good reference points are found in Iron Maiden‘s grand yet direct designs and Wishbone Ash‘s exquisite guitar dynamics. It’s a sound that nods fondly to the past, but never gets stuck in nostalgic reverie.
“Tethered” is a classic example of what I’m talking about, a song that can run from hushed reverence to explosive crescendos effortlessly and exquisitely. It ticks all the boxes for hard rock – it rocks, it rolls, it grooves, and it is powerful and punchy, but also poise, a neat blend of muscle and melody, and a clever dynamic landscape.
And that sets the tone for an album that is more than the sum of its parts and certainly more than you get from most albums in these genres today. “Embers of the Fallen” builds its sonic weight from layered textures; “Give Me A Reason” is full of staccato moves and spacious grooves; the title track is big and clever; and “Never Stand Alone” rounds things off perfectly, rising from the understated to the anthemic.
Given that All I Live For is essentially a solo project – Mike Pearson not only wrote and recorded the album but also took charge of production, mixing, and mastering- Into The Ether is a triumph, one that looks to the past occasionally for inspiration but has its eyes firmly fixed on where it is going.
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