CD review THE DARK ELEMENT ‘Songs the Night Sings’

The Dark Element is one of these Frontiers Music – initiated bands that brings together singer and guitarist. In this case it’s Anette Olzon (former Nightwish) and Finnish guitarist Jani Liimatainen that combined forces, resulting in a debut that hit the shelves in 2017.

A continuation is now available. The sophomore album ‘Songs the Night Sings’ brings back very Melodic Metal that eye-catching, or better said ‘ear-catching’.

‘Not Your Monster’ made it to the lead-off spot of the tracklist. Keyboards start the album and are a crucial element of The Dark Elements new longplayer. Next to the density provided by big keyboard parts the great voice of former Nightwish singer Anette Olzon belongs to the key elements of The Dark Element too.

‘Songs the Night Sings’ are for sure very melodic with the title track is a good example. Catchy melodies dominate and it’s hard to not be fascinated by it. The Nightwish-influences are present too by till bringing enough=gh of an own identity to the plate.

Foot-tapping comes back with ‘Pills on My Pillow’. The strongly pounding beat is one thing, the chorus is another. Being equipped with extremely attractive melodies it feels like listening to Pop/Metal song done for the mainstream. Considering these kind of songs you still can’t take it the wrong way since it’s just entertaining listening to these melodic smashers. Or like I heard someone saying the other day: “Better a good Pop-Rock song than a bad Metal song.”

A song that carries a bit too much of a cliché is the cheesy ballad ‘To Whatever End’ being the only tune that could have been missed. Fortunately ‘The Pallbearer Walks Alone’ brings back power and dynamic, being another melodic highlight on this album. You might say more than once ‘Get Out of My Head’ when it comes to melodies on ‘Songs the Night Sings’ but they stick to your mind.

‘Songs the Night Sings’ is a temptation with sugar-sweet melodies and it’s hard, if not even impossible, to not like what you listen to.

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