The album's cover art says it all, as honest and open as it could possibly be. Dark and chaotic for the background created with splashes of blacks and greys. The showpiece being a single stark off-white dove, tear glistening from it's crying eye as its wings sweep it away, all while holding a blood dripping crimson heart in its beak, just as if it was carrying out a final
"Love's Dying Wish".
This is
Starbreaker's followup to the critically acclaimed debut in 2005. It was a disc that showed an alternate side to guitarist/writer Magnus Karlsson. Where his Allen/Lande collaboration release had demonstrated a knack for catchy progressive metal melded with very melodic power passages,
Starbreaker was again, a showcase of talents. But this time it revealed another side to Karlsson, a more tragic turn. Gritty guitars and the deliciously aggressive vocal approach from Tony Harnell, who proved his sweetened
TNT days were a far cry from this mug of bitter black delight. Written and produced by Karlsson and Harnell, and mixed by Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Pretty Maids,
TNT), the second breaker of stars is another wonderful foray into that opaque cup with just a hint of milky cream to lighten the moments here and there.
The opening "act" is a claustrophobic track that showcases itself with time changes and clever, ear catching subtleties.
"End of Alone" ignites images of barren wastelands as it walks the roads of a haunted soul.
"Evaporate" is kin to Westworld's "Skin", with its cutting edge and lavish modern setting. Shadowed, melancholic and a testament to a bloody romance of love lying bleeding is
"Love's Dying Wish". Heartfelt pleas, somber waves of lashing guitars, and atmospheric piano, creating a deeply depressed mood. Chunky thick, fuzzed up guitars, soaring shapely vocals and a catchy melodic chorus shoves
"Dying Superstar" right in your face. A driving, snappy song, it enraptures by laying on big hooks like the shaken up modern-esque approach of
TNT's "Transistor" and the metallic sting of the previous
Starbreaker.
Caressing like the
midnight feathers of a raven's wing, comes the soft touch of
"Hide". It opens up into a wave crashing, flowing chorus that spins its story like a spider's web, layers of intricacies creating a pattern of poisonous beauty. Fragility in the tinkling keys, like a crystal goblet touched by a silver spoon, the illusion shatters with a wall of electric spun from pick plucked strings and the aftermath of broken glass.
"Building a Wall" crosses between cocky heavy modern rock and an instant chorus, held together by the glue of Harnell's heart cracking performance.
"Beautiful Disaster" takes a more traditional path, cutting it right out of the rock. Straightforward but loaded with guitars that criss cross and challenge one another in a sonic assault, carried by the biting, cautionary vocals of Tony and the skull crushing drums pounded out by John Macaluso (Malmsteen, Ark,
TNT). He's a thunderously talented drummer in his own right and thumps this disc into shape. There's a riff here that is absolutely stellar, reminiscent of the powerfully melodic bits from Karlsson's "Allen/Lande" axework. Thrashy and dark is the
"Live Your Life" that paints a haunted picture of one trying to wrench themselves away from an admirer that wants to mirror their life. Acoustic crawls across verses like serpents slithering in the tall grass. Emotion spawning vocals pour out and fill the vase as layers exposed from one's own soul.
"Hello, Are You Listening?" is created out of modern twisted heavy rock, little hints of current-day
Def Leppard here. A progressive smattering of a musical approach in the effect of
Dream Theater in their depressed moods. The modern taint continues into
"Changes Me" that cranks, guitars flashing out like a whip cracking gashes into flesh. Vocals are doomed and like a velvet caress, conjuring visions of soul eating emotion, fear and the pressing need to change. And a sparkle of hope, perhaps enough to get him out of bed alive? It's about losing, finding and knowing yourself, each in turn and forcing acceptance whether its wanted or not. A crazy Karlsson guitar solo splits the song open here. Warped, biting and delusional,
"The Day Belongs to Us" thumping bass through the verses, brightens into a sparkfire chorus. The kind that Magnus is known for, just as much as for those bone shattering guitar riffs. The soft touch applied here and there by Harnell and halting pauses in the tempo, give it flavor and uniqueness. Something that
"Changes Me" perhaps lacked a bit in that department.
"This Close" is the grand jewel of the
"Love's Dying Wish" disc. It's soaring, haunting and really quite magnificent. The guitars send arrows straight on target to pierce the heart, so pure, clean and remorseful. The melancholic slow tempo fits the voice of Harnell perfect here, who absolutely gives it his all. This is one of his finest vocal performances in his career. The quality of his voice, the open expression of such a warring chaotic heart of emotion... the notes he hits, especially on one run through of belting that track title. It just blows you away. Whether he's being boosted by a wall of sound or little more than light percussion, and acoustic plucking - he's the true master of this domain.
"
Love's Dying Wish" is a gorgeous artistic work of an album. It's heavy and melancholy, and just overflowing in painful emotions. The production is crisp and makes every instrument sound like a million dollars. The talent here is undeniable, and comes together for a package of wonderful songs bound together by their powerful expression. Not everything is perfect, a few songs seem to slide in quality -
"Changes Me" being the downer point of the
Starbreaker experience, but not enough to mar its impact.
It's absolutely everything one could have craved for a
Starbreaker followup, razor's edge rock in a modern twist. Yet there are some that will not want to invest the time to appreciate its brilliance and subtleties. The songs are far from being instant classics that blow your speakers and revolve in your head, but instead they are musical pieces that crawl into your heart and eat their way there, hiding in their shadows. Eventually as the album is heard even more, they begin to reveal their intricacies and all the touches that make this such a solid grower. The easily depressed might jump off a cliff, but everyone else - there's alot here to eventually love.
Written by
Alanna Saturday, July 26, 2008
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