Atomic Opera has resurfaced from being in the realm of the independent artist to being back on a label. A lot has changed for the band since their last label-backed effort, For Madmen Only. Where that was an exercise in the excesses of pop-metal, this most recent album finds Frank Hart, Kemper Crabb, Ryan Birsinger, and John Simmons creating a hard rock work which is equal parts metal, medieval, and art rock.
The lead vocals are shared by Hart (who is the only member of the band who was there in their older album) and Crabb. Both have similarly forceful lower baritone vocals, a nice complement to the music. And the vocal harmonies are rich, and layered nicely, akin to labelmates King's X and Galactic Cowboys.
There are a lot of different instruments used, as well. Hart plays guitar and cello as well as singing, Crabb plays mandolin, dulcimer, bouzouki, harmonica, and ocarina, as well as recorder and singing, Birsinger plays bass and sings, and Simmons plays drums and percussion. Most Metal Blade recordings don't have quite this variety of instrumentation!
It's almost indescribably weird to hear the medieval recorders and acoustic instruments at the start of "Malediction" give way to the crunching, overdriven electric guitars. But the weirdness works. Instead of sounding askew in any way, the song forms a unified whole, and an impassioned plea for the sanctity of the life of the unborn.
The lyrics on the album, along with the anti-abortion "Malediction" cover a wide range of themes. "Jesus Junk" covers the same turf as "Smash Hit" and "La La Land" did for All Star United, but with a much different tone and a lot more precision. "October" discusses original sin and its effects. "Winterland" grabs its imagery from Narnia. The list of themes goes on.
Despite the variety of themes and song styles, the album does come off as a coherent whole, and one that repays repeated listening. A wonderful "comeback" effort by a band that never really went away, but disappeared just long enough to become a lot better.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinAtomic Opera are an atypical hard rock band. Sure, Kansas had a violinist, and Jethro Tull had a flutist, but Atomic Opera sports Kemper Crabb playing a whole host of medieval-sounding instruments, including the mandolin, dulcimer, recorder, bouzouki, ocarina, and the harmonica. This gives Atomic Opera an unusual and decidedly ancient vibe to their otherwise contemporary, postmodern metal. With…Similar sounding releases
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