Amberian Dawn – Innuendo: album review

I gotta say I was very excited when “The Court of Mirror Hall” lyrics video was released, because I really enjoyed listening to their last album “Magic Forest” and I wanted more. So this new song was everything I needed! I absolutely love Capri’s voice and the new turn that she brought to the band. Don’t get me wrong, Heidi has an incredible soprano voice, but Amberian Dawn totally grew on me since the release of “Magic Forest”.

Now that I’ve listened to “Innuendo” I just have to say that THIS is their best album so far. If “Magic Forest” has a somewhat poppy sound (which isn’t bad at all!), “Innuendo” is more powerful and balanced. If I was to say something about the instrumental part, I like the fact that everything is more equilibrated now and the sound flows nicely. I noticed on “Magic Forest” that the piano parts were a bit too sharp for my taste, always in front of the other instruments.

While listening to “Innuendo” I felt like being somewhere in a castle, getting ready for a ball and Capri’s voice together with their neoclassical influences can really transpose you in a different reality. It’s always a plus if the music manages to plant vivid images in your mind while listening to it and this is exactly what “Innuendo” has done for me.

The first track of the album, “Fame & Gloria”, made me perceive the song as a powerful anthem, a very good choice as an opening for the album. Catchy, fast riffs that will surely intrigue you. “Ladyhawk” follows (I must mention that surely some of you will think of the movie with the same name, the old souls out there will understand) and again I get that poppy vibe especially when the chorus comes in, but it sounds good. “Innuendo”, which gives the album’s name, is a symphonic neoclassical jewel, if I can say so. “The Court of Mirror Hall” always puts me in a good mood while listening to it (often, I admit), because this is exactly the song that can transpose you in an alternate reality, a somewhat romantic scenery with castles and ballrooms. A slow song was needed and “Angelique” steps in with a very delicate Capri, accompanied by some really soothing piano notes. The next ones, “Rise of Evil” and “Chamber of Dreadful Dreams”, have all the characteristics of power metal songs, with guitar riffs that will make your head bang instantly. “Knock Knock Who’s There” gave me a vibe of the 80s and made me think about childhood memories, it’s not like any other song on the album, but it sounds fresh and fun and it adds a nice touch to the whole thing. And then we have “Symphony nr 1, part 1 – The Witchcraft” which managed to leave me absolutely intrigued. Returning to the magical themes that we’ve met throughout their albums, Amberian Dawn creates this epic mysterious song and just leaves us hanging… Will there be a part 2? You’ll think of “Magic Forest” after listening to this one, because a wicked “she” is present again. And we need to know more about her! The album closes with “Your Time – My Time”, a more mellow song, fit for ending this album. It has some harmonious changing riffs that end the album with a feeling that something will follow… and I’m looking forward to see what’s next.

For me, a fan of the genre, the album is great and it makes me happy to see that their sound is even better now. I enjoy musical changes, I encourage them. I never believed that a band needs to sound exactly the same on every album. We need to see variety, intriguing compositions and progress, and in my humble opinion Amberian Dawn mixed all of these gracefully for their new release. Give it a listen and share your thoughts with us.

Cristina Țurlea