Melted Space: The Great Lie

I was recently discussing with a friend the idea that heavy metal is highly theatrical, sometimes even close to opera in some of the ways it uses makeup, certain kinds of props, and so on. The discussion mostly revolved about the band Ghost, particularly the theatrics the band uses to prop themselves up as members of an inverted Catholicism. As I listen to this album by Melted Space, that conversation comes back to mind, mostly because the music here is actually a metal opera project. Pierre le Pape, the creative mind behind this release, has a master's degree in music. For this project, he has gathered multiple vocalists and musicians, including members of Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Sunn O))), Dark Tranquility, Orphaned Land, Ayreon, Sirenia, Visions of Atlantis, Kells, and others. Did I also mention that the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra also participated on this release? I'm sure there are several other musicians I could mention, but you get the idea—this is a broad, ambitious, and sweeping project.

Even though I'm impressed with le Pape's talent and ambition, I'm not sure how audiences will respond to this album—or even what audiences it was designed to reach. The performances are often very good and the music is sometimes quite engaging; nevertheless, the album just didn't draw me in as much as I would have expected. Some listeners will probably value the attempt to create something like an authentic metal opera (whatever that really means). Still others will appreciate the connections between Melted Space and bands that play within the symphonic metal tradition. This album tries to be something more than just another symphonic metal album, but it's not clear how it differs from the vast numbers of albums that appear in that genre year after year. To me, this album drew on darker (and sometimes faster) components of metal, but I sometimes missed the speed, the excitement, and the grandeur of standard symphonic metal.

Ultimately, I'm torn. I admired the album's range, scope, and ambition, but I didn't find the listening experience to be as exciting as I'd hoped. Fans of the many musicians that appear on this album may be curious to see how they contributed to this project. Check out "Listen to the Song of Despair," "No Need to Fear," and "Terrible Fight."

Track Listing:
1. Listen to the Song of Despair
2. Called by the Queen
3. No Need to Fear
4. Terrible Fight
5. A God is Dead
6. Trust and Betrayal
7. Glass Castles Beast
8. Hopeless Crime
9. The One Who Lost the Faith
10. Titania
11. Lost Souls from the OS

Added: November 17th 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1814
Language: english

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