Emlékgyilkos

Was this supposed to be one of those vanity bands, where only the singer matters? Well, the musicians were way too good to just let that happen and honestly the singer isn't that great... But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

As the genre tag suggests, there are folk music elements here, but not really as a fusion, but as one of the bus stops of the music. This isn't that crappy folk metal thing, where it switches between the folk and metal, without really fusing the two. It's actually pretty well integrated here, with each instrument playing off each-other quite nicely. But it's not the only thing defining the album. It's only one of the things they switch into. Next to the folk fused metal, there's also a very strong cheesy 80's horror rock thing going and it's also one of the better ones I've heard. As well as symphonic power metal, which is also done pretty well. These are the themes the albums switches between

Normally I'd commend a band for being able to do lots of things well, but it's also important to be able to land your creation. If it bounces all over the place without clear footing, it will easily slip and fall. Switch too often and too abruptly and you get one of those shitty avant-garde albums, where it's like twenty genres per minute and it's only fun once. With that said, I do think these guys are talented enough to eventually pull it off. If only they made more than one album.

The musicianship is very good. The riffs are melodic and old-school in the best possible way. The bass is very interesting, very audible and has great chemistry with the drums. It doesn't just follow the guitars or just play a repetitive groove, but it does stay in its place without overpowering the mix. The little bit of synthwork is very tasteful and very cheesy 80's, sprinkled with some experimental sample-work. The violin and other folk instruments playing super folky, super catchy melodies that are fused into the metal very well. The songwriting is great as well, though the flow between the tracks isn't that great. The constant switching between different elements does sound rather organic, but it can be a bit jarring between songs. Even if the songs sound good individually, there is no real flow to the album. The overall mixing is also kinda too weak for its own good. There's no real power to it, probably due to the drums sounding plastic and powerless.

The vocals are also a big sticking point for me. There is no doubt that Noa is a very skilled singer. She can pull off soft singing, as well as powerful rock vocals as well. She does however overdo it a little bit sometimes and her powerful rock vocals do turn into a sick frog trying to cover AC/DC. The occasional male vocals do compliment them well, even in these sloppy moments. And speaking as someone who actually understands the lyrics, they're a bit hit and miss. There is good flow, no doubt, but they can be pretty stupid and overtly cliché. Especially the song Tetoválunk (We do tattoos), easily the weakest moment of the album. It's got a catchy old-school chug to it, but it's just such a stupid song. The song Színház (Theatre) is, while not bad, it is a bit stereotypical as far as symphonic metal arrangements go.

Best moments: The opening track Száz Év (Hundred Years) provides a really exciting opening full of epic-symphonic-folk themes, that organically turns into Ossian style heavy metal, with very cheesy ultra-melodic chorus and speed/power riffs in-between. Probably the best lyrics on the album as well. Lélekzombi (Soul Zombie), which is a perfect balance between silly and cool. It sounds like something Lordi would do, complete with the dark/gothic keyboard work. Fantastic bassline as well. Nincs Határ (No Borders) that dips much deeper into the folk elements. Szörnyarcú Hold (Monster-faced Moon) that wouldn't sound too out-of-place on a Nightwish record, even with the folky beat and violin fluttering and "Hej!" chanting.

Overall, it's a very skillfully written album, with plenty of surprising twists and really tasteful balance between the elements it uses. It does have its weaknesses though, mainly the crappy mixing and sometimes it just feels like they're trying too hard. And while it is good to keep your listeners on your toes, it also helps to have something cohesive to keep your sound together. It kinda feels like they just wrote a bunch of songs, then ran out of ideas immediately. That's probably why they haven't done a new album ever since. Which is a shame, because I really do believe they could have pulled it off.

I don't get the album cover though. What does a dead looking girl in a bathtub have to do with any of this?