(bk) They got rave reviews for their previous album, and, to our delight, they’ve kept on track. The Norwegian trio Communic are back to make life a little better for us with their new CD titled "Payment of Existence". They haven’t changed their line-up nor their style, but they’ve refined it and evolved. The reminiscences of Sanctuary and Nevermore are still there, but mainly because Oddleif Stensland’s voice sounds so much like Warrel Dane’s. But the music - eight songs in total, progressive and complex - which makes up "Payment of Existence" has evolved and sounds so much more original and with a personality of its own. The album contains great songs which combine perfectly Nordic power metal riffs with progressive song structures, like "The Abandoned One", which sports a powerful and relentless double bass and energetic riffing as well as complex harmonies. "Payment of Existence" keeps the melancholy atmosphere of the previous album, but the darkness is often transformed into pure energy, like in "Becoming of Man". Most songs are seven minutes or longer; and Communic seem to have discovered a new and very creative freedom in songwriting, making the tracks more complex and unusual. Nevertheless it’s accessible music, and that makes "Payment of Existence" an outstanding album for all prog and power metal fans.
(06-08-2008) |
