X Anima Inside Warrior

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by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

Inside Warrior is the debut album by the European group X Anima (released by Finland’s Lion Music). Their music is difficult to describe – an unusual mix of rock, pop, electronica – perhaps “ambient art rock” is a suitable term. Whatever you consider it, Inside Warrior is a decent album and a fine debut.

Formed in 2007, X Anima is built around the duo of Jade Ell (vocals) and Pelle Händén (keyboards). Jade Ell is an excellent vocalist with a decent range and beautiful voice. While she does not have the power of Amy Lee, the guttural sound of Pink or the highs of Tarja Turunen, her voice is wonderfully suited to the band’s music. She can be soft and gentle, then edgy and nearly operatic. Pelle Händén is a fine musician, laying down extremely complex and soaring keyboard lines and driving the music. Händén and Ell ARE X Anima – they wrote and arranged all of the tracks, and Händén produced. The other musicians involved (Jan Hellman – bass, Fredrik Söderström – drums, Erik Bernholm – guitars and Emeli Jeremias – cello) are very good, but are so dominated by Ell & Händén that they often go unnoticed.

The CD opens with a pop-rock tune, “The Deeds And The Damage”, that fades into a dark dance groove “Caged.” “Poltergeist” and “In The Lens” would be at home in a dance club. “Born Into The Skin” and “The Essence Of Being” are great bouncy more traditional pop-rock songs. “Inside Warrior” and “Soaring”, both moody ambient/atmospheric pieces, show the true grace and beauty of Ell’s voice. “Exodus” and “So Fragile” are pure art rock, while “Reality Remains” and “Short Sighted” are great soft dance-rock songs that are somewhat marred by the overuse of synthesizers and overdubs.

The production and engineering are definitely slanted towards the vocals and keys resulting in a very “European” sound, with the overall impression that this is more of a dance/pop album. The heavy focus on keys, sampling and vocal overdubs results in an occasionally ponderous album, and the fact that all of the different styles of music are arranged in a similar manner makes it seem as if it was rushed to press. Slightly varied arrangements would have made it a much more polished and complete disc.

All in all, Inside Warrior is a unique and melodic album, but it is not for everyone. Flashes of Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Enigma and Kate Bush fill the album. It is occasionally brilliant, and equally overcooked at times. If you are looking for pure progressive rock or full electronica, look elsewhere. If you are a fan of strong female vocalists – or simply open minded and seeking something different – you might want to give this one a spin.

Label: Lion Music

Web:
www.myspace.com/xanima
http://www.lionmusic.com/cd/insidewarrior.htm

Track Listing:
The Deeds And The Damage
Caged
Poltergeist
In The Lens
Born Into The Skin
Soaring
The Essence Of Being
Exodus
Inside Warrior
Reality Remains
Short Sighted
So Fragile

HRH Rating: 7/10