by Justin Gaines
– Senior Columnist —
German Gothic/Folk Metal band Lyriel is back with a new album, their fifth overall, titled Skin and Bones. In a very crowded “female fronted metal” pack (and yes, that’s a terrible term but it does fit), Lyriel has always stood out just a bit, thanks in large part to the Celtic/folk/medieval elements – namely violin and cello – that play such a large role in their sound. Still, they never seem to get the same attention bands like Delain and Epica garner.
While not at the “A-list” level (think Nightwish and Within Temptation), Lyriel is one of the better bands in the genre. They veer just far enough into pop and folk rock territory to have good crossover potential, but there’s also a solid heavy metal backbone behind the pretty strings and even prettier vocals. Skin and Bones is perhaps the band’s poppiest and most accessible album to date, as evidenced by the bouncy single “Numbers.” There’s a good contrast between a song like that and the more metallic “Black and White,” which features guest vocals from Solution .45’s Christian Alvestam. Then there’s “Running In Our Blood,” which is almost a pure melodic rock song.
Lyriel gets pretty adventurous here with different styles, and for the most part it pays off. What doesn’t change is that the musicianship is tight throughout the album, that Linda Laukamp’s cello and Joon Laukamp’s violin are still quite prominent, and that Jessica Thierjung’s light, airy vocals are versatile enough for both pop and metal songs.
With any luck, Skin and Bones will be the album that gets Lyriel the attention they deserve. It’s a very solid album with plenty of crossover potential, and one that ought to appeal to just about any fan of bands like Delain, Tarja, Xandria, Within Temptation and particularly Leaves Eyes. It may be a bit too light and poppy for some fans though.
Genre: Gothic Metal, Folk Metal
Lineup:
Jessica Thierjung (v)
Linda Laukamp (c) (v)
Tim Sonnenstuhl (g)
Markus Fidorra (d)
Joon Laukamp (vi)
Oliver Thierjung (b) (v)
Track Listing:
1. Numbers
2. Falling Skies
3. Skin and Bones
4. Black and White
5. Days Had Just Begun
6. Your Eyes
7. Dust to Dust
8. Der Weg
9. Astray
10. Worth the Fight
11. Running In Our Blood
12. Dream Within a Dream
13. Black and White (Second Skin version)
Label: AFM Records
Website: www.facebook.com/lyriel.net
Hardrock Haven Rating: 7.5/10
