Metal Debate Album Review - We Shall Remain (Eleine)

The Great Metal Debate Podcast

Today we’re reviewing the new album “We Shall Remain” from Swedish metal outfit Eleine, who describe themselves as “dark symphonic metal.” Overall description, this album is generally pleasant to listen to and has no obvious filler tracks. The songwriting is on balance competent and the overall effort is well produced and executed. The vocalists and instrumentalists are consistent in their effort and professional in their performance. Nothing to dislike here… but also nothing that stands out to me as remarkably different or unique from what dozens of other equally capable metal bands have done. “We Are Legion,” is an infectious song that features harsh vocals and then cleans from singer Madeliene Liljestam. I like the chorus on this one a lot primarily because the backing orchestration is distinct from the vocals, whereas elsewhere on the album you have some overlapping in the levels that doesn’t do favors for either. The album’s intro is “Never Forget”, I’m struck by the contrast between the furiously precise drumming and thick backing orchestrations. The power chords kicking in on the verses are great! Guitarist Rikard Ekberg shows he is quite capable here and throughout the album in terms of songwriting and execution. “Promise Of Apocalypse” is slower but with some fast guitar strumming. One of those songs where the band is trying to create a sense of constant building and rising of the music. It’s a spicy number that boasts some pretty sweet guitar riffage. Drummer Jesper Sunnhagen sets a flawless pacing which makes it all work, especially by keeping things moving fast under the slower, soft vocals. The album’s final and title track “We Shall Remain” attempts to be bigger and more bombastic than others. There’s some nice backing orchestrations again hinting at choirs. I do like the main riff a lot, but the pacing isn’t always to my preference and the chorus leaves me a little underwhelmed. “Suffering” is a fairly linear song featuring some nice melodic guitarwork. I like the construction of the verses here more than the chorus, which seems a bit somber in delivery compared to the rest of the song. It also includes a tasty solo. Another track where the drummer displays his master of the kit while fitting within the overall structure of the song. The initial bouncy guitar approach at the beginning and end of “Blood In Their Eyes” isn’t really my thing, but I do like the big, bombastic chorus and the effective lead break that appears mid-track. The symphonic elements worked as well here as anywhere on the album. A brief song at only 3 minutes and change – I appreciated the band said what it had to and got out. “Through The Mist” presents itself as a straight up headbanger. It starts with some male spoken word lyrics, transitioning into harsh vocals, then finally sliding into Madeleine’s delivery. The chorus is more mid-paced with an outro crescendo of crunching guitar high in the mix, plus a bit of oriental feel. The track finishes with some big orchestration and faux choirs, then an abrupt conclusion. Madaleine’s voice is solid throughout, if never quite rising to overwhelm. She uses mostly a standard clean rock style, that fits fine and contrasts with the harsh vocals regularly offered. Guitarist and harsh vocalist Rikard Ekberg does a fine job in his performance. I’d want to call Eleine symphonic melodic metal with gothic elements. Perhaps the dark, symphonic metal label they use is helpful to some, but consider me agnostic. The music is certainly symphonic metal, but not especially dark either sonically or lyrically. I wouldn’t lump Eleine with symphonic metal acts like Fleshgod Apocalypse, Dimmu Borgir, or Carach Angren. I give We Shall Remain an 8 out of 10. If you enjoy different brands of melodic heavy metal featuring excellent mostly clean singing I expect you’ll find Eleine to be a welcome addition to your roster of enjoyable bands.