Tungsten’s Latest LP Is A “Grand” New Record From The Band
- Philip Sayback
- October 27, 2024
- Music Reviews
- Fear Factory, Rammstein, Reigning Phoenix Music, Tungsten, Visions of Atlantis
- 0 Comments
Power metal band Tungsten will release its latest album early next month.
The Grand Inferno, the band’s fourth album (and first for Reigning Phoenix Music), is set for release Nov. 8. Coming roughly two years after the release of the band’s then latest album, Bliss (2022), the 11-song album is another work that will appeal to the band’s established audiences. It will appeal easily to newer audiences, too. That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly. The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements make for their own interest and will be discussed a little later. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation and completes the picture painted therein. When it is considered alongside the record’s collective content, the whole therein makes The Grand Inferno another successful offering from Tungsten that is well worth hearing at least once.
The Grand Inferno, the forthcoming fourth album from Tungsten, is a strong new offering from the band. The album’s appeal comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements are diverse in their sound and style from one to the next. This despite the band being marketed as a power metal act. The band does present some power metal compositions again this time out, such as ‘Blood of the Kings,’ ‘Sound of a Violin,’ and the album’s title track. Much of that power metal content is easily comparable to works from the likes of Visions of Atlantis and others of that ilk. At the same time, the band also offers some much heavier content, such as ‘Falling Apart,’ Vantablack,’ and ‘Me, Myself, My Enemy.’ While the band’s familiar power metal leanings are present in each of those songs, the heaviness in each and stylistic approach gives each its own unique identity. For instance, the bass line used in ‘Falling Apart’ sounds so similar to the kind of bass production used in Fear Factory’s early albums. The guitar riff in ‘Vantablack,’ meanwhile, is reminiscent of the riffs so often used in songs from Rammstein. The same applies to a point to the arrangement featured in ‘Me, Myself, My Enemy.’ So simply put, the album’s musical arrangements present another welcome blend of sounds and styles even with the band’s power metal leanings still present. That diversity in sounds and styles builds a strong foundation for the record.
Building on that foundation is the lyrical content that accompanies the album’s musical arrangements. The lyrical content in question is also somewhat diverse. ‘Lullaby,’ which is one of the album’s singles, is a key example of that diversity. In the case of this song, it tells the story of a mother who is so obsessed with her own youth that she is willing to give up her child. According to information provided about the song, things take a bit of a horrific turn as that child comes back from the grave to avenge that wrongdoing. The mother in question suffers mentally for the rest of her life. It is a fitting tale, what with Halloween coming up very soon.
‘Vantablack,’ another of the album’s singles, is another example of the role of the record’s lyrical content. The song here is relatively simple, lyrically. It finds front man Mike Andersson singing the same refrain over and over throughout the song. He sings, “A world so dark/So colorless and grey/You wish you had the power/To turn back time/Will you stand tall/Till the end of our time/All mankind has lost their hope.” This is a simple message and question. It asks listeners are they strong enough to stand and make a change, even despite their own doubts about the world and everything going on. This is a message that will resonate with any listener especially considering its accessibility and resonance.
‘Walborg,’ which opens the album’s second half (and serves as yet another of the album’s singles) changes things even more as Andersson sings about the return of spring from winter and celebrating its return with a festival. One can only assume here that the festival in question would likely be pagan considering the note of dancing around a fire and singing all the while, while celebrating the past and future. It is a complete contrast from the themes addressed in the album’s other singles and in the rest of the album’s entries. To that end, the diversity in the album’s lyrical themes is just as important to its presentation as its musical arrangements and their diversity in sound and style.
Rounding out the whole of this album is the album’s production. As has been noted, the sounds and styles featured in the album’s arrangements are diverse. That means that the utmost attention had to be paid behind the boards to bring out not only the band’s familiar leanings in order to bring out everything involved. Luckily that attention paid off as audiences get the best of both worlds in every arrangement. Even the smallest item can be heard thanks to that attention. What’s more, the instrumentation in each arrangement is just as well balanced with the vocals. The result therein is 11 songs that can be enjoyed for that aesthetic just as much for the balance of the musical leanings. When the positive impact of the production is considered alongside the album’s overall content, the whole makes The Grand Inferno a record that will appeal to a wide range of audiences and that is worth hearing at least once.
The Grand Inferno, the latest album from Tungsten, is a work that metal audiences across the board will find engaging and entertaining. That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements once again blend the band’s familiar power metal leanings with heavier influences throughout the record. This approach is nothing new from the band but the arrangements are their own new works unique from the band’s existing body of work. The lyrical content that accompanies the album’s musical arrangements are of their own note because they are just as diverse as the album’s musical content if not more so. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole, ensuring that audiences get just as much to like in the listening experience as from the content itself. Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album. All things considered they make The Grand Inferno one more welcome entry to what is an already crowded field of new hard rock and metal albums this year.
The Grand Inferno is scheduled for release Nov. 8 through Reigning Phoenix Music. More information on the album is available along with all of Tungsten’s latest news at:
Website: https://tungstenofficial.net
Facebook: https://facebook.com/tungstenband
