There is one thing that really beats me. I keep asking myself why Symphonic Metal bands are the ones which combine the most elements of electronic music and trance and other things not worth mentioning. Maybe, just maybe the guilty falls into Nightwish and their early albums when they used to do this combination circa 1998. Well, I’ll confess the first time I heard “The Riddler” I got astonished with what I heard. By that time, the combination Nightwish did would be unthinkable. I have to say even heretic. However, I surrendered to the prowoness of the band, the marvelous voice of Tarja Turunen, the first soprano I heard singing Metal. It was love at first time. I’m really ot sure if Nightwish were the first band to make this combination, but I do blame them for that.
The first time I heard Secret Rule “Uninverse” with album opener “Disorder” my initial reaction was to rule it out. Let’s say the track was too much even for me who is used to the weirdest combinations of Metal music. As it is a rule of mine, I gave the band a second chance. It’s the other day rule. When I listen to a band and I’m not sure if I am going to review the album, I give it one day to listen again. My dear child of the night doesn’t know the wonders this rule does. There is a lot of Nightwish’s “The Riddler” here in the album. I guess that “Uninverse” goes even a little farther with the combination because the band’s music has more electronic elements. Much more. Until the point to be unbearable as “Disorder” showed. However, after it the album goes through a certain normality and the mix gets ingenious. There is a very slight line between ingenuity and nonsense.
“Uninverse” is an album with lots of combinations. Tracks as “Equilibrium” balance the Symphonic Metal grip with some modern Metal features as the prominent bass lines and the drums breaks plus the effects. “Shards of Times” combines a change in the tone of the guitars with a NWOBHM riffing to then go through a truckload of electronic effects that give the tone of the song. It’s an unusual track for metallers that can’t stand techno, but I did find it amazing as I went through the album. That’s the deal with Secret Rule. They are the kind of genre bender band that goes up the limit. In this case, up to the limit of what metallers would find amusing.
Secret Rule “Uninverse” will be released on November 24th via Lucky Bob Records / SPV.
Track Listing:
- Disorder
- Equilibrium
- Shards of Time
- Gravity on Us
- Uninverse
- I Am
- Time Zero
- Multiple Me
- From Null to Life
- Black Hole
Watch official music video here:
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