AT VANCE — Only Human (review)

Album · 2002 · Power Metal

3/5 · 2023-10-14
lukretion

German six-piece At Vance were unbelievably prolific at the start of their career. Only Human is their fourth full-length in only 4 years. One could fear this high-volume may come at the detriment of the quality of the songwriting, but this is generally not the case here. Although Only Human is not immune to filler tracks, most songs included on the LP are very solid, some even brilliant, examples of well-composed, proficiently played neoclassical metal. The stars of the project are undeniably guitar player (and main songwriter) Olaf Lenk and singer Oliver Hartmann. Lenk is a terrific guitarist, capable of writing muscular yet sublimely melodic riffs as well as solos that are not mere shredding but also have purpose and sense of direction. Hartmann is an incredibly underrated singer, who gained recognition at the beginning of his career (he featured in a number of “rock/metal opera” productions, most notably in Avantasia’s first two LPs) but somewhat disappeared from the scenes later on. His voice is a cross between RJ Dio and David Coverdale, gritty yet exquisitely melodic and with an innate sense of melancholy that carries over even in his most aggressive delivery. The rest of the lineup is also solid, although they are not given much room to shine in the tight, no-nonsense compositions that form the album.

Propelled by this talented lineup, Only Human delivers a handful of outstanding songs. The record’s first-half is particularly compelling. Songs like the title-track, “Take My Pain”, “Fly to the Rainbow” and the ballad “Hold Your Fire” come filled with memorable hooks and a healthy dose of metallic grittiness, and easily stand neck to neck with the best output from the genre’s forbearers and guiding lights (Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force). In fact, looking at the poor quality of Yngwie’s output in the new millennium, I’d bet this is the album he would have wanted to write in 2002 for his Rising Force instead of Attack!!. It’s not all 1980s nostalgia, though, as At Vance also venture into symphonic territories that reminded me of Royal Hunt, especially in “Take My Pain” and “Time”, two songs whose arrangements have the expansive, polyphonic quality the Danish band have become famous for. At Vance’s symphonic ambitions are further showcased in the two instrumentals “Four Seasons/Spring” and “Solfeggietto”, which are metal renditions of classical music pieces by Vivaldi and Bach, respectively.

While Only Human starts with a bang, I cannot say I was equally impressed by the LP’s second-half. Here At Vance seem to lose somewhat steam and sense of direction. “Sing This Song” and “Witches’ Dance” usher in odd folkish influences that do not blend well with the rest of the material, while “Take Me Away” is perhaps the most obvious filler track of the whole album. Culling some of these weaker tracks would have done good to the overall listening experience. I would have also enjoyed the album more if At Vance had generally embraced a more succinct songwriting approach, since many of the songs feel perhaps a tad too lengthy for what they actually have to say. Ultimately, the slightly inconsistent quality of the album’s tracklist as well as the objectively derivative nature of the material included here prevents me to regard this record as a masterpiece, although it is nevertheless a good album that I enjoy spinning every now and again.