AZORIA — Seasons Change (review)

AZORIA — Seasons Change album cover Album · 2014 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
1/5 ·
adg211288
Seasons Change (2014) is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish heavy/power metal act Azoria. The group was founded by guitarist Alexander Oriz (ReinXeed) with the apparent intent to create something in line with what Avantasia produces. As such Seasons Change features a host of guest vocalists including Tommy Johansson (also of ReinXeed), Michael Andersson (Cloudscape) and Snowy Shaw (Mad Architect).

I'm not really sure how this happened given Alexander Oriz background in ReinXeed (who I see as quality act despite not enjoying their last offering A New World (2013) too much), but the music on Seasons Change is some of the most boring heavy/power metal I've ever encountered. The guitar riffs are dull no matter which of the two musical directions the album takes. Even the faster paced power metal sections feel lifeless with absolutely no energy to them. I suppose the singing itself is the album's strongest feature (although strangely I did not enjoy Snowy Shaw at all on this record whereas I liked him in his band Mad Architect) but when dealing with such weak music the only effect the vocals really give off is to make it seem that everyone is trying too hard. I don't think they are though, but the weak music and even weaker production job certainly make it seem that way. The exception would be the only female singer on the album, Matilda Eriksson, who was given the mid-paced track When You Sleep to sing. The song itself seems a bit stronger than the album's standard to my ears and is the highlight, although the music itself still suffers from the same weak sound. There are guitars that should sound heavy and rocking, but ultimately don't provide any oomph and overall the track feels more like a ballad despite the pacing (though by power metal standards any other song would seem slow). I think it's an indication that Seasons Change has serious flaws though that it's only this one track that I find semi-praiseworthy.

There's not much else I can really say about a release like Seasons Change. It's not exactly offensively bad but when I listen to power metal releases (even heavy power metal release like this one) I want to be using terms like epic or energetic to describe them, but instead Azoria gave us bland and uninspired. There's really no way to beat about the bush here trying to find something to be positive about; a 1 star rating is all I can fairly justify.
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