Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba
Artist: Renaissance Of Fools
Label: Metalville Records
Release: 2011
Length: 51:24
Rating: 4.5/5
Something extraordinary has been going on in Sweden for a long time now, and I suspect that besides the ice-cold water and all the outdoor physical activity the chilly weather forces on people, there’s something juicier and punchier in the mix. Besides Opeth and a whole little sea of sensations like Beardfish, Cloudscape, Jupiter Society, Pain Of Salvation and plenty of others (I wouldn’t even touch metal in the harder-sounding sense), it’s becoming clear that there’s more than enough juice in the bosom of the Scandinavian urban wilderness for us to admit the Nordic musicians’ supremacy over the rest of the European and global competition. And among the latest big surprises, maybe even the next big sensation, one that’s still a bit under the radar in our neck of the woods, is the band Renaissance Of Fools. Even though they’ve only just broken ground with their firstborn, the album Fear, Hope & Frustration, it has to be said that the whole thing is run by seasoned musical tomcats. The band was founded by gifted guitarist and former Pain Of Salvation foot soldier Daniel Magdic and drummer Magnus Karlsson, who previously played in the lesser-known Leech & Machina. It got its final shape with the arrival of the exceptionally talented bassist Björn Tauman and guitarist Kjell Bergendahl, and now they’re plowing the field with high-quality progressive metal of the highest, shiniest caliber. They wade into the pretty crowded pool of progressive metal bands with a subtle mix of light, meditative undertones and massive sharpness that never tips over into the brutal end of hard-sounding beauty, which keeps the door open on both the metal side and the more rock-solid side.
The compromises here, though, aren’t the kind where things get deliberately lukewarm, ballless and neutered for economic reasons. On their debut Fear, Hope & Frustration, Renaissance Of Fools serve up a dark, heavy and at times depressing combination of superbly written songs that neither bore nor spoil the listeners’ high. There are plenty of solid building blocks and bricks to the success, and the mortar of the new build is tight. The excellent guitar foundation, woven by both guitarists, is thick, juicy and not even a little bit posey or pretentious, and without a good rhythm section, which Renaissance Of Fools do have, there’d be no final effect – the mental musical delight and ear orgasm, an “eargasm”, if we toss a few pearls and neologisms from the English-speaking world in among the words of our native tongue. The record breathes from the first bars of the opening sonic explosion Precious Life, where the band sets high standards, uncompromising and with no holding back, full-on and without unnecessary frills. There are also stunning moments in the bipolar, soft-and-hard, compact whole of the excellent Misguided Mind. Daniel’s backing vocals blend wonderfully with Kjell’s gentle yet manly melodic voice. After the record’s centerpiece comes an almost stoner-grunge enlightenment in the form of Ordinary Man’s Diary, which sounds as if Deep Purple in their David Coverdale days had plowed into a slightly floury, distorted patch of earth belonging to the likes of Black Sabbath, and then the whole thing had shifted into the spheres of the likes of Opeth, with the metamorphoses continuing completely naturally and evolutionarily, with no stomping on the gas or the brakes. Renaissance Of Fools grind best at lower revs, so the record soon takes on a whiff of ballad mastery, which doesn’t spoil the otherwise superb structure of this inspiration-soaked organism. The record reaches its more hyper-energetic, almost Dream Theater or King’s X-like eruptive moment with Claws Of Norms, where the punch doesn’t come at the expense of melodic multi-part harmonies. This optimal launch of adrenaline, harmony and unbridled melody is laced with moments of brilliant explosiveness, which, as with, say, Staind, are more the exception than a constant. Unlike those one-hit wonders, though, Renaissance Of Fools have enough grit to keep the engine roaring across more than one album with just a single standout track.
Fear, Hope & Frustration is a polished product that lets Renaissance Of Fools put themselves on the map of progressive metal sensations without any shame, a map that’s hardly short of entries, in Sweden or anywhere else in the world. More than getting on the map, what counts is the ability to last and to level up. With these outstanding compositions, the four newcomers have proven they can do well even in the very complicated and sonically demanding wilderness of modern progressive music-making. Given their youth, and the fact that this is only the first act of what we hope will be a very fruitful musical journey, I can add that there’s more than enough room for them to fill things out and grow musically. All they need to do is shake off any formulaic thinking and instant recipes, and give the melodies, energy and synergistically forged music free wings. That way, with hope for an even brighter future and more successes ahead, the boys can shake off both fear and frustration!
Line-up
Daniel Magdic – lead guitar, vocals
Magnus Karlsson – drums
Bjorn Tauman – bass
Kjell Sjostrom – guitar, lead vocals
guest musician:
Per Wiberg – keyboards, mellotron
Production
Ty Tabor
Tracklist
1. Precious Life
2. Misguided Mind
3. Ordinary Mans Diary
4. Polarized Round
5. Leave It All Behind
6. Claws Of Norms
7. Sleep
8. The Child That Used To Play
9. The Chains Of Thought
10. Intervention Part I & II (feat. Per Wiberg)
