Christopher Amott's solo project Armageddon is a quirky one: Every album is more or less different to each other. And hey, he didn't choose to trample the easy way and ape Arch Enemy. Whereas 1997 debut album 'Crossing the Rubicon' was melodic death metal, the second one 'Embrace the Mystery' from 2000 merged prog rock and power metal in a fine way. This is just "an image caught in time," as Mr. Amott puts it.
'Three', the third one (no shit Sherlock!), kept both styles of the sophomore album, but simplified it in the songwriting department. However, due to the troweling and leveling the compositions, the music rock harder and more firmly. The title also refers to the band itself, as it was a trio on this one. Mr. Amott handles both guitars and vocals (more about the latter later on), and drummer Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy, ex-Eucharist among others) and bass player Sharlee D'Ang.. Oops! Look at the cover and tell me the guy on the right doesn't look like Sharlee D'Angelo?! Indeed. Anyway, he is ex-Eucharist four-stringer Tobias Gustafsson. It seems like every fellow is out of their comfort zone, right?
Well, here they prove that they are very, very cozy doing this kind of thing. Christopher Amott' is a fan of classic rock, and it can be totally heard on here. I think Christopher might be keen on Uriah Heep and such acts. This is like 1960's/1970's/1980's hard rock and heavy rock mated with heavy metal (say Saxon and Accept), and a bit of grunge, and updated into 2000's levels with even more insane musical skills and production values. Eventhough I mentioned those three bands, this is an individual output, sounding just Armageddon. It's three individuals, their playing and songwriting styles on rampant.
I find Christopher's guitar playing to be one of the most enjoyable to listen to, and something one can easily recognise. He really manhandles his instrument, but also tenderly fondles it. As this is a heavy rock album, it's mostly about the firstly mentioned what is heard here, but still multiple of playing styles due to different compositional genres. Yes, Arch Enemy spirit can be perceived at times. His shredding is powerful and his solos are both technical and catchy, not that mindless kind of guitar wankery. The bass is used like on many an old rock/metal record: Not just following guitar, but more daring, so to speak, and even throwing out a solo-style bits. The drums are good in their rock-style playing with metal styles added into concoction. 'Burn the Sun' is probably the best example of how these three guys can show their skills without a song being mess, but a bona fide rocker.
The band's feelings and enthusiasm have been captured on a plastic disc. This doesn't happen too often, for whatever reason, but 'Three' is so bloody packed with energy and great vibes, that it could explode at any moment. It has a live mood to it, even though it's so perfectly played. However, there are overlapping guitar tracks, of course, to make it sound more fleshy, complete. While being fleshy, it's not clogged, but every instrument is well heard. Add to that the feeling of tightness (uhhh), like all elements being one, and what we get is thoroughly great production job! In a word: Perfect.
However, there are a few less good elements on the album. First one is Mr. Amott's vocals. He can sing for sure, but his scale isn't very wide. He tries some varied style of singing, which is a good thing, because it is where more changes come from. He doesn't remind of any classic rock or metal music vocalist. First it felt like he was out of place here. With time, his distinct voice grew to be a part of it all. This might be a stumbling block for many a listener, and I fear they might give up too early. To tell the truth, I've heard much, much worse singers in much, much more praised bands doing similar styles. Another bit I do not highly enjoy are those small grunge and groove fragments, especially on 'Stranglehold'. I don't find them as obligatory additions at all. The lyrics aren't anything special. The most exceptional award goes for 'Rianbow Serpent', which tells about American native beliefs.
Due to vocals, 'Stranglehold' reminds of Ozzy Osbourne, then it gets into D-A-D territory with its steely guitar part, but on the other hand is metal as heck. My less favourite song on the album, and it still rocks! Driving 'Heart of Ice' is the catchiest of the bunch, and in it, everything click 100% perfectly. The song reminds me of most well-rolling Megadeth. The band can get melancholic, and it happens with 'Well of Sadness'. Huge 'Planet Caravan' (by Black Sabbath) and Europe vibes can be sensed on it. The song does slow up the album's action-filled drive a bit, but that's just a passing memory when Uriah Heep-ish 'Rainbow Serpent' begins. It's faster than most of Heep stuff, but sustaining that NWOBHM mood. 'Winter Skies' contain some of the best riffs heard here. This song packs both, energetic and melancholic stuff, in one neat package. 'Final Destination' continues on similar path. 'Spirit Kiss' is a beautiful, joyful acoustic-cum-electric guitar interlude, and could have been placed one track earlier for a stronger effect. The closer 'The Contract' carries a slight In Flames feel, 'Whoracle' period (1997). Armageddon and In Flames both have melodic death metal history, so...
Song are around four minutes in length. One is five minutes long and the longest one goes over 6-minute mark. The intro and interlude are shorter. My point is that composition-wise, the music is tight. There are no extensive guitar (solo) parts, no bullshit. There could be a tad more variety, but then again, the band's debut 'Crossing the Rubicon' from 1997 was way too disjointed (even if it was a concept album).
'Three' was originally released in Japan and South Korea only, but Century Media put out a 2-disc set including 'Embrace the Mystery' and this one. So, it's easy to hunt down and I really think those who enjoy about hard rock meeting heavy metal should inpect it. As Christopher Amott fans, this is simply a must! Be sure your air guitar is in good shape when crank this album up!!!
Rating: 8½ (out of 10) ratings explained
Reviewed by Lane
07/31/2015 18:16
