The energy levels come across as intense and should And Then She Came make it over to the UK at any time it will make for an exciting prospect.
To all intents and purposes, And Then She Came are not a new band. The German Progressive Metal/Modern Metal quartet were formerly a Symphonic Metal outfit known as Krypteria. In 2015, during an extended period of inactivity, bass player Frank Stumvoll was approached to create the soundtrack for a German/American thriller. He enlisted the services of his former bandmates, guitarist Olli Singer and drummer SC Kuschnerus, before eventually bringing in Krypteria lead-singer Ji-In Cho. The soundtrack project evolved into a real band and the foursome began work on an album with the end result being their self-titled debut last year.
I have a copy of Krypteria's 'Bloodangels Cry' album, though it hadn't been played for a while until I received this, and musically (and image-wise) there is quite a difference between the two. Some may disagree, but I'd say ATSC fall into a Metal rather than a Rock category (Alternative Modern Metal anyone?). My partner is a big fan of Female-Fronted Rock bands (Halestorm, Lacuna Coil, In This Moment, Devilskin), but she struggled to come to terms with ATSC. The arrangements and song structures are far from generic, though the hooks are very melodic and have great appeal. Each song incorporates a number of ideas with subtle time changes and everything has been put together with great thought. Cho's vocal performance makes an instant impact and is a highlight throughout, but that's not to say the limelight is all hers.
Her bandmates all make telling contributions, complimented by small cameos from Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz (the go-to-gal for all harsh female vocals) and Jen Majura from Evanescence. It is difficult to single out individual tracks as the quality is uniformly high and I have a different favourite on every play. 'Why So Serious?' is very commercial, having something of a Pop/Rock edge and a distinctly un-Metal approach, whilst 'Spit It Out' and 'Like A Hurricane' are heavier and typify the Progressive side of ATSC alluded to earlier. At times I'm reminded of Beautiful Sin's 'The Unexpected' album from 2006, though the ATSC sound has a more contemporary feel. All thirteen tracks are "in house" compositions and Stumvoll's producing and mixing skills give everything a nice balance and clarity. I'll admit it took a couple of spins to truly resonate but now I'm sold and looking forward to some brand new material in late 2017.
'Bonsoir At The Abattoir' is, in effect, a live interpretation, though the songs are performed in a different order. The show (a DVD is also available) was recorded in Germany in September 2016 and finds the band in fiery form, reproducing faithfully the material from the (then) recent debut. The sound quality isn't the greatest I've ever heard and is almost like a good bootleg (possibly from the mixing desk?). The show certainly highlights Cho's fantastic voice, with the soulful 'I Carry On' being a particular stand-out, and the power the band generate is quite impressive. The guitar is prominent throughout and the thunderous rhythm section packs quite a wallop. The energy levels come across as intense and should And Then She Came make it over to the UK at any time it will make for an exciting prospect.
Dave Bott
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