There are lots of female fronted bands nowadays and that’s good. The bad thing is that 70 percent of them are similar to each other, musically and visually. But sometimes we have some exceptions: young bands with interesting sound, calling attention with their material, not only with frontwoman good looking shape. Forever Still is one of those bands.
A little bit of history: Forever Still formed back in 2010 in Copenhagen. First it was a creative duo of vocalist Maja Shining and multi-instrumentalist Mikkel Haastrup. In 2013 the band released its first EP Breaking Free, and then there were two more: Scars (2014) and Save Me (2015). In 2016 the band’s first longplay Tied Down was released. This gained much attention from fans and the band performs a lot, supporting such bands like Children Of Bodom and Lacuna Coil. In 2018 Forever Steel sign a contract with Nuclear Blast and the work on their second album Breathe In Colours had started. Also, Maja and Mikkel recruit their long-time live drummer Rune Frisch for the record.
Breathe In Colours conceptually based on Philip K Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?”, on which the legendary movie “Blade Runner” was also based. Essentially, this is an inner contemplation, emotions and worries in the dark technological future (that somehow already coming). And the first thing in an album that needs to be mentioned in Maja’s emotionality. Her charismatic vocal not only transmit aggression, melancholy, anxiety or pain: it is literally enveloping you, immerses you in it and doesn’t let you off for a long time. You believe this voice, which can also be very tender and feminine.
Musically, Breathe In Colours is an Alternative Metal (in a very wide meaning if it). Sometimes there are fast and smooth Disturbed-esque riffs (“Fight!”), sometimes there are emotional explosions, emphasized with guitars and drums heaviness. But all in all, the album balances between aggression and melody steadily.
Also, there are pretty much electronic samples, which should help to create an atmosphere of technological future. As for me it wasn’t so necessary, but on the other hand it doesn’t interfere with something and definitely not sounds bad for ears.
But some lacks are also existing in this album: the mix and the length. Mix could be better; some instruments could be emphasized more clearly. Though, I can’t say it’s bad, but it is far from ideal. But the real problem is the album’s length: ten songs’ total time is a little more than half an hour and it’s too short to immerse fully into a dark atmosphere of Breath In Colours.
Nevertheless, an album buys you with its charisma, emotionality and Maja’s magnificent voice. So, if it’ll catch you (what will most likely happen), it won’t let you go for a long time.
Breathe In Colours was released on March, 29 via Nuclear Blast Records.
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