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Apocalyptica: Reflections

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Universal Records
Released: 2003.02.10
Time:
 46:41
Category: Hard Rock
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Rating: *****..... (5/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.apocalyptica.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2011
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Prologue [Apprehension] (Toppinen) - 3:11
[2] No Education (Toppinen) - 3:17
[3] Faraway (Toppinen) - 5:13
[4] Somewhere Around Nothing (Toppinen) - 4:09
[5] Drive (Toppinen) - 3:21
[6] Cohkka (Toppinen) - 4:27
[7] Conclusion (Kivilaakso) - 4:06
[8] Resurrection (Kivilaakso) - 3:34
[9] Heat (Toppinen) - 3:21
[10] Cortége (Toppinen) - 4:28
[11] Pandemonium (Kivilaakso) - 2:06
[12] Toreador II (Toppinen) - 3:56
[13] Epilogue [Relief] (Toppinen) - 3:29

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Eicca Toppinen - Cello, Producer, Arranger, Programming
Paavo Lötjönen - Cello, Producer
Perttu Kivilaakso - Cello, Written tracks 7, 8, 11, 16 & 17, Producer
Antero Manninen - Cello, Producer

Kerim Gribajcevic - Violin
Sami Kuoppamäki - Drums, Percussion
Dave Lombardo - Drums, Percussion
Nina Hagen - Vocals (on track 14)
Linda Sundblad - Vocals

T.T. Oksala - Engineer, Mixing, Programming
Mikko Raita - Mixing and Recording on "Seemann"
Mika Jussila - Mastering
Michael Wolff - Vocal Effect
Dirk Rudolph - Design
Olaf Heine - Photography
Sascha Basler - Creative Consultant
Michael Schöbel - Creative Consultant

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


2003 LP Island 0636831
2003 CD Universal Distribution 0636832
2003 CD Island 0770152
2004 CD Universal Distribution UICO-1061

Reflections is the fourth studio album of Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released in 2003 with a special-edition entitled Reflections Revised released in the later part of 2003 containing a DVD as well as the original album with five bonus tracks. It is the first album from the band to include drums. The USA slipcase cover was a picture of a burning cello, which is also seen in the inside traycard of all versions. The woman featured on the international cover is Linda Sundblad, who provided vocals for the song "Faraway Vol.2". The cover is similar to the cover of the film The Red Violin.



From classical cover band devoted exclusively to performing Metallica's symphony-friendly epics to all purpose string ensemble interpreters of other heavy metal bands' music for the cello, to composers of original material fit to mingle with even more metallic translations, Finland's Apocalyptica had come a long way in the span of their first three albums. And, naturally, there were bound to be further innovations lined up for the band's fourth opus, Reflections, which arrived in 2003 bearing not a single heavy metal cover, and introducing several unexpected innovations into Apocalyptica's m.o., to boot. Chief among these was the addition of a drummer behind the group (recently paired down from quartet to trio), and since Apocalyptica's virtuosos would hardly stand for anything short of brilliance for such an assignment, that percussionist wound up being none other than Slayer legend Dave Lombardo, on whose Grip Inc. albums, group leader Eicca Toppinen had conveniently performed as well. One of those rare rock drummers whose sound and style is instantly recognizable, Lombardo was more than up to the task, providing the necessary flailing-limbs thrust behind dramatically driving originals like "Prologue (Apprehension)," "Somewhere Around Nothing," and "Resurrection" (which sounds like it should have originated as a metal song, but didn't). Apocalyptica also does without him on several compositions, of course, but they keep the experimentation coming by adding a pianist for the exquisite ballad "Far Away," discreet synth effects for the multi-faceted "Cohkka," full-on drum machines for "Heat," and a Spanish horn section for "Toreador II" - Ole! And for those fans who simply want to hear them shred, there's plenty of that throughout this set, with the suitably named "Pandemonium" offering an especially blinding display. All in all, Apocalyptica's first foray into all-original material is nothing short of triumphant, and an eye opener for rock music fans who simply came along because of the Metallica connection. Recommended.

Eduardo Rivadavia - All Music Guide



Zum ersten Mal in ihrer Karriere verlassen sich Apocalyptica nicht allein auf die Durchschlagskraft ihrer Celli, sondern greifen darüber hinaus auch auf Drums zurück. Ein Experiment, das interessante neue Fassetten im Bandsound offenbart, aber mit Sicherheit auch auf harsche Kritik stoßen wird. Slayer-Dampframme Dave Lombardo und Ex-Kingston-Wall-Break-König Sami Kuoppamäki unterlegen fast den kompletten Longplayer mit mal rasant knatternden (Lombardo), mal vertrackt groovenden (Kuoppamäki) Schlagzeugspuren. Dadurch haben die zum Trio geschrumpften Finnen die Möglichkeit, ihre Rhythmusarbeit herunterzuschrauben und sich mehr auf flächigere Sounds und melodischere Leads zu konzentrieren. Bei einigen der ausschließlich aus eigener Feder stammenden und gänzlich ohne Gesang auskommenden Songs funktioniert die Cello/Schlagzeug-Fusion auch sehr gut, bei anderen verlieren die Streichinstrumente allerdings deutlich an Dynamik beziehungsweise verkommen zu relativ unspektakulären Rhythmusgitarren, denen fast alle typischen Streicher-Charakteristika fehlen. Gänsehaut-Stimmung ist immer dann vorprogrammiert, wenn die Drums pausieren oder aufs Wesentliche reduziert werden, ansonsten kleistern insbesondere Lombardos Doublebass-Teppiche die kompositorisch hervorragende und stilistisch enorm vielseitige CD leider völlig zu. Schade, hier wäre mehr drin gewesen!

Michael Rensen - Amazon.de



Originalität und Kunstfertigkeit ließen sich den drei finnischen Orchestermusikern nicht absprechen, als sie Cello und Bogen missbrauchten, um sich zur Erholung durch ein Repertoire aus Slayer-, Sepultura- und natürlich Metallica-Titeln zu schrabben. Originell war zumindest der Effekt, nicht unbedingt die musikalische Qualität. Denn außer tongetreuer Übersetzung wussten sie den Stücken meist nichts hinzuzufügen. Doch jeder Manierismus hat seine Halbwertszeit. Das wissen auch die Leder-Cellisten. Zwar brazzt und brät es auf ihrem neuen Album, das erstmals ohne Coverversionen auskommt, immer noch gewaltig, doch durch die abgewetzten Kutten schimmert er schon durch: der schnieke Frack des Klassikers.

(kw) - kulturnews.de
 

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