ANGER - The Bliss

ANGER
The Bliss
Armageddon Music
7.5/10




This diverse Portuguese ensemble has been going at it now for a decade. On their third release (and their first for Armageddon Music), we find a batch of capable musicians playing a commercially acceptable brand of music akin to Incubus or Trapt.

‘Iced’ really strikes the listener as a moving song with its off-time, high scale riff and catchy, thoughtful lyrics “…I want to break the ice, I’m stabbing to the other side…” as vocalist Pedro Pereira displays exceptional vocal control, crooning dark melodies effortlessly.

On tracks like ‘Devil In My Mind’, he injects a more aggressive approach over the verse line without sounding too harsh for the type of music the group is doing. The subtle nuances found in guitarist Lino Vinagre’s performance define songs like ‘Say (What You Wanna)’. This axe wielder shows an impressive knack for accentuating the dynamic subsections of the band’s songs with tasteful licks and forceful rhythms. A formidable duo, bassist Richardo Melo and drummer Alfonso Corte-Real mesh together superbly. On ‘Feel My Anger’ they drive the song with an up-tempo beat that supports the Spider-flavored raps of Pereira and serves to reinforce the distressful nature of the band.

At first listen, this track reminded me of One Minute Silence, but after a couple of listens, the original traits of these artists begin to shine through. Member Luis Silva really adds to the entire equation with poignant samples and keyboards, highlighted by his addition of some really neat sounding MIDI effects throughout the album.

The discordant, bottom heavy introduction of ‘God In Me’ gives way to a ringing, digitally enhanced acoustic passage that fades back and forth between your stereo speakers. Anger pull off the heavy-clean-heavy manner of writing remarkably well, without going too far off of the deep end in either direction. With several potential singles to choose from, there is no good reason that American fans shouldn’t embrace Anger with open arms.
By skillfully crafting songs which are memorable and well produced, the band has made “The Bliss’ an album which richly deserves to be in your collection.


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