We Are To Blame – Breathe
06:13 | Single | Digital | We Are To Blame Records
Melodic Metal / Gothic Metal | Gällivare, Sweden | 30/08/2022
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The story of Swedish band We Are To Blame begins with guitar player and vocalist Johan Karlsson posting an ad looking for a pop singer who is ready to sing for a metal project. When experienced vocalist Alice Hartvig read this extravagant offer, her reaction was deep interested and high scepticism simultaneously. Today, we can all be glad that she gave it a try since We Are To Blame – consisting of Karlsson, Hartvig, and guitarist Urban Granbacke have released their third single ‘Breathe’ that raises the hype for the band’s upcoming debut EP.
‘Breathe’ is a sonic thunderstorm, a powerful clash of different music worlds that discharges with high voltage. The stunning and melodic vocals by Alice Hartvig elegantly dance like colourful autumn leaves through the eye of th storm made of harsh Prog Metal and anthemic Goth. From heavyweight Metal riffs to calm transitions between passages, it is Hartvig‘s voice that leads the listeners through this gorgeous tempest of Melodic Metal and dark sounds. 7/10 Mangoes
The Connecting Dots – Treasures in the Valley
37:03 | Album | Vinyl/Digital | Direct Lines Records
New Wave / Indie Pop | Stockholm, Sweden | 23/09/2022 (digital) / 11/2022 (vinyl)
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Less than 20 months after the release of their debut album “Oblivious Beats“, Swedish duo The Connecting Dots is back with their sophomore longplayer “Treasures in the Valley”. The ten-track album is already available for streaming and can be attained on vinyl via Direct Lines Records in November 2022. Guitarist Johan Borg and vocalist Helena Sundstrom invite their listeners on a journey to a fantastic valley. The trip alone may be stunning but once arrived, the audience will be overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and the tremendous amount of gorgeous treasures that can be discovered here.
Although, “Treasures in the Valley” has a silken-soft and warming psychedelic tough to it, these mesmerizing attributes do not play the central role in this sonic experience. Instead, Sundstrom and Borg enchant us with melancholic and passionate 1980s’ style New Wave and Indie. Tales on life and its instability on the one hand but its stunning beauty on the other hand coin the narrative of “Treasures in the Valley”. Referring to the title of The Connecting Dots‘ second full-length release, joy and happiness are neither unattainable, nor are they obviously visible. One has to look for them but not make it overly complicated at the same time. And then, just as the deeply embracing soundscapes tell us, happiness can be found. 8/10 Mangoes
