The Dark Element
The Dark Element · 2017
51 min · 11 tracks · power metal
Melodic power metal meets symphonic grandeur, combining soaring vocals with intricate instrumentation to create an immersive auditory experience.
Top tracks — play these first
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My Sweet Mystery — This track encapsulates the album's fusion of haunting melodies and powerful vocals, showcasing Olzon's vocal range alongside Liimatainen's deft guitar work.
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Dead to Me — A standout for its emotional depth, this song combines heavy instrumentation with poignant lyrics about loss and betrayal, embodying the album's darker themes.
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The Ghost and the Reaper — This track illustrates the band’s thematic ambition, weaving a narrative of life and death that complements its driving rhythms and symphonic elements.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends melodic hooks with orchestral elements, creating a solid entry in symphonic metal but lacks standout innovation.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a title track that features a full orchestral arrangement, setting a dramatic tone that persists throughout.
- Vocals alternate between soaring melodies and more subdued passages, often layered with harmonies that enhance the emotional weight of the lyrics.
- Many tracks incorporate tempo changes, shifting from fast-paced sections to slower, more reflective moments, creating dynamic contrasts.
- The final track concludes with an extended instrumental outro, allowing the orchestration to linger and fade out gradually.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 The Dark Element 4:27
- 2 My Sweet Mystery 5:00
- 3 Last Good Day 4:14
- 4 Here’s to You 4:15
- 5 Someone You Used to Know 4:24
- 6 Dead to Me 5:29
- 7 Halo 4:26
- 8 I Cannot Raise the Dead 4:26
- 9 The Ghost and the Reaper 5:22
- 10 Heaven of Your Heart 4:47
- 11 Only One Who Knows Me 5:09
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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