3/4: Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
On tour with Failure Anthem, Cypher 16, and Smash Into Pieces
Elize Ryd – Vocals
Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson – Screams
Olof Mörck – Guitar, Keys
Johan Andreassen – Bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen – Drums
Formed as a project in 2007 by guitarist Olof Mörck and vocalist Jake E., Gothenburg, Sweden’s AMARANTHE have carved their name into the annals of metal in capital letters. Band with an exceptional vision right from the outset, Amaranthe are an institution; trailblazers of a genre they almost single-handedly forged.
According to some sources “melodic death metal” and somewhere else pegged as “metalcore” Amaranthe keeps driving genre purists loopy. Sporting three singers, each with characteristics of their own, Amaranthe constantly defies pigeonholing and sound like no one – and nothing – else. Morten Løwe Sørensen’s rhythmic thrust and Johan Andreassen’s booming low-frequency assault lay the foundation to Olof Mörck’s surgically precise, almost machine-like guitar riffing and layers of lush, contemporary keyboards. Timeless, glistening pop choruses coated with an icing of three layers of sublime singing from Elize Ryd’s emotive, angelic voice, Jake E.’s forceful delivery and Henrik Englund Wilhelmsson’s screams combine for a mix of edgy, powerful melodic music that is not only unique and unforgettable, it’s trend-setting and inimitable as well. Amaranthe has already proved they’re the next step in the evolution of metal. Sadly, Jake E. has recently left the band to pursue other projects (http://teamrock.com/news/2016-11-09/amaranthe-vocalist-jake-e-quits-band).
After seeing major labels chomping at the bit that was their one song Myspace demo in 2008, in April 2011 their eponymous debut album was released via the prestigious metal hotbed Spinefarm Records to worldwide acclaim, charting high in Sweden and Finland. Right off the bat throbbing to the pulse of the digital music revolution, “Amaranthe” was the 84th most played album on Spotify in the whole world, counting all genres. After a completed run of 92 live shows after the release of their eponymous debut, the sextet returned to Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark where the Amaranthe magic has been plucked from the air since the days of the debut album.
March 2013 saw the release of “The Nexus” where everything was upped a notch. Featured was more of the band’s innovative mix of melodic pop, harsh screamo metal, and techno-influenced hard rock. Extensive touring followed, more chart entries garnered (Top 10 entries both in Sweden and Finland, #12 on US Billboard Heatseeker chart etc.).
Now their career on an ever-upward trajectory, October 2014 saw the release of Amaranthe’s 3rd outing MASSIVE ADDICTIVE. Third time seemed to be the charm, as the album immediately charted in six countries, even manning the pole position on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. The album also yielded Amaranthe’s first major single hit with “Drop Dead Cynical”, which stayed several weeks at the top of USA‘s premier rock station, Sirius XM Octane, and had massive airplay all around the world.
With their 4th album now nigh, the secrets and evolution of the sound yet remain behind a veil, but now it almost goes without saying that connoisseurs of shiny modern metal have much more to look forward to from this unstoppable hybrid metal record-breaking machine!
Followers and copycats come and go, but Amaranthe remains the leader of the pack.
Concise stats of what is Amaranthe:
• 3 album released with a total sale of over 250 000 items worldwide
• 3 gold discs in Sweden for 20 000 cd-singles each
• 2 gold discs in Finland for 10 000 albums
• 1 gold disc in Finland for 5000 singles
• 4 carried out European tours and 3 US tours in 4 years. The 3 last tours as headline in both US and Europe
• 100 000 000 (ONE HUNDRED MILLION) plays at Spotify and over 40 000 000 on YouTube
• Headline at Liseberg in hometown Gothenburg with over 10 000 visitors
• Last album, “Massive Addictive” reached #1 on the US Billboard Heatseekers list
• 2 last albums both reached Top 10 status on the Swedish and Finnish album charts
• The first single from “Massive Addictive” album – “Drop Dead Cynical” – is played frequently on the biggest sporting events in the US, such as NHL games, etc.
• The same single – “Drop Dead Cynical” – spent several weeks at #1 on the US’s biggest rock radio station SiriusXM Octane
• All the singles released have been frequently played on Bandit Rock in Sweden. These have a total play quota of several thousand times
• During the band’s recent appearance at the Sweden Rock it was several thousand more spectators than the specified capacity of about 6000
