Published on Mar 29, 1999
Any time that a form of music that was once “in vogue” is primed
to make a comeback into the spotlight, it faces one major hurdle:
How do musicians inject some level of new blood into the genre
without forgetting the roots that first made it popular? It’s too
easy to just re-strap on the instruments and pretend that things
are the same as they were before… but if that’s done, not only
does the music sound out of place, but the genre is almost
sentenced to a quick publicity death.
Leave it to the German metal quartet Sculpture to figure out
just how to do it. Injecting a bit of Gothic and progressive
flavors into the mix, and you have a self-titled debut album that,
quite frankly, is often fun to listen to.
The band – vocalist Stefan, guitarist/keyboardist Lotte, bassist
Hans and drummer Thomas – have a very natural sound to their music,
almost as if they have been playing together since metal’s birth
cries were heard. Unlike many metal bands, Sculpture adds something
unique to their music: texture. Proving that you don’t need to play
guitar solos at 800 miles an hour or have the volume cranked up to
eardrum-splitting range, Sculpture seem to carve out their own
unique niche.
The opening tracks, “Over” and “Deniers”, set the tone for the
whole album very well. “Deniers” often had me feeling like I was
listening to Manowar in their heyday, but Sculpture never lost
their own unique signature at those times. Stefan’s vocals prove
their power comes from solid delivery of the lyrics without needing
to resort to usual metal vocal trickery, while Lotte’s guitar and
keyboard work shaped the mood of the tracks well. (It’s also
interesting to note that, had I not read the liner notes or the
press kit, I never would have suspected that this was a German
band.)
From tracks like “I’m Free” to “Why” to “Spring Of Wonder,”
Sculpture remains an album that highlights the best of the
heavy metal genre while redefining the scene. The songwriting,
performance and production levels of quality always remain high,
even though the listeners may find themselves emotionally drained
by the end of the album. “Whatever” and “Down The Ages” are by no
means bad tracks, but they do come at the tail end of a musical
journey that asks you to comprehend a lot.
If any one band is going to help to redefine what heavy metal is
as we approach the next millenium, Sculpture is definitely at the
top of the list to lead the charge. This album is a refreshing
change of pace, and is one that you’re sure to have difficulties
removing from your CD changer.