Released by: Frontiers Records
Release Date: February 17th, 2023
Genre: Melodic Rock
Links: http://www.facebook.com/creyesweden
Line Up:
August Rauer – lead vocals
Andreas Gullstrand – lead guitar
Fredrik Joakimsson – rhythm guitar
Joel Selsfors – keyboards
Gustaf Örsta – bass
Arvid Filipsson – drums
Tracklist:
1 Glorious
2 Air
3 One Step Away
4 The Game
5 Spreading Fire
6 Weightless
7 How Far
8 In The Shadows
9 Stay
10 Dangerous
11 Pieces
A highly anticipated release from Swedish rockers Creye has arrived, and now the guys make it to their third full-length album. The debut was very well received in the genre circles, so excited to see what more they have to offer.
“III Weightless” carries some weight already as mentioned, their EP in 2017 put the Swedes in the AOR arena with a resounding bang. The melodies and edgy grooves on their debut left a mark for sure. There has been comparison to other great outfits, the likes of H.E.A.T, Art Nation, Work of Art, and One Desire. I think what makes these Swedes stand out is the patented delicacies of AOR/Melodic Rock in one place, but not necessarily sounding generic and playing style that is typical of the genre.
They are fresh and resounding in the way their music flows. You hear this on songs like ‘Glorious” and “One Step Away”, which feature a steadfast groove that acclimates the listener very quickly to the great vocals of singer August Rauer. The layered keyboards play a nice role in this number. The pace picks up on the supercharged rhythms of “Spreading Fire”, which fuels 80’s and new-era Melodic Hard Rock into one top-notch track. The riff stands out here and the drums are as thunderous as one can get for a genre release. Another high-speed churner comes with “In The Shadows”, featuring a frenetic up-tempo rhythm, tailored with Rauer high-end vocals. The melodies here are super catchy and imposing. Another strong number comes via the climactic high riser chorus in “Stay”, a buildup of mellow vocal tones leads to an epic reprise towards the end, really a different tune on the record. Very well done.
Not much too ripe on about, my only complaint is the running time of the album gets to only 40 minutes. Creye feels like they can pump out much more consistent material and pack it into a full length without any issues. Consistency is key here as no weak songs are to be found anywhere. As a genre release, this stands out as one of the better AOR/Melodic Rock to come out this early year.
Written by: Shadow Editor
Ratings: 9/10