A Cold Paradise’s self-titled debut album is an enigma. A bit like the parable of the blind men and the elephant, where each one touched a different part of the animal and drew different conclusions about what it might look like. But before we proceed, let me warn you that a bit of “gatekeeping” is required to properly assess the album most honestly. But when it comes to Metal, its core message was gatekeeping: Metal rules; all other music sucks. This concept was the inspiration behind many of Judas Priest’s anthems; what faith did you think they were defenders of? It was also advertised in the early days of Twisted Sister as the band sold “Death to Disco” shirts.
In the nineties, other musical elements made their way into the genre, and some worked better than others. Granted, Linkin Park was not the first time a record label tried to market a product as Metal, when it was not.
Which brings us to this project’s debut, which, if judged by the opening track, might lead you to think that this album is going to be paying tribute to an era of Industrial music that blended the hooky nineties elements of more Rock-coded bands of the time, God Lives Underwater and Stabbing Westward. The warning sign to listen for that indicates this is not the case lies in the much slicker production, as an electronic bounce moves the song. Then comes the crunching dubstep elements. If you ask AI to make Industrial music, it does not know the difference between Industrial and dubstep, something that raises a suspicious eyebrow.
Many digital audio workstations have incorporated AI, as it is useful for mastering, so this is not a deal breaker. What raises more questions is the song. “Are You Holding Me Back” feels like what might happen if a producer wrote a Nu-Metal power ballad for BTS. The teen-themed lyrics continue on “The Prettiest Girl In The World,” as this one also feels like another K-Pop anthem. The brighter chord progressions that come with their sonic signature are devoid of the dark aggression that makes something Metal. Some qualities of what is being done here could even be compared to Power Metal, another sub-genre where the feel of riding into victory detracts from its heaviness. In the case of what is being done here, even nailing the falsetto notes and ripping guitar solos do not make up for this, as the electronic guise that surfaces at the beginning of the album slips away.
Then the conceptual continuity takes a jarring turn thanks to the Pop Country elements of “Once Upon A Dream.” Artists like Kacey Musgraves have elevated the City-Clicker production to serving the song more organically, making even this offshoot of Country music more acceptable to refined ears; however, in the context of this album, it feels like a random turn of events in an album that finds its focus already being tenuous. The electronic elements creep back on “Is it Really Over.” This feels more true to who they are, and a natural expression.
“Kill U Sofly” proves that just because you bring in harsher vocals does not make it Metal. Especially if things are too bright and not aggressive enough. They want to bring Metalcore into the equation on “Impatient,” but this lands with somewhat mixed results. More in-your-face Pop aspiration combats the palm-muted chugs on “Talking To The Moon.” The bass line drives “Waking Up,” and along with the opening track is one of the album’s stronger moments, before the ballad “Your Lullaby” closes the album. It lives up to its name as it literally put me to sleep. This debut shows that while they are still finding who they are, the singer has some pipes that remind me of Adam Lambert, though he is less flamboyant. The key to enjoying this album is not having expectations of what it should be going into and at least an admiration for Pop music; there is plenty of potential here.
Buy the album here:
https://acp.rpm.link/albumPR
7 / 10
WIL CIFER
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