Italians show that the return is definite and with the usual gas
By Luiz Athayde
The delay in relation to the release is big, but it does not take away the need to present to those who, still in 2021, do not know these Italians from Massa, region of Tuscany.
Labyrinth (Photo: Divulgation)
For those who are connected, you know that Labyrinth was formed in 1991, its members used Saxon and Germanic pseudonyms, and one of them, vocalist Joe Terry, would be even better known, already signing up as Fabio Lione, in front of Rhapsody, and, for now, in Angra.
Another very important figure is Carlo Andrea Magnani, or rather, one of the only ones still using the stage name, guitarist and composer Olaf Thörsen.
As in many bands, the line-up has undergone numerous changes, but not enough to de-characterize their sound. On the contrary: from the classic power metal, in the sense of “trademark”, they have modernized even more, even resorting to influences bordering on extreme metal.
At that time, Roberto Tiranti was already in charge of the microphones, while, years later, Thörsen was away to focus only on Vision Divine.
Still, after the release of the second part of Return to Heaven Denied (essential album of the Italian power metal, as well as worldwide), with the title complemented with “A Midnight Autumn’s Dream”, they entered a long discographic hiatus, broken in 2017 with the excellent Architecture of God, already with new members; a record as powerful as those of yesteryear, but with the technology of today.
As if that weren’t enough, they return with their natural follow-up, Welcome to the Absurd Circus, released by Frontiers Records. All the elements that made Labyrinth one of the great names of the so-called melodic heavy music are present, with cutting riffs, catchy tempos and refrains, and just the right amount of weight. In the lyrical realm, existential questions were naturally catapulted by the pandemic, just showing how much this has been affecting our pisque.
Besides Olaf and Tiranti, the base remains intact with the original factory guitarist Andrea Cantarelli and, not least, keyboardist Oleg Smirnoff (Giacomo Biagini), of previous credentials as Death SS and Vision Divine,and currently in Eldritch; bassist Nik Mazzucconi; and newcomer Matt Peruzzi on drums.
One of the most striking characteristics of the albums is the degree of homogeneity in the flow of the songs, which can be dangerous ground, especially coming from a “niched” style like this, but somehow, for them it worked (as always, by the way), see the title track, also chosen for the music video, which arrives with that kind of foot in the door, or a very clear message: “we are back, indeed”.
On the other hand, the ‘Maidenian’ “Den of Snakes” shows what a difference a good mix and mastering job makes, especially when the listener prefers to absorb the atmosphere through good headphones.
Now if there is one song that will please fans of the early albums, it is “The Unexpected”. Not that it breaks away from what has been done so far, but in a way, its aura takes us back to the days of 1996’s No Limits.
There was also room for a fantastic version of a mega hit by the seminal British new wave/synthpop band Ultravox, “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes”. The gothic metallers from Century had already signed their re-recording of the song, but here the proportions sound naturally more majestic. This is what happens when a song is made to stick. Needless to say, it is one of the highlights of the record.
For those nostalgic for the days of “Return…”, the bet is on “Finally Free”; a direct and unashamed connection to “Die For Freedom”. If you want to copy yourself, let it be with the best.
The real absurdity is this Zeitgeist that most of us are living, of open wounds and immediate attitudes, and the counterpoint came with the reflection in a heavy, melodic, and above all concise music format. Welcome to the Absurd Circus was one of the albums that opened the year 2021, but it seems like yesterday, since it deals with themes stapled in our minds by a band that is back in full swing. Bravo!
Listen to the album below on Spotify: