The Halo Effect Continue Their Melodeath Revival With New Track 'Become Surrender'
The re-emergence of true Gothenburg melodeath has been more prominent than ever since the formation of Swedish supergroup The Halo Effect in 2021. Consisting entirely of ex-In Flames members, it was only natural they brought back that 90’s Scandinavian metal feel we’ve been missing for decades.Jumping right back in the Nuclear Blast zone. The Halo Effect dropped debut album Days of the Lost containing 4 previous explosive singles leading up to the release. ‘Shadowminds’ & ‘Feel What I Believe’ blew everyone away with its nostalgic old In Flames feel. The punchy verses and the epic solos are improved by a more modern take, giving the tunes a fresher feel and showcasing the bands combined talent. Mikael Stanne absolutely slays on vocals, carrying the melody with him before epic rhythmic instrumental takeovers, keeping consistent to vocal work he’s done previously with Dark Tranquillity.Australia got their very first taste of the band on their first ever tour down here in 2023, co-presented by Wall of Sound - check out our interview with Stanne ahead of Lagerfest.Not straying far from their album formula, 2023 brought us ‘Path Of Fierce Resistance’ and ‘The Defiant One’, both being of particular interest to hardcore fans as the bangers were originally recorded for the Days of the Lost album sessions and was played live numerous times. So, even with those singles releases, there’s still no indication this is where their next album will be heading, keeping us on our toes.What does ‘Become Surrender’ have in common with the last two tracks? It was also played live on their 2023 tour circuit. So fans who have seen the Gothenburg titans within the last year will be hearing something a little familiar. Blearing synths build up the hype before the guitars and drums kick in to follow the programmed melody, giving off a harder hitting, more effective riff. Slowing down the pace for a change, the lead takes a mellower tone to normal with simplistic picking. Dusting off the ole’ clean vocals, Stanne brings a different approach to the usual chorus formula and changes it up with a clean, groovy rhythm. Keeping it classy, they can’t forget the hectic light speed solo that causes your hair to blow back like the strongest winds are against you.A new light shines the way for The Halo Effect’s future and I don’t think they’ll be surrendering anytime soon. If you’re lucky enough to be in Europe then check out their absolute powerhouse of a tour lineup, featuring Meshuggah and Mantar, and again later on in the year with Amon Amarth and Insomnium.Words by Ed Atlas (@yourfavouritemerchguy)
Stream ‘Become Surrender’ here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaescU2M0Mw&pp=ygUgdGhlIGhhbG8gZWZmZWN0IEJlY29tZSBTdXJyZW5kZXI%3D
