Swedish melodic metal supergroup CYHRA are back with a new album, “The Vertigo Trigger,” that comes four years after the rather lackluster sophomore effort “No Halos in Hell” (2019). Have the band come up with better melodies and more inspired lyrics this time around? Or are they still treading the same safe waters of melodic metal as before? Spoiler alert but “The Vertigo Trigger,” which was released on August 18th, 2023, via Nuclear Blast, is indeed better than its predecessor.
The album is full to the brim with all the trademark elements of the genre, chief among them being the crunchy guitar riffs, thunderous drums, hooky choruses, layers of synth, and, of course, melodies galore. In between all these pieces of a musical puzzle, the album has turned out to be quite a diverse offering with the songs ranging from cheesy, feel-good numbers all the way to really aggressive cuts. They have amped up the heaviness factor, especially when it comes to the guitars and drums, which gives “The Vertigo Trigger” a sharp metallic edge.
If instrumentally this album slaps big time, unfortunately, there are a few mishaps that diminish its overall value, and these mostly have to do with the lexicon. What I mean by that is the simple fact that some lyrics and song titles are subpar when compared to the music. Both “Let’s Have My Story Told” and “The Voice You Need to Hear” are cheesy titles saved by good songwriting. The first of the two is a mix of pop and metal with a great melodic core around the chorus and some nice electronic sounds that complement the guitars, while the latter is a soulful ballad which boasts a fragile atmosphere capped off by a melancholy piano melody and a delicate vocal delivery from Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE). Lyrically, “Live a Little” and “Life is a Hurricane” take the cake for the cheesiest verses in spite of the otherwise great message they carry.
Now, on the other hand, the same tracklist offers ominous and even poetic titles like “Buried Alive” or “Ashlight” and both songs are bangers in their own right. “Buried Alive” is a really dark and heavy number with a proggy undertone coming from Alex Landenburg’s drumming while the guitars and vocals add to the intensity of the music. Recent single “Ashlight” lives and dies on the strength of its chorus section even if the rest of the instrumentals and vocal delivery are not too shabby, especially that thunderous mid-section and subsequent guitar noodling. Vocally, this may be Jake E.’s best delivery thus far. Continuing the dark and moody trend of this album is closing track “Too Old for Fairy Tales” which, according to our recent interview with Jake E., is a vicious take on organized religion, while the instrumental side is aggressive and potent capped off nicely by a top-notch guitar solo. To rehash an earlier point – this album’s greatest features are the guitars, drums, and synths and these three songs prove my point beautifully.
To balance these moments, “The Vertigo Trigger” also offers some more energetic, dynamic, and upbeat numbers like ear-worm “Ready to Rumble,” anthemic “Life is a Hurricane,” or thundering “Live a Little.” These tracks, despite playing it safe, do offer melodic delights, punchiness, and hooky choruses that will definitely work in a live setting as well as uplifting messages about enjoying life. The idiosyncratic drumming in “1.000.000 Fahrenheit” coupled with the layers of synths and fast-paced guitars give it a faint AMARANTHE circa “Massive Addictive” –type of vibe, while melodeath-inspired “If I” is equally heavy and melodic, short acoustic section notwithstanding. Another song that makes ample use of synth is “Fear of Missing Out,” even though the guitar work makes it feel darker and more robust.
All-in-all, “The Vertigo Trigger” is a well-balanced album that offers pretty much everything that was expected from CYHRA. Sure, the instrumental side is somewhat heavier than on previous albums but the emphasis still falls on melody and hooks, which they deliver in spades. As such, the songs don’t diverge much from the restraints of the genre, actually being well-crafted and well-delivered – albeit a bit poppy – examples of catchy melodic modern metal. If the formula CYHRA follows on this album is a good one or a bad one is up to the listeners to decide, point is “The Vertigo Trigger” is a solid yet entertaining album that solidifies the band’s status on the metal scene.
Written by Andrea Crow
Tracklist
- Ready to Rumble
- Let’s Have My Story Told
- Live A Little
- 1.000.000 Fahrenheit
- Buried Alive 3:46
- The Voice You Need to Hear
- Life Is a Hurricane
- If I
- Fear of Missing Out
- Ashlight
- Too Old for Fairy Tales
Lineup
Jake E – Lead Vocals
Euge Valovirta – Lead Guitar (and Bass)
Jesper Strömblad – Guitar (and Bass)
Marcus Sunesson – Guitar
Alex Landenburg – Drums
Label
Nuclear Blast
