Something quite unique

I'm not sure what I was expecting to hear when I picked this up; however it's absolutely excellent and still sounds fresh a decade later. This band is essentially a generic Swedish metal band with various jazz and swing instrumentation added in and occasional operatic vocals. Sounds like a mess but it works and produces one of the best albums of the 2010s. Very high energy from the outset, with swing rhythms combining with metal riffs to produce something that no one else does. 

The opening pair of songs are probably the standout tracks and the closer is excellent too. Excursions through neoclassical and swing in the most unexpected ways. The only track that counts as filler is Aurora, a slow paced operatic number that I always skip over. I mean it's nice enough but just a bit Disney for my taste. 

I have thought about starting a covers band of these guys. Would take some organising!