By Allyson Kingsley
Swedish gothic symphonic metal band Eleine are vocalist Madeleine Liljestam, guitarist/vocalist Rikad Ekberg, bassist Anton Helgesson and drummer Jesper Sunnhagen. Their humble beginnings started around 2014 and shortly thereafter they released their self-titled debut album. In the autumn of 2016, they toured with Moonspell, thereby seriously launching their career. 2017 saw Madeleine and Rikard start their own record label, Algoth Records as they continued their phenomenal live performances including a tour with W.A.S.P.
Their second album, a full length, “Until The End” featured in 2018 and a tour with Arch Enemy in Sweden and finally their own headline tours in Sweden and the UK. Their successes continued into 2019 with tours/festivals and a new EP “All Shall Burn” which was high on the Swedish sales charts. At the beginning of 2020, they had been touring with Myrath until the pandemic brought the worldwide music scene to its knees. However, Eleine refused to be daunted by the insidious Covid-19. Their current full length is “Dancing In Hell” and conjures the epitome of what you would expect from dark symphonic metal.
With beautiful guitar work and orchestral arrangements the title track grips you and tantalizes your senses. ” As I Breathe” delves into some fine thrash elements to sweep its listeners along.
Ava of Death is also a choice track, especially as I was duly impressed by the drumming on this and throughout the album. My personal pick is “Where Your Rotting Corpse Lies”. For whatever reason, it exudes more darkness and seems to be heavier than the rest of the album and I get a Dimmu Borgir kind of vibe. It showcases Rikatd’s skills more than the other songs.
From the outset, Eleine sound dialed in with their sound itself and their chemistry as musicians- separate people sharing a singular creative goal. Their goal is achieved by performing at their highest level to set new standards in the genre.
