Amoretum Vol. 1

Black Space Riders, who I had never heard before, combines delicate electronic sounds with an occasional heavy, sludgy guitar to produce an alternative rock sound similar to Baroness's recent work, but with less of a metal emphasis. I hadn't heard them before, but Amoretum Vol. 1 is a solid album, with heavily-riffed tracks sharing space alongside radio-friendly melodic tunes. The album favors snappy dance beats; those and the occasional electronics give some of the songs an occasional post-punk vibe. Though Amoretum's wah-wah-filled guitar sound does provide a sense of space, it doesn't really have that "vastness of outer space" feel that the band's literature implies, but the sounds of the next few songs after Lovely Lovelie, though not very heavy, have a nice melody. Come and Follow and Friends Are Falling may be more of interest to metalheads; when the band chooses to use the full strength of their overdriven guitar sound, it gives the song a strength it would otherwise be lacking. For all the speed of the songs, this is an introspective album. Sure, the vocals, handled by frontman SEB and guitarist JE, have a hoarse growl to them, but even on the heaviest songs, they're restrained, and on the softest portions of the tracks they die down almost to a murmuring sigh. Fellow Peacemakers, like many of the tracks, lets the guitars get a good head of steam, but true to its name, it doesn't have an aura of aggression to it; the sound of the heavy riffing only provides a contrast to the soft, chirpy noodling on the quiet portions. And if anything on this otherwise well-made album has the potential to tire listeners, it is this restraint. The band occasionally allows a good riff to get out and do its thing, but it's always kept on a leash. Bandcamp: https://blackspaceriders.bandcamp.com/.