CONSTANCIA – Final Curtain (2015)

MelodicRock Records is offering a double dose of Swedish class in July, with the already presented here Vindictiv fresh CD, and this, the brand new studio album from Melodic Hard Rockers CONSTANCIA entitled “Final Curtain“.
“Final Curtain” is the long awaited sequel to the first album ‘Lost And Gone’, released by Constancia in 2009 through Frontiers Music / King Records.

The Constancia project was started by keyboard player Mikael Rosengren (Scudiero, I love this band) who had written a number of songs but had no outlet for them. With the help of great guitarist Janne Stark (also in Grand Design), the band was formed and quickly expanded to include drummer Peter Svensson and the awesome vocals of David Fremberg.
For “Final Curtain”, Constancia maintained the line-up with the exception of new bass player Linus Abrahamsson, so musically this new record is some kind of evolution from the debut.

The sound & style of Constancia is something of a revelation. Janne describes it as ‘melo-gressive metal’ and to be honest, he’s probably right. However, the Melodic Hard Rock is the foundational stone here.
The groovy bass, bombastic drumming and some of the guitar riffs wouldn’t be out of place in a classic metal band, but there’s a melodious edge to the record that’s almost emotional at times. Match the two sides up and you get something as beautiful and savage as a snake in ballet gear.
The glue that binds the heaviness and beauty together is that masterly gob-monger David Fremberg. He really does have a bloody good voice with oodles of oomph and bagfuls of sweetness. His turns on the ballads are especially memorable.

Opener “Don’t Tread On My Heart” is pure class, with a main melody bringing to mind Germany’s Frontline. I think this is a very good comparison to describe Constancia’s music: early Frontline with all the melodies and edge.
“Spectres” continues with the quality adding some progressive twists and a superb guitar work by Stark, while “Way To Life” blends hard rock groove with aggressive (yet clean) riffs.

Then “Live A Lie” is a favorite of mine, now a real melodic hard rocker with a Scandi feel all over, a killer chorus, huge harmony vocals and sharp riffs / keyboards. A winner.
“Hang Tough” is another highlight with some Treat on it, the edgy side of Treat. Other cuts worth to mention are the Gary Hughes sounding “Hold on My Heart”, the mid-tempo “Greyhound Therapy” (excellent vocals) and the ultra-melodious “Lies Within Lies”.

There’s a lot to enjoy in “Final Curtain”: top class songwriting, really good instrumentation / stellar performances (especially David Fremberg’s vocals) and the excellent sound / production.
Another strong point in Constancia’s skills are the harmony vocals in most of the songs, and some twists here and there to provide variation and dynamism.
Constancia’s “Final Curtain” is a great second effort from these Swedes, mostly revolving around Melodic Hard Rock patterns but with the necessary balance to appeal a wide audience.
VERY MUCH RECOMMENDED

01. Don’t Tread On My Heart
02. Spectres
03. Way To Life
04. Live A Lie
05. Hang Tough
06. Lucidia
07. Hold On My Heart
08. Lies Within Lies
09. Little Fighter
10. In Your Eyes
11. Final Curtain

David Fremberg: vocals (Andromeda)
Janne Stark: guitar (Grand Design, Overdrive)
Mikael Rosengren: keyboards (Token, Scudiero)
Linus Abrahamsson: bass (Andromeda)
TrumPeter Svensson: drums (Faith, Mercy, Locomotive Breath)

BUY
www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Curtain-Constancia/dp/B00ZRMDIQE