Title:Crossroad By: Storyteller, The Released by: No Fashion Records Released on: 2001 Rating (out of 10): 3 Date: 05/06/2002
Horrible Vocals, Mediocre Music
Just reading their history made me want to like The Storyteller; they have a musical background unlike probably any other metal band. They began (back in '95) as an acoustic folk troop, rather like Steeleye Span in sound and outlook. Their early demos impressed no one in their native Sweden (particularly unwelcome were the English, not Swedish, lyrics), and Storyteller ("The" wouldn't be added to their name until 2000) faded back to regroup and consider their next move. After several personnel changes and the near-demise of the band due to lack of interest, they finally got it together again. The gentle acoustic folk disappeared, though the lyrics still indicated a medieval sensibility. My romantic, medieval-obsessed heart was prepared to love this band.
Right off the bat, that love was tested and found painfully wanting. Whatever they once were (and consider themselves now), their music just isn't original enough or well enough performed to sustain the image or interest. Their second album, Crossroad, is an unfortunate natural progression from their self-titled debut. "And the Legend Begins" from the first is followed by "And the Legend Continues" here, both tunes setting their respective albums for what turns out to be more or less typical Scandinavian power metal (think: HammerFall and Stormwind)...with one unpleasantly notable exception.
There's some small praise to hand out, but much more to complain about on Crossroad. Unfortunately, what's worthy of praise on the one hand is a criticism on the other. The vocals seem uniformly solid on the harder stuff, because L-G Persson's weak voice is all but hidden. This harder material is utterly unoriginal, however; I hear HammerFall's "The Dragon Lies Bleeding" in "The Eye of the Storm," along with several other clearly nicked riffs on other tunes. On the quieter (and more original) tunes, the music's good, but Persson can't sing for shit, and all his vocal faults are on full display. So which problem is worse—unoriginal power metal where you don't notice the singer can't sing, or pretty ballads which make clear The Storyteller need to find themselves a decent vocalist? You choose for yourself...but either way you lose.
Part of the vocals mess—and they are a mess—might come from the music having been recorded in April and May of 2001, while Persson's lead vocals weren't added until months later. That's one of the curses of the technology that allows music and vocals to be recorded separately: Without the band actually playing along, a metal singer can lose track of proper timing and mood, or the mix simply doesn't work well. I'm giving Persson the benefit of the doubt here and deciding that much of his shitty singing can be blamed on the music and vocal not being recorded together...or maybe he just sucks. Again, your choice—and, again, either way you lose.
Though Crossroad is more interesting when The Storyteller rock out hard, the band's aforementioned tendency to sound too much like other groups really takes a lot of pleasure out of hearing them. Even the album's formatting is tired; Intro, followed by alternating hard songs and ballads, ending with a sort of apocalyptic, anything-goes noise-fest. The formula itself is none the worse for having been used by nearly every metal band who ever recorded, but seldom does it seem as much like a formula as it does here.
The Storyteller mostly keep in check the wild guitar hacking of classic Swedish power metal, choosing instead to emphasize melody-oriented songs. That's a goodly portion of the upside, mainly courtesy of a new guitarist and a new bass player. (The core of the band remains the same, however, and the drawbacks that plagued The Storyteller—run-of-the-mill power ramblings and Persson's lousy voice—are still here.)
Also nice are the strong group choruses. Persson's only one of a crowd then, and the overall sound is excellent. Those choruses aren't enough of the album, though, to overcome the musical mediocrity, vocal mulch, and heard-this-all-before feeling. There's just nothing new here to help Crossroad separate itself (in a good way) from the dozens of other metal albums that'll be released this year.
Only one tune, "The Moment of Truth," is anything new or surprising. For once, Persson is worthwhile, doing his best dying-cat impression in a song where that vocal style makes sense. Too bad "The Moment of Truth" is the last song on the album; it finally seemed as though the band was getting itself together.
Is this the most original album ever recorded? Is it likely to make listeners hear or feel anything different from any other power metal album? Will it expand anyone's understanding of music in general or metal in particular? Will The Storyteller gain any new fans here? No. This is day-in, day-out solid stuff. If you like the genre, it's mostly bearable, but for all its medieval lyrical trappings, there's nothing new going on here...and the old is only average.
