Passenger Review

Band	Passenger
Album	Passenger
Type	Album (Studio full-length)
Released	2003
Genres	Melodic Nu Metal
Labels	Century Media Records
Length	42:29

Reviewer :  SilentScream213         Rating :  95 / 100

Well, this just proves how much of a sucker I am for Anders. I’ve also got a soft spot for this style of 2000’s Alternative Metal that fused elements of extreme Metal with commercial sensibility, and always came with heavy doses of angst. I was growing up in that era, so of course it’s nostalgic for me. When I found out a couple members from one of my favorite bands put out an album in this style two decades ago, my interest was piqued.

To be blunt, this is a very standard 2000’s Alt Metal album on the surface. The band takes a ton of influence from the American scene at the time, adding in some Nu Metal influence. The rhythm section is pretty simple, most of the riffs are standard chord-based fair, and the songs follow verse-chorus format. But below that, there are elements of quality and care that make this a very complete package. Subtle but interesting synths are used to create atmosphere or even underlying melodies, and work especially well during the softer sections of the songs. Niclas reminds us he is not just any guitarist, but the riffmaster of the most legendary Melodeath band ever by composing gentle lead guitar melodies (often clean) that instead of taking focus, provide extra layers of depth to the verses and playing off of Ander’s vocals very nicely.

At the end of the day, though, Anders takes the center stage. At this point in his career, he had never used primarily clean vocals on an album, but what a welcome surprise it is. His cleans have always been a point of contention among fans (though I have always adored them) but one thing that cannot be denied is, god damn, the man can write a hook. Fantastic vocal melodies, harmonized with multiple layers (and styles) of vocals, even crafted with lyrics that flow perfectly… the choruses here are monumental. The verses are similarly captivating, less focused on melody and more on using these either angry or melancholic lyrics to build the mood of the song. The instrumentation on this album is simple, but it is to give the man full focus and play off of his strengths, and that is done to perfection here.

A lost gem that should appeal to any fans of that early 2000’s Alt Metal scene or fans of Anders’ vocals.