The Dark Element: Songs The Night Sings (Frontiers, 2019)

The Dark Element, which paired guitarist Jani Liimatainen (Cain’s Offering, ex-Sonata Arctica) and former Nightwish vocalist Annette Olzon, was one of the surprise hits of 2017, so it’s great to see that it wasn’t just a one-off “factory” project. The duo is back with a new album, titled Songs The Night Sings, and once again Liimatainen, who also handles keyboards, songwriting and production, has come up with the perfect set of songs to suit Olzon’s distinctive voice.

Songs The Night Sings is super-melodic and very keyboard-oriented, but still has a hard rock crunch and plenty of metallic moments and an occasionally gothic atmosphere. Call it somewhere between Annette’s time in Nightwish and what bands like Battle Beast and Edge Of Paradise are doing now. Symphonic, but with a decidedly pop influence, and that signature Jacob Hansen mix.

Olzon’s vocals sounds fantastic here. She really seems so much more at home in The Dark Element than she ever did in Nightwish. Highlights this time around are “Not Your Monster,” “Pills On My Pillow,” “The Pallbearer Walks Alone” and “If I Had A Heart,” but the whole album is strong.

The partnership between Liimatainen and Olzon continues to result in memorable melodic heavy metal. Songs The Night Sings will definitely please fans of the first Dark Element album as well as fans of Olzon’s Nightwish albums. It’s also an album any fan of bands like Battle Beast, Amaranthe, CyHra, Edge Of Paradise and the new Crystal Viper ought to love.