CYHRA

A full decade has passed since ex-AMARANTHE frontman Jake E and former IN FLAMES guitarist Jesper Strömblad joined forces to form CYHRA. Purposefully positioned between thunderous melo-death and supremely catchy melodic metal, this almost-supergroup have released three previous albums full of shiny, arena-sized hooks and gritty, balls-out riffing, and the only real surprise has been that CYHRA have not achieved the enormous success that their lethally accessible music deserves. Nonetheless, the Swedes' fourth album suggests that both creative progress and commercial ambition are still ongoing. "Requiem For A Pipe Dream" follows in the footsteps of its underrated predecessors, dishing out wonderfully memorable and often euphoric anthems, underpinned by plenty of gleeful invention. Seemingly put together in the wake of the global pandemic, wherein CYHRA's momentum ground to a destabilizing halt, it is a somewhat darker and edgier collection of songs, albeit still with the same irresistible mixture of massive tunes and flawless production. Noticeably more personal, with many lyrics rooted in the real world, these 11 songs do not indicate a major change of focus, either musical or aesthetic, but it is undeniable that CYHRA have upped their game and made the most emotionally resonant album of their careers to date.

These are songs inspired by self-doubt, melancholy self-reflection and the inexorable march of time. More importantly, this album marks the moment when CYHRA nudge their sound much closer to perfection. "Bleed With Pride" heralds the arrival of this newly upgraded approach: still sharp, succinct and dominated by Jake E's masterful vocals, it is more sonically rounded than previous efforts, not to mention a touch heavier than before. "Superman" repeats the trick, with melodies that will sink their teeth into your soul and riffs with strong echoes of the classic melodic death metal that has been Strömblad's trademark for 30 years. But there is much more to "Requiem" than a simple restating of musical values. Earlier albums had plenty of stylistic quirks but rarely delivered with the confidence that CYHRA exhibit this time around. There are brilliantly overwrought and supremely polished ballads like "In The Center Of A Miracle" and "Ghost I'm Meant To Be" that skillfully avoid schmaltz by using the passionate sincerity of Jake E's persona as an emotional battering ram. There are revelatory detours into vivid electronics, like the superb "Skin From Bones", and enthusiastic sidesteps into brooding, gothic territory, as on the taut and tumultuous "Mark Of My Sins". Interestingly, the most obvious comparison that springs to mind is latter-day EUROPE, not least because Jake E shares Joey Tempest's disarming tone and nimble range, but also because these songs are so direct and, at times, joyful.

From the brute force pop-metal of "Venom In Me" to the cheerfully IN FLAMES-like riff that drives bonus track "Hold Your Fire" (featuring a raucous cameo from LOST SOCIETY's Samy Elbanna),"Requiem For A Pipe Dream" is by far this band's most self-assured and focused album. A decade into their mission, CYHRA have taken a breath, reassessed, and come back in the finest of form. Despite what the title implies, this pipe dream is still on track.