Swedish rockers Creye are back with their third album, ‘Weightless’. After releasing debut EP ‘Straight to the Top’ in 2017 they quickly signed a deal with Italian melodic rock behemoth label Frontiers.
An impressive debut album followed in 2018 but it was the arrival of new frontman August Rauer, who helmed the band’s second album, ‘II’, that saw the band really begin to make waves in the relatively small but incredibly vociferous and loyal melodic rock community. A community now firmly based in Europe and the UK rather than its American origins of the 70s and 80s.
‘III: Weightless’ continues to build upon the band’s solid foundations. Purists of American AOR and old school rock will hear influences in Creye’s music from bands like Journey and Asia whilst people who have maintained an interest in the genre will hear bands like Work of Art, H.E.A.T., Brother Firetribe and Wig Wam in the mix too.
A bombastic mix of chugging guitars and operatic keyboards drive the majority of the songs on ‘III: Weightless’. As with most songs in the melodic rock genre these days, the lyrics are less important than the harmonies and melodies. Most songs follow a theme of strength, resilience and standing up for your beliefs. ‘III: Weightless’ follows those genre conventions quite closely. Album opener ‘Glorious’ is awash with chunky riffs and uplifting messages of strength. Title track, Weightless’, meanwhile, has a slightly more ‘Prog Rock’ feel to the keyboards but incredibly similar, ferocious guitars. There’s a Europe-esque ‘heading for Venus’ feel to the lyrics as August Rauer sings about finding his place amongst the stars. The lyrics are ambiguous enough to be about personal growth and achievement but they also could literally be about an astronaut too!
Similar themes of finding yourself can be found on the superb ‘How Far’. Slightly more melodic than some of the songs of the album, the songs’ verses are driven by a funky baseline that reminds me of classic Tyketto circa their ‘Don’t Come Easy’ album. It builds to a catchy chorus that urges the listener to live life ‘like there’s no tomorrow’ and one of the best guitar solos on the album drives the song home in its final phase.
Where ‘III: Weightless’ really excels is when Creye let their European influences run a little on the darker side. ‘One Step Away’ is an intriguing mix of huge Eurovision meets Euro-Rock AOR vibes. It’s a song about temptation and chasing what you want, no matter what the price. It also has one of the biggest choruses on the album. Similarly, ‘Spreading Fire’ will be many people’s stand-out song from this album. Guitars, keys and thunderous drums play a major role here on a song about fighting to get what you want. It reminds me a little of H.E.A.T.’s ‘Living on the Run’ in terms of cadence and impact and it will have a whole load of listeners reaching for their air guitars and hairbrush microphones.
The H.E.A.T. influences don’t end with ‘Spreading Fire’, though. ‘Dangerous’ is very reminiscent of the band’s ‘In and Out of Trouble’ song from their ‘Address the Nation’ album. The cool thing about ‘Dangerous’, in a genre not known for its literary ambitions, is the rhyming of the word ‘dangerous’ with ‘changin’ us’ – which is almost Nashvillian clever in its execution! Throw in the superb ‘In the Shadows’, an anthemic Euro-metal leaning number and ‘Pieces’ with its chunky riffs and searing guitar solo and you have the makings of a classic album.
The most original and ambitious song on ‘III: Weightless’ is the atmospheric ‘Stay’. It’s a piano ballad for its first two thirds as August Rauer gives us his best Steve Perry meets Freddie Mercury impression. ‘When all hope is gone….and my courage fades, I’ll still want for more,’ he sings on another song about resilience and hope. All hell breaks loose around the three minute mark as huge vocals, female backing and a sort of Queen-esque pomp erupts out of nowhere that serves to lead the song towards its stirring climax.
In ‘III: Weightless’ Creye have done what every band needs to do on their third album. They’ve improved and extended their sound into more nuanced areas. The range of influences on offer here are both interesting and appropriate. In a genre where plagiarism and influences walk hand in hand together Creye have carved out a little niche for themselves to be who they want to be. Soaring melodies, driving drums and thundering guitars all combine to produce a sound that is both timeless and yet modern enough to be right at the forefront of the current wave of European Hard Rock and AOR bands.
Tracklist: 1. Glorious 2. Air 3. One Step Away 4. The Game 5. Spreading Fire 6. Weightless 7. How Far 8. In the Shadows 9. Stay 10. Dangerous 11. Pieces Record Label: Frontiers Release Date: 17th February Buy ‘III: Weightless’ now
