Finnish rockers Apocalyptica have enthralled us once again with their upcoming ninth studio album “Cell-0” set for release on January 10, via Silver Lining Music. It has been four years since we have received any new music from the group comprised of classically trained musicians, Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivilaakso, Paavo Lötjönen, and Mikko Sirén, and it is quite apparent from listening to “Cell-0” that they have been working diligently over that time period to bring us a fresh and unique collection of songs.
“Cell-0” marks the group’s first completely instrumental album in seventeen years and the ways in which these amazing musicians have fined tuned their craft is just impeccable. “Cell-0” takes the listener on a mesmerizing journey full of highs and lows that at times sends shivers down one’s spine. We often adore instrumental albums because it forces the listener to actually feel the music becoming an active participant in experiencing the emotion that pours forth from the artists. There is no getting lost within the lyrical content, as the music itself becomes the storyteller and we can form our own narratives within our own imagination.
This is very much what we found ourselves doing when listening to “Cell-0”, as each song blended flawlessly into the next whisking us away and deep into Apocalyptica’s world. There are not many so-called “cello-metal” groups, so Apocalyptica has created a genre that is very unique to themselves and this also gives them the freedom to explore and experiment with a variety of different soundscapes and instrumentations which is what we see them doing with “Cell-0”.
The album is truly best listened to as a whole, however, stand-out songs include the aggressive and raw “En Route To Mayhem”, the haunting “Fire & Ice”, the ethereal, yet hard and heavy album opener “Ashes Of The Modern World” and our personal favorite the absolutely gorgeous “Rise” (see video below)!
In support of “Cell-0”, Apocalyptica will join Sabaton on a 15-country, 23-date European tour, including an appearance at Wembley Arena on February 8, 2020. They will also be visiting North America in 2020 as well with special guests Lacuna Coil. A full list of tour dates can be found below:
May 3, 2020 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
May 4 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
May 6 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
May 7 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
May 9 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
May 10 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
May 11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Mayan
May 12 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom
May 13 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
May 14 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
May 15 – Vancouver, BC, CA – Imperial
May 17 – Edmonton, AB, CA – Midway
May 18 – Calgary, AB, CA – The Palace Theatre
May 20 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
May 21 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues
May 22 – Toronto, ON, CA – The Opera House
May 23 – Montreal, QC, CA – MTelus
May 24 – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater
May 25 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
May 26 – Boston, MA – Big Night Live
You can pre-order a copy of Apocalyptica’s “Cell-0” by clicking here!
