Amoral is a newer band that I had never heard of before, but I saw their latest album and heard that they were quite a talented technical death metal band, so I gave this album a shot. I was surprised to learn they had changed their style completely, but since I had never heard their past work, I couldn't judge that aspect of the sound. My impression of the album is a very catchy, albeit sometimes poppy, power metal album with some heavy metal and death metal influences from time to time. If you are into melodic power metal, you'll probably enjoy this. If you are a fan of this band's abilities as a tech death band however, you are in for a disappointment.

The album starts out with the intro track Random Words which is a serene acoustic piece that is well thought out and gets my attention because they obviously aren't some band that just cares about getting listeners; they actually care about making some quality music. Release comes in next and begins with some nice melodic guitar work (reminds me of Amorphis) and then vocalist Ari Koivunen comes in and surprises me with his singing ability. Instead of the pseudo cleanish death metal vocals I was expecting, I actually hear something that would not be out of place on a power metal record. I really like that the band has used some power elements here because it gives this track a really epic feeling, as does the almost 6 minute playing time. The big sounding drums along with the melodic and catchy chorus make this a great song as well. And the guitar solo towards the end? Fantastic. However, I do get worried when I hear a really good track in the beginning of an album because I wonder if they will be able to keep up to those standards. A Shade Of Grey sounds like a dumbed down version of Release unfortunately, although it's not a bad song in its own right. Year Of The Suckerpunch, the single off the album, is only an alright song. It has the catchy guitar work and catchy chorus necessary for a good single although it is a bit lengthy at just over five minutes and becomes repetitive after the first couple choruses. Perfection Design starts out with some bass and guitar work that sounds influenced by southern/stoner rock. Soon enough the heavy guitar riffs and double bass drumming create a very heavy atmosphere. The vocals of this song also sound somewhat more influenced by southern and stoner rock groups such as Spiritual Beggars, while the guitar work later in the song shows the more melodic side of their sound. Vivid sounds like it actually has some progressive elements, especially towards the end in the guitar solo. It is a very catchy song that'll really grab you and get you into the music. You have to remember that these guys used to play a mixture of prog and technical death metal, so they obviously want to work some technical work into their music, and I think they do it well without coming off like they just want to show off. Last October is a short, balladesque song the uses only acoustic guitars, piano, and the lonesome vocals of Koivunen. The lyrics are also quite thought-provoking as the music washes over you. Reminds me of the song To Where The Skies Are Blue from Deadlock's album Wolves In The Throne Room. Exit closes out the album with a very heavy song that sounds somewhat influenced by some down-tempo death metal. There are also some more traditional metal elements in the form of the more melodic chorus.

From what I've heard, this album is a huge step down for Amoral, who used to play a great variety of progressive/technical death metal. I really can't judge here since I haven't heard their past work, which is probably good for this album's sake. Honestly I enjoyed Show Your Colors. Is it a bit poppy? Yes. Is it good power metal? Not really. Is it an enjoyable listen? Yes, I think so. If you don't mind a huge style change from the band and can tolerate the vocals of Ari, then this is a pretty good metal record with a lot of catchiness and power, especially in the instrument department. I realize that there will certainly be those who are either disappointed in the band or just hate the new sound, so those who could fall into those categories I would definitely recommend listening to a few tracks from the band's myspace before deciding to buy this album.