Amaranthe needs no introduction to MetalReviews readers or to our message boards. To me it seems the band is either loved or hated, with no grey area. Others have found the band to labeled "Pop" Metal or "Dance" Metal, and some people wish their were more death metal vocals versus melodic hooks and synths. I personally like this band, though I preferred their debut over The Nexus. So what would Amaranthe's third full length release, Massive Addictive bring us??

With familiarity expected, Dynamite begins with synths, stop and go guitar riffs, and a barrage of melodic vocals from Elize Ryd and Jake E.. The guitar solo towards the latter of the song is one of my favorites on this disc. The first single, Drop Dead Cynical is not going to change anyone's opinion about the pop sensibility of the band. Though if you listen to the musicianship behind those melodic vocals, you will definitely find a metal band. New growler Henrik, shines here, and I like the balance he adds to the more melodic nature of the song. I think I like the growling on this release better than the previous releases. Trinity's opening synths leads to a verse trade off between the three singers till the chorus kicks in. The chorus is huge and melodic. The intro synth/keys motif can heard throughout the song(mainly before each verse). The fun yet infectious title track is next, and when I saw the band live two weeks ago, this was one of the new songs they played. I wouldn't doubt the fact that this song could easily be a future single. Digital World is a song that could have easily been heard on The Nexus, with its electronics and spoken parts in the beginning. Henrik's vocals introduce most verses, while the chorus will either make you headbang or imagine a crowd jumping up and down to this song, live.

The first ballad, True brings back memories of the song Amaranthine off their debut. Ryd's and Jake's vocals really feed off each other, and shows how talented they both are. Speaking of, I have been a big fan of the band he was in called Dreamland, and I do feel he is one of the more underrated vocalist in rock/metal. Much like Trinity with a mix of Drop Dead Cynical comes Unreal. While the songs are not identical, some repetition in my opinion starts to kick in. Over and Done is ballad number two that opens with Jake taking the initial lead. This band can definitely write ballads, and this one is my favorite one so far(Insert: Roll Your Eyes at me here). The solo in this song is another standout for Olof Morck. The familiar synths come back on Danger Zone, which is another song that gives a feeling of deja vu, though Henrik's performance is definitely a solid one. The guitar riff/groove and solo are this songs saving moments. The faster tempo of Skyline has some well placed vocal trade offs and tempo changes. The frentic and fast guitar work of An Ordinary Abnormality really catches your attention while the chorus will hook you in. I love how the guitars are in your face(I.E. ears) which I felt at times were not high enough in the mix in the past. The almost AOR/melodic rock of Exhale closes the disc with Ryd and Jake trading off with a verse of Henrik for good measure. It is a fun song to close out the disc but it is also a little different then what came before it.

As I said I saw this band live two weeks ago when they opened for Within Temptation in Chicago. The energy live makes them even better in person. Will this disc convert non-fans? Probably not! For fans on the fence?(If such a thing exists?) Maybe! If you have a passing interest in Amaranthe, I would definitely check this out, as I feel the band has definitely crafted their best release, yet.