Rock Monsters Romania

The RM Award for The Album Of The Month (January 2020) goes to “Cell-0” from Apocalyptica.

“Cell-0” is the ninth studio album by the Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica. It is the band’s first fully instrumental album since 2003. It was released on 10 January 2020 and took two months to be written and was recorded, edited and mixed within a five-month period.

Originally a Metallica classical tribute band, Apocalyptica eventually adopted a neoclassical metal style without the use of conventional guitars.

Such performances as the Metallica tribute inspired them to go back to all-instrumental music. “Cell-0” was self-produced by Apocalyptica and conceived without a label behind it. Perttu Kivilaakso (cello) noticed some progressive elements in their music, especially in the track “Fire&Ice”, which begins with Celtic melodies performed by Troy Donockley, flutist at Nightwish.

The album revolves around a concept created by the band which relates to a “God particle”. According to Mikko Sirén (drums): “In our heads, there is this undefined thing that you cannot pinpoint, that you cannot see or feel, but it is there. That’s kind of the center of everything in this album.”

Listen to Apocalyptica’s “Cell-0” on Spotify and YouTube.

Article by Stefania Marinescu