Acelsia – Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow (2013)

Arriving from Norway, today we have the melancholic Norwegian rockers of Acelsia and their debut full-length “Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow”. With the band down to a two-piece outfit comprised of Malene Markussen on vocals and piano, and Odd Henning handling guitars bass and synth, they have moved away from their Gothic/Doom Metal roots and they now play very emotion-filled Rock. With 11-tracks this release is very diverse, showcasing the duo’s excellent songwriting skills.

Opening with the haunting vocals or Malene, the band moves the listener with the powerful “Roads”. This song immediately shows the band’s more Indie/Alternative rock sound with catchy guitars and soaring vocal lines. The Post-Rock touches of “Stitches” and “Up On The Roof” greatly enhance the songs and adds an extra dimension to the band’s already unique sound. “Up On The Roof” greatly reminded us of the band Shellyz Raven and their super depressive music.

Things get more interesting and diverse with tracks like “The Most Important Fight” that reminds us a lot of indie artist Regina Spektor, and “The Mender”, a song that is very melancholic and sounds a lot like Autumn (Netherlands) in their last album. Playful songs like “Blue Knell” are perfectly places before more serious and emotional tracks like the solemn “Haven” and the ethereal “Hold My Breath”.

With some remnants of the band’s older style, “Before I Fall” has that Doomy feeling nicely incorporated to more pop-esque vocal melodies and percussions. Signing off in a very trippy and ethereal way, “Left Alone” nicely closes a very emotional and diverse release. If you are a fan of bands like The Gathering, Autumn (Netherlands), and more mainstream indie/alternative rock female-fronted bands, “Don’t Go Where I Can’t Follow” will be a great addition to your collection. Acelsia has managed to cross over to different genres, and we hope they get the recognition they deserve for their excellent music.

Release: January 18th, 2013 (USA)

Genre: Gothic/Alternative Rock

Country: Norway