J-Man Playing a style of melodic hard rock with a strongly melancholic and alternative edge, the Norwegian duo known as Acelsia is undoubtedly a unique asset to its country's already diverse music scene. The introverted, reflective music found on Don't Go Where I Can't Follow (the band's 2013 debut album) makes for a listen that may not be as outgoing as other melodic hard rock efforts, but is possibly more rewarding in the long run. Don't Go Where I Can't Follow is not without flaws, but it is a strong debut from this highly original duo.

The driving force of Acelsia's music is Malene Markussen's vulnerable, yet still still powerful, vocal performances - her voice initially struck me as rather shrill, but her talents have really grown on me over repeated spins. Her unique delivery sets her apart from the crowd and the melodies that she sings are almost always memorable. Although the instrumental aspect of Don't Go Where I Can't Follow takes a bit of a backseat to the sung melodies, the fret work of Odd Henning Skyllingstad is nothing to scoff at and guest musician Bjorn Tore Erlandsen rounds it off with some impressive drumming. The compositions are a bit on the formulaic side, but they're still well-executed and memorable. Generally speaking, however, it's the softer tracks like "Left Alone" and "Hold My Breath" that really grab my attention - Acelsia impress me most when they focus on gentle atmospherics and subtle dynamics, and the hard rock riffs sound rather powerless by comparison.

This fault may perhaps be due to the album's unpolished production, but in general I find that Acelsia's talent shines its brightest during its softest moments - from my perspective, the metallic riffs heard on this album can't hold a candle to the sonic beauty heard on something like "Left Alone". That isn't to say that Don't Go Where I Can't Follow's heavier moments are weak, but more to illustrate that Acelsia's music would benefit from more focus in the areas where they truly excel. As it stands, however, Don't Go Where I Can't Follow is a mightily impressive debut observation, and any fan of melancholic alternative rock and melodic hard rock won't be disappointed by what Acelsia has to offer!

Time Signature The most important fight...

Genre: alternative hard rock

Every now and again you come across an album which is really something. This is the case of Norwegian rock act Acelsia's debut album, which draws on both hard rock and alternative rock - and a bit of metal as well.

In fact, Acelsia take the best of melancholic introspective alternative rock and wrap it in hard rocking guitar riffs and heavy drum beats - just check out some of the riffage and the double bass drums in 'The Mender'. This results in an album which is unique, for my money, and, while introspective, also quite expressive. As mentioned, Acelsia draw on metal, too, and thus 'Before the Fall', which is my favorite track on the album (along with 'Blue Knell' whose chorus is brilliant), is essentially a doom metal track, and 'Up On the Roof' also features some doom-laden passages.

In general, the compositions are quite dynamic, juxtaposing mellow parts with hard rocking parts. The overall mode of expression is melancholy, and, I must say, Malene Markussen's voice, which has both power and vulnerability to it fits the music perfectly! In fact, her singing makes the album even more unique than it already is.

Given the melody and mellow passages on the album - and the heavy influence from melancholic alternative rock - this album might not be for everyone. However, if you are into stuff like Coheed and Cambria, The Storm (before they went crap), Mew and melodic hard rock in general, then you might just find "Don't Go Where I Can't Follow" very enjoyable indeed.