Anette Olzon - "Rapture"

October 2024 will mark twelve full years since Anette Olzon officially parted ways with Nightwish. She only got two albums with them, and the split was somewhat controversial, given that it happened after Olzon announced her pregnancy.

Since then, though, Olzon has continued to remain a high-profile Symphonic/Power vocalist through three distinct efforts:

1. Her new band, The Dark Element, has released two solid albums in 2017 and 2019.

2. She took over Jorn Lande’s spot in the duo project Allen/Lande, which released four very good albums between 2005-2014. The new iteration, Allen/Olzon, has released two albums in 2020 and 2022.¹

3. And Olzon has also pursued a solo career, releasing Shine in 2014, Strong in 2021,² and now Rapture.

Even now, at age 52, Olzon has an incredible voice capable of rising above dense instrumentation and carrying a melody at full-tilt. She’s an incredible vocalist. I would not be a Nightwish fan today but-for her tenure as their frontwoman.

That said, none of what she has done since Nightwish has quite measured up to that brief stint with them. Were I reviewing albums way back then, both were clearly AOTY contenders for their respective years.

Still, even with more conservative expectations, it’s worth it to give her solo albums a chance. Rapture is evidence of that. Admittedly, I was very uncertain after my first listen, which happened in the car, where the speakers failed to do the songs justice. It wasn’t until subsequent listens on headphones where I began to see Rapture as more than just a mediocre rock/metal offering.

There is some enjoyable depth here. From hard-hitting opener “Heed the Call” to the incredibly rich and melodic “Requiem”, many tracks on the album are satisfying listens as long as the delivery vehicle produces a detailed audio listening experience. The band that Olzon has assembled to support her³ is talented and capable. Guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) Magnus Karlsson is also a songwriter and producer for the album, so while Olzon gets the glory, Karlsson is ultimately carrying an equal, or nearly-equal, stake in the final product. I would be remiss if I did not also mention that Karlsson’s producer credits are lengthy and date back about 20 years, including four of the six Allen/_____ albums, several Primal Fear albums, and more, including Olzon’s last solo album. At this point, it feels like the two have really learned how to work with one-another very well.

The album’s real meat, though, is in its thematic arc. As the title suggests, it leans heavily on the Christian concept of ‘Rapture’. While it is a relatively recent concept, originating in 1830s America, it has gained mainstream recognition, and most people assume (as I did) that it is a more foundational concept than it actually is.

The album kicks off with almost-overbearing zeal on the subject with the first two tracks, “Heed the Call” and title track “Rapture”. But then, over the course of tracks 3-4 (“Day of Wrath” and “Requiem”), there is a gradual turn that happens. In “Day of Wrath”, the zeal turns to sorrow and, perhaps most importantly, a recognition of fault; and with that, an acknowledgment that if the Rapture occurs, it’s our collective fault:

I know I failed, I've strayed, I've lost my way
To late to repent
Can I redeem me

Forgive the wrongs I've done I know
I can change be a better one

[…]
The world we know doomed for the sins we've done
[…]
Cry aloud make us repent or all end

“Requiem” progresses this pivot, pushing the call to personal responsibility:

Reflect upon the path you walk
The choice you make now will be called
Take care of what was given to us all
An Earth who blooms from blue to green
Caress it while you're here to see
Judgement comes the day of wrath is here

As the aptly-titled “Arise” kicks off, the turn is complete, and the rest of the album is spent calling out problems in today’s world and those responsible; Olzon also continues to plead for the rest of humanity to come together in peace to solve these problems collectively.

Let them hear
It's time to rise now
Unveil their eyes and make them see it

The chaos made by their own bare hands
Their planets burn from choices made by man

Arise
It is time to change our ways
From now till the end of days
One day is still one day too late
Atone
There's no time to hide in shame
We will all be judged the same
A single match to start the flame

While there are also still additional pleas for faith to triumph, it is as much faith in humanity’s better nature as it is in a higher power.

It is this conceptual arc which truly uplifts the album. As much as I enjoyed the depth once I heard it properly, nothing on Rapture is really super technical. It is heavy and fast for much of its runtime, but most metalheads will likely still view it as “popcorn” metal with somewhat basic and approachable structures. Drummer Anders Köllerfors uses a double kick on the bass, and bassist Johan Husgafvel adds harsh vocals to the mix as a sort of auditory punctuation, but as Metal goes, and even just Power Metal, this album should be relatively approachable for newbies to the genre.

But I really enjoyed it, and it may be Olzon’s best solo album to date.

Rating: Teal Blue

1. The new project’s debut album rated Blue in 2020, but is currently unranked; 2022’s Army of Dreamers rated Green and missed the Top 40 that year.

2. Strong rated Green in 2021, and did not make that year’s Top 40.

3. I should note that the supporting band is comprised of the same three instrumentalists as 2021’s Strong, featuring:

• Magnus Karlsson – guitars

• Johan Husgafvel – bass guitar, growls

• Anders Köllerfors – drums