Afterlove - 'Copenhagen Closure'

BACKGROUND. By their very definition, supergroups are repeatedly destined to fall into obscurity. Like a new Avengers movie, it is all hype and mystery until all major players are revealed, big egos inevitably crash, and opposing ideas turn into incoherent mess. Recently, however, side acts like The Halo Effect and Alleviate that turned into main full-time commitment, proved that the concept can evolve from an experimental marketing stunt into a genuine friendship-driven means of artistic expression. The latest such project Afterlove comes from the frosty heart of Copenhagen and promises modern alt metal with simplicity and spontaneity in its core and we are here for it.

BAND. Afterlove is the lovechild of Mirza Radonjica, better known as the unstoppable and charismatic driving force behind Danish modern metal flagmen Siamese whose latest ELEMENTS (2024) was an absolute gem. Joining him on the new venture are Zack Barker of the Florida alt-rock powerhouse Rain City Drive, and Zac Allen from Pennsylvania metalcore collective If Not For Me, forming a formidable trio with rich background and even richer imagination. In Afterlove, all three proven songwriters ditch genre restraints, audience expectations and industry responsibilities to embrace pure, almost naive creative freedom with the sole goal of making killer modern alt metal anthems that get stuck into your head for good.

ALBUM. Naturally, behind Afterlove's promising debut Copenhagen Closure is the true bastion of Danish modern heavy music in Radonjica's very own label Prime Collective, who calls them a "raw, unfiltered playground of ideas" and "a project born purely from the love of vocal hooks and a massive wall of guitars". This really is the best way to describe an album as colourful and multifaceted as this one, simultaneously similar enough to Siamese, If Not For Me and Rain City Drive to lure familiar people in, but also different enough to become a force of its own in the future.

SONG. All this said, don't expect miracles or groundbreaking new ideas, for simplicity truly is the key here and this doesn't have to mean boredom or predictability. Just the opposite, Copenhagen Closure delivers certified contemporary bangers with the sole focus on infectious songwriting with pop allure, big anthemic hooks, driven energetic riffage and memorable sing-along lyrics. The huge flagship opening trio of 'Afterlove', 'Shape Of Mind' and 'House of Glass' perfectly sets the tone of the record, igniting a fire that burns just as bright until the very last tone of 'Løvehjerte' ('Lionheart'). No breaks, no fillers, nothing excessive and stillstill perfectly balanced from start to finish.

FUTURE. I do hope Afterlove become a regular feature on the release schedule, but also hope to keep seeing Siamese and the other bands involved here, doing what they do so, so well. For the sake of good old catchy songwriting, we do need all of them active in the modern metal and alternative scenes as most contemporary genre juggernauts tend to get stuck in overcomplicated composition and instrumental showing off. And at the end, sometimes all you want is just a good damn song to have a good time to, just like all seven hits Afterlove delivered so seamlessly on Copenhagen Closure.