And Then She Came

For a long time it was quiet around Krypteria, the band of Ji-In Cho and her boys. Since the summer of 2012 they took a break because the singer looked forward to the joys of motherhood. During this time, though,  the musicians were not idle. Bass player Frank Stumvoll got the job to compose a soundtrack. To support him, he brought out his “old” companions S.C. Kuschnerus (drums) and Olli Singer (guitar). AND THEN SHE CAME – Ji-In Cho. From the studio project has developed a real band. New songs were written and an album was produced. Because the sound of the new songs is very different from Krypteria’s sound, the four decided to give themselves a new name: And Then She Came!

Already the first song “Five Billion Lies,” shows clearly that And Then She Came won’t outshine Krypteria. Banging alternative guitar sounds and the harsh vocals themselves define the new sound. Of course there are to hear several melodic parts. Towards the end Alyssa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy, ex-The Agonist) adds some Death Metal growls that support the new, tougher sound. “We were determined to have her full-throttle vocal beast mode as turbo in “Five Billion Lies””, explains the band. “Public Enemy # 1” then sounds like a nursery rhyme for adults, which is sung partly in several languages. The chorus is again melodic.

“Why So Serious” could date back to the Krypteria universe. It’s a melodic song with airplay qualities. In “Spit It Out” there are some Industrial references. The guitars and sometimes the harsh vocals sound hectic. At the chorus there is fast drumming as a contrast; towards the end of the song there is a cool guitar solo by Jen Majura (Evanescense, Knorkator – live, Doz Of Hell).

For “Hellfire Halo”, the band shot a video with which they launched the campaign for the debut album. The guitars crack out of the boxes and the drums drive forward. The vocals of Ji-In Cho are partially technically alienated. The refrain invites you then to sing along. With various melodic and rhythmic changes the song has a proggy feel. With “I Carry On” a ballad is then heard. Initially, the fragile-sounding voice of Ji-In is accompanied only by the piano, later guitars and drums supervene. A mixture of piano and power ballad, but without being cheesy.

With the blast “Where Do We Go From Here?” the album is coming to an end.. Here they stepped on the accelerator again. This song is definitely one well suited to for the headbanger. The excellent guitar solo towards the end is almost a haven of peace.

The self-titled debut album of “And Then She Came” is certainly not easily digestible food. I think one or the other Krypteria fan will certainly put the album distraught aside. Surely you can find all the “old Trademarks” again, the unique voice of Ji-In Cho, popping guitars, punchy drums and powerful bass. But around it is a sound, which can be best described as Alternative and Industrial Metal/Rock. The four show eagerness to experiment. This is an album that’s worth hearing; however, there are only a few songs with real hit potential. It seems easiest to call it “Hellfire Halo” or “I Carry On”.

Release date: 24-06-2016
Reviewer: Rainer Kerber
Score: 8