Atmosphere

『Atmosphere』は、2011年1月にAOR Heavenから出た作品で、BAD HABITの5人が最も安定していた時期の記録である。歌のバックス・フェーリング、ギターと鍵盤のハル・マラベル、リード・ギターのスヴェン・シルンスキ、ベースのパトリック・セーデルグレン、ドラムのハイメ・サラザール。作業の大半はマラベルが一人で引き受けた。全曲を書き、プロデュースし、ギターを弾き、鍵盤も自分で埋めている。ドク・パット・シャノンが去って以来、鍵盤の席は誰かが常に埋め続けねばならなかったが、ここではその役も彼自身が務めた形になる。 題名から穏やかな一枚を想像した評者は、揃って足をすくわれた。“In the Heat of the Night”“Words Are Not Enough”“Every Time You Cry”の冒頭三連は、前作より明らかにギターが重い。そこから先は期待どおりの旋律的ロックで、会場を丸ごと持ち上げるような“I Wanna Be the One”、リフの立つ“I'll Die for You”、“Angel of Mine”“Save Me”“Fantasy”という三つのバラード、“Break the Silence”の弾み、そして“Without You”で全13曲48分が閉じる。歌詞が失われた恋の話に寄りすぎるという苦言もあったが、これをバンドの最高到達点に挙げる声は多い。以後バンドは沈黙し、2018年の再結成ライヴを経て『Autonomy』(2021年)で戻ってくる。

Atmosphere, released in January 2011 by AOR Heaven, documents the period when Bad Habit's five-piece was at its most settled: Bax Fehling on vocals, Hal Marabel on guitar and keyboards, Sven Cirnski on lead guitar, Patrik Sodergren on bass, Jaime Salazar on drums. Marabel took on most of the work himself. He wrote every song, produced, played guitar, and filled in the keyboard parts as well. Ever since Doc Pat Shannon left, someone had always had to cover that keyboard seat, and here the job fell to Marabel too. Any reviewer expecting something placid from the title was knocked off balance. The opening trio of "In the Heat of the Night," "Words Are Not Enough" and "Every Time You Cry" is plainly heavier on guitar than its predecessor. After that it becomes the melodic rock you expected: the arena-lifting "I Wanna Be the One," the riff-led "I'll Die for You," three ballads in "Angel of Mine," "Save Me" and "Fantasy," the bounce of "Break the Silence," and "Without You" to close thirteen songs in 48 minutes. Some complained that the lyrics lean too far into lost love, but plenty of people name this as the band's high-water mark. Silence followed; reunion shows in 2018 led to Autonomy in 2021.