APOCALYPTICA

A listen to Apocalyptica's Apocalyptica brings with it the nagging urge to figure out where, exactly, the music fits. Certain moments -- entire tracks, even -- are given over to classical formality, and it is in those moments, steeped as they are in traditional loveliness, that a listener can come dangerously close to thinking he is hearing something lofty and important. He is not. Apocalyptica, the genre-splicing Finnish instrumental band that changed headbangers' perception of the cello, is not pretentious exactly, but its effect is the same as that of a rock band whose lead singer is audibly British: it sounds smart. Too smart, for instance, to issue from the headphones of a kid just discovering Black Sabbath or lining up for Slipknot tickets. Where Apocalyptica might fit, then, is not with heavy rock scenesters but with aging metal heads. It is not hard to envision tracks like "Fatal Error" and "Fisheye" booming from the speakers of a splashy convertible with a bald guy at the wheel. Elaborate fantasy-concocting gamers -- Dungeons & Dragons players and their descendants -- also stand a better chance than most of finding relatable rock bliss here. Tammy La Gorce.

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