By John Bedard
Music can have great power over our lives. It sets our mood. It can inspire us or make us cry. It can bring us to grips with previously unrecognized or unresolved emotions. It can be a major influence on our lives for better or worse. Unfortunately, sometimes it can do none of those things. This does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with it. It can still be well made or even well performed. Sometimes it just lacks that something special that makes it stand out. Sadly, that is how I felt about ‘100’. I did not dislike it by any standard and ever rather enjoyed it in the background but there was nothing about it that really stood out as super memorable.
Musically things are very well put together. The press blurb in the email describes Ravenscry as melodic metal. While this is technically true, the melodic elements take very much a background roll in most of the album. Overall, I would say the tone of the album was pretty generic metal with some melodic influence. With melodic metal, I expect large transitions into very melodic measures usually telling a story through music that would stand up even without vocals. Sure, elements of that are there but they don’t feel like a standout feature. Ironically as I was typing this part the track ‘The Gatekeeper’ came on which is a standout as being particularly full of what I’m talking about. It is an excellent track but unfortunately few other tracks really held that standard. Also, some of the tracks have this odd off-beat drum at parts that just feels out of place.
The vocals I feel are the weakest aspect of this album. It is not that she is a bad singer but that she lacks the power for what she is trying to do here. Quite often it seems as if she is trying to go into an almost operatic zone that I think she just falls short of. I think she would be better off sticking to a softer style like in the track ‘Paper Boat’ or perhaps a distorted vocal similar to what we hear from the likes of Hailstorm. She hints a little at being able to achieve a tone like that in ‘Binary’. Is she can hit a range like that I think it would complement her and the music much better.
I’m sure you can tell I was a little underwhelmed by this album. I do see a lot of potential and there was plenty I liked in what is here. It is an enjoyable album to have on in the background while I was doing other things. It would be a good album to add to a playlist to fill it out, but I just don’t see it being the headliner.
- ‘100’ is released this Friday (15 May). You can get your copy, and other Ravenscry goodies, HERE.
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