Brave
Searching for the Sun
7.4
If I had to descibe this album in one word, it would be "pure". Brave is one of those "eclectic mix" bands. This CD combines rock and some folk/pop influenced material with some metal, classical and a touch of jazz. In fact, this album barely crosses the threshold of being metal. That's not entirely a bad thing, but Brave could do for a little more intense material. Regardless, each musician in Brave breathes character into the music. I found this aspect of the album to be the most valuable. Brave fits right in with groups such as "The Gathering", "Chalice", "Lacuna Coil" and "Aghora". They do have a similar appraoch and sound. All 4 bands have female vocalists with very similar voices and styles. Although, Brave does have their own, somewhat, distinct take on the music. If you're the type of person who says, "If it ain't got distortion, then it ain't no good"; then you most likely won't like this group. On the other hand, if you find the mixing of genres interesting, then you should give this album a listen. The music has a sophisticated feel. It also has a flowing, yet focused, sound. Most of the songs are well written, but a few became awfully repetitive. My favorite song from this album is "Out of Focus". This song is well written. It's unorthadox, but still held together in a logical way. To me, this is a tune that is heavy, without having a heavy sound. Similar aspect to some Beatles songs. And since Cynic is listed as an influence on the Brave website, I wondered just how much of a tribute this was. The first thing that we notice on this album is the open (not boomy) drum sound. It reminded me of Sean Reinart's drum sound on Cynic "Focus". I don't recall any double kicks on this Brave album at all, other than a fast kick fill in the first song (which was most likely done with one foot). So if double kicks are your "call to arms", you best look elsewhere. I did enjoy the drumming despite the lack of insane speed and complexity. It has a nice flow and a very focused tone. Good techinique, some good fills and some nice time signatures. The hi-hat work is really good. I'm intrigued as to how this guy will sound with another 5 years of study and practice under his belt...and hopefully a second bass drum! There's a good deal of acoustic, or acoustic sounding, guitar. I personally thought the guitars sounded great. The clean sounded clean and when the distrtion kicked in, it sounded like a flowing river over gentle rapids. So in other words, it sounded pretty good. I certainly would have cared for more riffs, shredding and overall heaviness. The vocals, as I mentioned above, sound very similar to "The Gathering", "Chalice", "Lacuna Coil" and "Aghora". If you've heard any of these bands, then you know what to expect...smooth, almost angelic vocals. Lyrics seem well thought out generally and combined with a female voice, carry a strong character. I'll make the same complaint I usually do; the vocals aren't quite diverse enough. The bass rounds things out nicely. I heard some highlights here and there, but I like bassists who can keep your attention. Most bassists just seem to fill in the gaps. The bass does sound nice and certainly fills the part, but I didn't hear anything that made me rewind just to hear the bass again. Overall a pretty good album if you have a broad taste in music. The sound is really good overall, I did notice a few things that may be questionable, but Brave should still be very proud of what they have created. Not a metal heads dream, but a worthwhile album it is. Brave should be considered mainstream in our society, instead of all this junk that we are bombarded with daily.
