RAVENSIRE "A Stone Engraved In Red"

RAVENSIRE

"A Stone Engraved In Red"

I have a great affection for the subgenre known as Epic Metal or, as I prefer to call it, Sword and Sorcery metal. Bands like MANILLA ROAD, OMEN and IRONSWORD carry the torch high for this rugged type of power metal that's a fit accompaniment for tales of ancient warriors, dragons and bloody battles. But not every band can master this sound. And that, sad to say, is where we find Portugal's RAVENSIRE.

These fellows definitely have their heart in the right place. They even dedicate the song "After the Battle" to the memory of MANILLA ROAD's Mark Shelton, who arguably knew the Epic Metal style better than anyone else. The lyrics and the imagery are definitely there for RAVENSIRE. But the music just doesn't seem to click. A lot of that can be chalked up the vocals of bassist Rick, which come across too quavery and monotonous. There's just not enough variation in tone, though his voice is dramatic enough, and the result kind of flattens things out. And there's just something in the songwriting that falls short of the band's inspirations. They hit some majestic riffs on "Chaos in Kamarg", "After the Battle" and "The Games of Titus" where you can hear echoes of OMEN and MANILLA ROAD, but for every riff they nail, there's more that sound run of the mill. And it also doesn't help that the lead guitar is average at best.

The form is correct, the heart is there, but the substance is lacking. Those looking for Epic Metal are better off sticking with the originators of the sound.

CRUZ DEL SUR

RAVENSIRE