Band: Incrave
Title: Dead End
Label: Ulterium Records
Release Date: May 13, 2008
Reviewed By: Chris W
Track Listing:
01.Shattered
02.The Forgotten
03.A Shadow In The Dark
04.The Touch Of Death
05.Unveil The Death
06. Shades Of Me
07.And Empty Soul
08.Scream In Silence
09.Nevermore
10.Dead End
Power metal, a term that has become synonymous with the ridiculously cheesy Dragonforce, thanks in part to Guitar Hero. Thanks to the general public’s misinformation and Dragonforce’s explosion into mass media, there is a poor understanding of what power metal really is. It’s not always raging fast 1/16 note guitar solos and lyrics about fire and battling. It is melodic, generally having a symphonic sound.
Incrave, hailing from Sweden choose to focus more on the melodic side of things than the side mentioned above. Most of the songs are on the more medium pace with a few songs that go in the wonderful direction of thrash metal. The more time I spent listening to this release the more I came to the conclusion that these guys remind me heavily of Stryper. Singer Johan Falk has that same nasally 80’s metal voice that Michael Sweet became famous with. Their keyboardist adds both nice, well chosen symphony sounds of strings but also uses a simple piano sound on many of the songs. There is little use of the heavy synthesizer sounds that have become popular in other metal groups, but there are some and they’re well placed. The guitars are the standard rhythm and lead setup with a classic metal feel. The wailing lead and the occasional squeal make my ear tingle with joy. Because as much as I love modern metal-core and the like, I have a big soft spot for a classic metal flair.
Overall: This album is a great choice for anyone who likes more the more classic sounds of metal, the vocals and music are all well put together and executed. The band has obviously spent the time and effort require to put this together the right way. Standout tracks include: Nevermore, The Touch Of Death, and Unveil The Death. Definitly check this out.
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