2004-12-26
Here’s my confession, I have a weakness for catchy melodies, clean vocals and great energy, of course that great complexity, virtuosity and all kinds of crazy arrangements won’t hurt either, but lets not get carried away. Cascades ,in a way, fulfill my every basic need.
The album “spells and ceremonies” is the third release for this hard rock metal touched band called “the cascades”, which has already manage to based itself in the German underground.
The album was recorded during two intense month, in which the band has recorded 17 new songs, of those songs only 13 made the final cut.
Now, I believe I owe some explanations about my confession earlier.
The cascades play mostly hard rock, a but old school with metal touches here and there, very melodic, and very ear friendly in every song along the records, there are no dissonant guitar riffs or mind breaking time signatures, and a great vocalist with a very deep and a full voice the screams authority.
So far, so good!, every song here is great, when it stand out on its own, put them together and you’ll get a side effect, which I call routine.
The vocalist singing range, as well as his singing techniques isn’t to varied, and the minute your leading instrument sounds a bit to dull, you can get a little bored.
Most of the tempos are mid-low, very easy going, the guitars are quite standard with no special riffs or techniques, I won’t dare calling it boring, because the songs are great, each and every one, but all together they get a bit to familiar.
Outstanding songs are the like of “4 elements” a high tempo energized track, and “revolution come” another routine barker, in this one the vocalist gives his best performance I believe.
The tracks are great plus, the only thing that battered me is the combination of them all, you get a sense of repeating ness in them, the band in itself is great, and I believe their future albums will just keep getting better and better. After all, even the greatest artist can’t always come up with a masterpiece.
Roy Povarchik
