RAINTIME
"Tales
From Sadness" (Arise Records; 2005)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
"Tales From Sadness" is a mind-bending slab of metal that explores and combines every genre and sub-genre of metal and still manages to create a solid overall package. It's the kind of record that you find yourself admiring for its courage, complexity and sophistication ... and then realize you're banging your head furiously to it all at the same time.
With the melodic sensibility of Helloween and the quirky metal fury of Dimmu Borgir, Raintime's "Tales From Sadness" is an eight track, 41-minute collection during which things only slow down once -- and that's on the haunting track "Chains of Sadness" which, believe it or not, sounds a little like Queensryche.
Helloween? Dimmu Borgir? Queensryche? How can any one band emulate so many great sounds and, even more important, then combine those sounds into a unique sound of their own? Listen to "Tales From Sadness" and you'll find the answer. It's got everything: great vocals, incredible songwriting, blistering guitar solos, epic production. It's a rare debut CD that will leave you completely satisfied and yet begging for more.
Raintime: Claudio Coassin (vocals/keyboards); Michele Colussi (bass); Matteo Di Bon (guitar); Enrico Fabris (drums); Luca Michael Martina (guitar).
For more information, check out http://www.raintime.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2006 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised: 08 Apr 2024 13:43:55 -0400
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