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SCARRED
"Haunting Memories" (Independent; 2009)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Scarred is pretty much classic power metal in the vein of Ronnie James Dio, Black Sabbath, Rainbow -- those kinds of bands -- but perhaps with a more American sound.
The guitars chug along at a healthy pace throughout without ever racing out of control. The band never sacrifices what works best for the song to showcase speed. There's time enough for speed when the solos come along but, again, the band shows restraint and delivers what works best. Vocalist Eric Claro is a strong singer, whose style brings to mind such greats as Dio and Joe Lynn Turner, although Claro has a slightly higher-pitched voice.
Three of the four tracks here are flat-out rockers, while track two, "Haunting Memories," echoes its title. A slower, "ballad" type song, "Haunting Memories" makes the best of the band's soaring guitars and Claro's impressive vocals and, despite it's relatively slow pace, is never boring.
The production is a little raw in places but you'd almost expect it to be on an indie label like this and it never gets in the way of the music.
The only disappointment here is that this is only a four-track CD. That's both good and bad news. The good news is that these four tracks make me want to hear more from Scarred now. The bad news is that, at the moment, four tracks is all we've got.
For more information, check out http://www.scarredmetal.com or http://www.myspace.com/scarredmetal.
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 © 2011 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
01 Apr 2024 11:14:20 -0500.
