RavenWord - Transcendence
Updated: Apr 30, 2020
Label: Rockshots Records
Release date: 31st January 2020
Genre: Symphonic power metal
Formed in 2007 and hailing from Milan, RavenWord is the brainchild of keyboardist David Scuteri who was inspired by the works of popular Gothic American poet Edgar Allen Poe, specifically by the novel “The Raven”. After the release of a self-titled demo in 2012, the band went on a brief hiatus, regrouping 5 years later and recruited new members who are veterans of the Italian metal music scene; vocalist Chiara Tricarico, guitarists also bass player Cesare Ferrari, and drummer Michele Olmi.
On November 2019, the band released the single “No More” from the new one-time studio album “Transcendence”, a title chosen in line with RavenWord’s ode to poetry to symbolize the idea of always going beyond one’s perception of reality and seeking deeper meanings and with “Transcendence”, where RavenWord captures the romantic and decadent poetic themes typical of Edgar Allan Poe’s period, combined with an equally decadent symphonic metal sound.
Tracklist:
Blue Roses
Life is you Hands
No More
Lullaby for the Last Petal
Purity
Rain of Stars
The Queen of Darkness
What I Need
The Swansong
Dylan
The Crimson Lake
The Distance
Bleeding Moon
“Blues Roses” opens the album with a dark-electronic lullaby melody to the ambient of a storm in the background, exemplifying this romantic Gothic atmosphere the album takes aim at, until we get to next verse which carries an infectious energy of rhythmic power metal that reminds me to Nightwish's 1998 release “Oceanborn”. The momentum of the first track carries into “Life is in Your Hands” where the hands of the guitarist Cesare Ferrari make those riffs flow without any struggle. The duo between Scuteri's keys and Ferrari's guitar hits the notes with a crisp and striking position giving the track some ominous tones until the latter continues his skills of classical music with the keys of a grand piano along with the strings quartet. “No More” continues the similar chords but merges more of the classical melodies and Tricarico displaying her operatic mezzo-soprano ranges in the power metal barrage, while “Lullaby of the Last Petal” which follows strips the metal element and gives us this beautiful classical inspired movement.
From here on out with "Transcendence", their dynamic stays consistent with the Oceanborn-formula as displayed in "Purity" but having more of that catchy vocal melodies. As mentioned, the album continues the consistency, but the following tracks do have some standouts like the twinkling keys in "Rain of Stars" with it's racing progressive riffs and the speedy yet elegant string arrangements while "The Queen of Darkness" and "What I Need" comes in with amazing bombastic choir work and some dark growls in the latter along with a whirlwind of solos, whereas "The Swansong" which is like a metal-ballad that carries an ethereal atmosphere and more of Chiara's classical singing along with strong belts nearing the climax of this impressive track.
The last four tracks, the band really goes in, like in "Dylan" which includes Ferrari's solo of the bass and guitar which was definitely an ear candy with a surprise ouch of acoustic until it became shadowed by "Crimson Lake", where the majority of the elements the album continued is contained in one track with its charging progressive work and classical side by side, a very complex track where all the members work in perfect sync, in which "The Distance" had a great keep up with the momentum with an electrifying opening until transitioning into an elaborate acoustic environment. The final track "Bleeding Moon" worked as a great cinematic poetic finale as a heavy goodbye enriched with beautiful melodies.
While reviewing the album, it was a bit difficult to listen to the album in one sitting due to the length of each track and how consistent the tracks are with dynamics that make it feel neverending. I get where the band is going into a storytelling direction, if there is a ray of light that a second album is possible, I believe they have room for some improvements when it comes to length and maybe even dynamics. Overall, the album did a great job in the elements and sound, and something to fill the void of what Nightwish's "Oceanborn" left on me, and especially the raw sounds in the production does give of the nineties (90s') progressive / Gothic metal vibes like to that of early After Forever.
Final rating: 7.5
RavenWord is:
Davide Scuteri - keyboards
Chiara Tricarico - vocals
Cesare Ferrari - bass & guitar
Michele Olmi - drums
Official pages:
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