Saturday 31 May 2014

10 Reasons Why You Need The Attraction of Opposites In Your Music Collection




The new album was released on May 27th, entitled The Attraction of Opposites. If by now you have not seen or read the waves of positive reactions and reviews for this fantastic album, then you really need to get with the program.

We were going to go for a traditional review format, but you know what, we will do something different. We are going to jump in to 10 reasons, why we think you NEED to have this album in your music collection.

1 Riffs 
Because you like riffs! Riffs are cool right? Well you cannot get away from them in this album. Notable Riffy moments include tracks such as, The Big Trick, Noir Desire and Your Way. You will also find other examples of great riffing.  You will not be shortchanged if you are into chunky guitar oriented metal.

2 Atmosphere
Understand this first off, you are not listening to just a metal album. You are listening to an experience beyond your imagination. There is so much going on in every track, you need to listen out for the fine detail of the instrumentation, and that creates a certain soundscape and mood which will change a lot throughout. Best thing to do, grab your headphones, sit back, open your mind and allow every intricate detail and background sounds to tickle your mind. Don't forget to bang your head too whenever you hear the twin Schecter attack by maestros, Mauro and Paul.

3 Diversity of Style
So you think you know metal? Are you sure? You may have heard many an album which sounds as though you are listening to one track, spanning the entire length of the album. That will not happen here. The style will shift constantly, In fact, this is a challenge. Listen from start to finish and see if you cannot spot big contrasts between tracks, yet still following along a strong concept and flow but never settling in to one style. Imagine yourself on a boat, but the landscape is changing frequently around you. You are still on the same boat, but you aren't traveling through a monotonous backdrop, but one which surprises you at every turn. Compare The Witness to The Big Trick, then Ink and Alive, Third Millenium Man and Noir Desire. You will get what I am talking about. In fact just hit play from Track one, entitled Luxury of a Distraction and go on the most diverse musical experience you have encountered in metal.

4 No Fillers
Yep we have all been there and take this as a normal occurrence. Usually we are happy when we can find 3 or 4 stand out tracks from an album, with a few not so stand out tracks, and the rest being pretty much not release worthy.  It is as though the musicians simply became bored of their own project and ran out of ideas.

Of course, there will be a level of subjectivity, when talking about music and we cannot and do not all feel the same way or like the same things. After multiple times and trying hard to measure the level of quality, musicianship, imagination and creativity, I cannot find any track lacking when gauged by these markers. So I throw the challenge out to you and see if you can spot a filler.

5 Lyrics/Vocals
Not always something which people are using to define or judge a band, but for those who have heard the excellent first album, One Way Out, will know that there is some serious writing going on which binds seamlessly to the soundtrack. It is as though the words and music were destined to meet.

The level of creativity and imagination does not drop in The Attraction of Opposites and though there are some moments where vocals fall in to the background, with the musical track coming in to the foreground, the combination of great interplay between the vocal and musical arrangements work amazingly well. You have to give the band huge credit for daring to defy conventions and offer something different. There are spaces where your mind will fill in and that is what music has the power do to. To be able to bring in your own feelings, emotions and experiences relative to what you are listening to.

The vocal style is varied, backed up by strong lyrics and great instrumentation. The sometimes haunting and expressive delivery by front woman Giulia Stefani really ties everything together amazingly well. She will surprise you with how many faces her voice has.

6 The Result of Hard Work and Dedication
With roughly three years in the making, The Attraction of Opposites is the end product of a 'labour of passion' so to speak. This album would not have been here today, had it not have been for the hard work and professionalism and of course the vision and artistry to produce a stellar piece of art. We have followed the band in their endeavour, (documented on this very blog) to not only bring you this album, but to improve as musicians and artists, the two not being mutually exclusive, but in this instance one and the same.

This project is not a Let's make another album, it's rather, Let's make THE album. There is a difference, and it shows.

7 Because the Album Art is Awesome!
That is all that needs to be said.


























8 Because You Cannot Mistake Ravenscry for Another Band
Yes, people have tried to make comparisons with the likes of Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, but is that because they are a metal band with a female vocalist? Perhaps to the untrained ear it's easy to make such comparisons, but Ravenscry have their own sound and are unlike other bands, that fall within the female fronted metal category. They fly under the banner of Alternative Metal, but that is another way of saying, you add your own ingredients and stand out, being not so easily definable, which is a good thing. As was said in one of the earlier points, the strong diversity between tracks and the overall sound of the band is not like any other. It is even more so apparent in this album.

Ravenscry are like Ravenscry and there is no other way to put it.

9 You Will Replay this Album Many Many Times
I have lost count the amount of times I have played this album. Sometimes I pick a track to play and think I will stop at that, but then I get the urge to play through the entire album. It is addictive and there are some very catchy moments that stay in your head. The Witness, Alive, Cynic, Missing Words, ReaLies, The Big Trick, catchy chorus overload! Don't fight it, just give in and spin it again and again and again.............again!

10 You Should Support Bands That Believe In What They Do
Ravenscry have put so much in to producing an amazing album, and since they are not a big name in music, they do not reach far and wide and are categorized in a quite specific sub genre of Metal. But try not to read too much in to that. They are a band with their own style, flair and knack for making great music. It may not follow the normal conventions of what people are used to or instantly recognize but it takes a little time, getting to know what the band stand for and what inspires them to make music, the way they do.

Having to work twice as hard to get noticed is a reality these days, when you dare to be different and stand out from the crowd. Too many bands are guilty of copying formulas that work and bring them success, because they have imitated a winning formula. But you will find that the Ravenscry sound is organic and unique and deserves to be heard. It takes a person to step out of the box, open their mind and let the music do the talking. Forget what you think you know about Alternative Metal and judge the band on the merit of the music that they have made. You are seriously mistaken if you think Ravenscry are just another female fronted metal band, and I challenge you to give them a try and see if they do not surprise you with their brand of fresh, conscientious and unique metal music.

The Attraction of Opposites
Track list

1 Luxury of a Distraction
2 The Witness
3 Missing Words
4 Alive
5 The Big Trick
6 Touching the Rain
7 Cynic
8 Living Today
9 Third Millenium Man
10 Noir Desire
11 Ink
12 Your Way
13 ReaLies

http://ravenscryband.com/


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