Sometimes, less is definitely more!
Italian Prog Metal band Loreweaver are aiming to hit the UK with a bang with their debut album, "Imperviae Auditiones". Fronted by female vocalist Barbara Rubin with guitarist Francesco Salvadeo, bassist Giordano CHUZ Mattiuzzo, keyboardist Lorenzo Marcenaro and Claudio Cavalli on drums, the band's aim with this "musical project" is ensuring that the "...various influences and personalities of each member could be put in evidence" – this goes some way to explain the sheer randomness of the album!
"Imperviae Auditiones" starts strongly with 'Bogus', which really does showcase the vocal abilities of Barbara Rubin; the sheer power of her voice is quite unbelievable at times but unfortunately, as the album goes on, the long, loud, high-pitched notes do get a bit tedious as the intricate instrumentals are drowned out.
Just like any good prog band, the lengths of the tracks are unbelievably long, occasionally leaving the listener lost, wondering whether they are still enjoying the same song; the longest song on the album is final track 'Ultraworld' at a staggering 9 minutes and 46 seconds!
Track 4 'Follow The Weaver' was my favourite track of the album, with a beautifully light, dancing piano melody and soaring guitar solo, this delicate track was a complete juxtaposition to the heavy metal heard throughout the majority of the album.
Track 5 'Ride the Owl' stood out to me every time I played the album. You've played Final Fantasy, right? I mean, who hasn't..? OK so I'm a little bit of a games geek, but at times this track sounds exactly like the music played in the battle scenes of the earlier games in the series. Ah, the memories!
Overall, I did enjoy "Imperviae Auditiones" and it's not difficult to appreciate the talented musicians behind the music and the sheer dedication to the project. However, I did find myself getting lost in the album as the tracks seemed to go on forever without actually going anywhere and at times, Barbara Rubin's vocals did grate on my nerves a little bit. She is an immensely talented vocalist, but sometimes less is most definitely more! Lovers of prog music will undoubtedly love Loreweaver and their debut album, but more mainstream music fans may struggle to connect with this one - give it a go and find out for yourself!
"Imperviae Auditiones" is out now!
To find out more about Loreweaver and their music, check out their Myspace: www.myspace.com/loreweaverband