A decent debut.
Scarleth is a gothic power metal band from Ukraine formed in 2005. They have played some 140 shows since then and have also released several demos. In between the band has worked tirelessly on their first record including taking some 16 months on the artwork!
‘Broken World’ opens at break neck speed with a thrash like riff supported by a very powerful melody. This exhausting tempo recedes a little but soon fires back for the chorus. Grand keys open ‘Child Of The Forest’ before a more pounding progression is released. Scarleth follows these two galloping tracks with the most eclectic song suitably titled ‘Crazy Fever’. The most foreboding intro of bass and gothic keys creates a haunting atmosphere. The guitar fires up a crunchy riff then suddenly the keys disappear off into a jazz composition. The song returns on track with that slow crunching riff during the verse and chorus leading to a frantically fast guitar and keys solo. Regretfully the messy jazz keys really spoil this claustrophobic track.
The remainder of the album continues at a lesser tempo. ‘Shadow Fades Away’ is an epic number that explodes with some retro keyboards before being joined by the six string grinding away. This comes to a sudden halt for a much stripped verse before returning for a crunchy chorus and haunting solo. This is just beaten for best song by ‘World Depends On You’ which is wonderfully uplifting track. This precocious rocker is full of fun and energy showing the band at their most simple and infectious. To close out they opt for two tracks that dip their toes into progressive genres. ‘Flaming Angel’ has deep thundering riff and bass whilst the keys provide an eastern flavour whereas ‘You’ll Never Die’ is an atmospheric number that has all the feel of being thrown around a crashing open sea due to a pulverizing progression.
This is a decent debut, nothing surprising or exceptional but a good listen. Julia Elyashova has a crisp clear voice that has depth but she does have an accent to her singing which may not be to everyone’s preference, and it’s worth noting that she has now been replaced by Olga Marenich. It is obvious that each member of the band can play his chosen instrument extremely well with various solos scattered throughout, especially guitarist Victor Morozov who shows a great and varied ability. The production is well handled and the album has a clarity and crispness which helps the multi faceted output. Those with a passion for power, battle and epic metal should enjoy this as should those with a love of varied metal styles. However some might find the fantasy lyrics off putting and some with a love of straight up metal will find the extended interludes indulgent and drawn out. Neither of these negatives is unwarranted, but it does depend on your palette. This is an agreeable power metal vehicle and shows plenty of tenacity, ability and promise.
Dave Scott
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