Once thing I can always count on in regards to the releases from Nightmare Records is the quality of the musicianship. The debut release from Sirens' Cry is no exception.
Listening to the nine tracks on Scattered Horizons it's easy to forget that this is their first release. This album sounds like it's from a band well into their recording career.
Siren's Cry is a female fronted five piece from Austria. Yes we've seen female fronted symphonic metal bands before but I think that this band has found a way to go to a new place with their music. Their influences are pretty diverse in terms of metal including Metallica, Dream Theater and Symphony X.
There's a palpable distinction with this group that you really need to hear to fully appreciate and understand.
There's a palpable distinction with this group that you really need to hear to fully appreciate and understand.
The disc opens with Introitus a 1:39 noisescape that takes you nicely into the album. That one leads to S3V3N a nice driving track reminiscent of Dream Theater.
You get a nice taste of how all the players contribute the overall sound. I should point out that this disc is self produced. Listening to the beginning of this track I got a real appreciation for the restraint this band had in recording this disc. A lesser band would have heaped on all kinds of stuff but this is so well done and everything just sits nicely and balances each other out. About a minute in you finally get to hear vocalist Katie Joanne. She comes innate in a high pitied diva mode but in a middle register voice that just sounds amazing against the musical backdrop. She slowly builds up the register getting subtly higher as the song continues. Extremely well done. A nice middle eastern vibe keyboard and guitar solo hits around the four minute mark. Think Petrucci and Rudess here and you get the idea.
Track three Oratory & Sins ratchets up the tempo with nice staccato guitar work from Phillip R Porter (ala Hetfield) and tight tom work from Fredric Brunner. They couple that with nice proggy twists and breakdowns. This one is five minute of excellence. There's a breakdown at the 3:30 mark that is so simple and powerful it will raise the hair on your arms.
The best way to describe the next one Elegy of R'lyeh is a twisting turning road. Usually symphonic metal bands will toss the slow one in at four. Instead Siren's Cry turns in this monster track. Half bizarre tempos coupled with 4/4 sections it's a track that will appeal to musicians. Maybe not the average listener but definitely musicians.
Well the slow one hits at five. It does however come branded with the coolest name, Cold Amber & Scalding Tears. Again restraint is shown in that this one clocks in at under four minutes. While it's slow there some tasty work done by all on it.
Then we hit a beast of a track clocking in at over nine minutes Sahara Sagas Pt 1is actually broken down into five separate parts. Brought me back to the early days of Rush with their multi part songs. In my humble opinion I would have liked to have this just cut down to the one part "Beyond The Veil" and leave room for tenth album track instead. Again just my thought. There's nothing bad about the other parts they are all well done and I know they are all part of the whole. If they were perhaps even more varied than they are it might have worked more for me but they are just too close in overall sound and feel.
Then we hit my favorite track, Serpents of War. I like this one so much it was the track of the week on episode 145 of FoM. If you haven't checked that one out head to focusonmetal.net and download the episode and you'll see why I'm really liking this one. This one might well be the best representation of all their influences coming together and it has something for every metal taste. Insane guitar work, grooving bass by Soren Skupien , unrelenting drums, creative keyboard parts from Michael Siskov and some killer vocals.
Lastly there's Controversial Mind. This is another one with many twists and time changes. The difference here is that there is a vibe here that can only be described as sinister. I could see this being the backing music for the finale of some action thriller.
So there you have it. Scattered Horizons from Sirens' Cry. If you like Symphonic Metal or Dream Theater with a twist then take your metal dollars and get this one. Top notch players and untouchable vocals. A thumbs up for almost all the tracks save for one. All this from a debut release. I can't wait to hear where they take this next. For now I will enjoy this one. For those of you in Europe you can also see them live with Masterplan and Mystic Prophecy. The tour runs from Oct 1st through Oct 21st. See the tour page at focusonmetal.net for all the dates. There's also a tour trailer on YouTube
For info on the band you can head to:
Official Website: www.sirenscry.com
Official Facebook:www.facebook.com/sirenscryband
Official Myspace: www.myspace.com/thesirenscry
Official Reverbnation:www.reverbnation.com/sirenscry
Official Youtube:www.youtube.com/OFFICIALSirensCry
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