SLUMBER RECON

First impressions are lasting impressions. The first impression I get with this band is that they are fifteen years too late. Now that's not to say that the music is weak. The music is full of energy. The musicianship is solid and the vocals are great. They really get down. If this band came out in the 90's they would have no questionably lead modern rock and metal onto a different path. A better path. Unfortunately that isn't the case.

Falling Asleep in Real Time has some nice chords to it. Very nu-metalish approach but not unpleasant. The singing is great and the heavier parts make me bang my head. A nice little Pantera-ish/Mudvayne-ish breakdown around 2:27. Guitars go post-rock afterward and the girl singing sounds sexy. Goes back into some nu-metal.

Hummer Pierced Through The Central Square is heavy as iron. There is a sick solo towards the end. The guitars are screaming and the vocals are too.

Veneto Slumber Recon clocks in at 7:32 and doesn't bore me to tears. A good signal they are thinking foward. It starts with some acoustic guitars playing almost flamenco style. Then they kick it into high gear with some heavy distortion. This song is skrettle to the max. I'm starting to think they can get a crowd bursting into a spontaneous mosh pit. I can't understand what they are saying but I like their melodies. The breakdown starts post-rockish and then brings back the flamenco (Maybe Eastern European?) then goes into almost a Serbian Rock Anthem. Then into a Serbian serenade with some clean delayed guitar to finish it off.

Selena starts off clean with a nice beat. A guy is singing this time and it's in English then the chick comes in. Some nice interplay between the two of them. Distortion kicks in after a minute but they continue singing. Turns into something almost european jazz. Very beautiful guitar work. Turns screamo towards the end.

Shiseido is skrettle. Too bad ass to be screamo. Part metal. Part Hardcore. Part Awesome. Probably the best track on this album.

Par Ti, San Marco starts with some more beautiful acoustic guitar. Some good drum/bass work backs it up. I don't know what he's saying but I think he's sad. I like the chicks backing vocals although it's technically not a harmony because she's singing the same notes. Towards the end he sounds pissed. Full skrettle around the 2:00 mark. A little hardcore thrown in their too. I'm starting to like this band.

Nothing... (The March Of Death) is apparently a cover of Mourning Beloveth. I usually hate when an album has a cover. It's fine for a live album but not studio. Luckily I never heard of this band before so I'm not entirely disappointed about that. I am however disappointed that this song is the closer. It is so emo the first few minutes. If it weren't for the death growl and low tuned distorted guitar at around 2:30 I would say this song sucks. They should have ended the album with Par Ti, San Marco.

In the end I'm left with a feeling of youth. Mainly because I loved this sound in high school. When I was 14 I was playing this kind of music. (At least trying to do so.) However there is nothing innovative or progressive about it by todays standards. The musicianship is solid and the vocals are on point. I give it a three even though the last song almost ruined the album for me.

Review originally posted at www.prog-sphere.com

Rain Delay are an experimental and very interesting metal band from Serbia whose third album has been released some months ago. This was my first experience with them, but surely the first of more to come, because despite it has some death vocals and elements that I normally would not enjoy, they caught my attention and made me like what I heard. The name of this new child is "Slumber Recon", an album divided in eight compositions that make a total time of 36 minutes, it is short actually, but strong, crazy and experimentally good.

It opens with "The Medina Division has Ceased to Exist" which has a powerful sound since the very first seconds, with growling vocals (which I don't particularly like, but accept) and then with "normal" male and female vocals being intercalated and complemented. I have to say that I like both voices, which is always a crucial point in a metal band. Later the song slows down and a kind of soft bluesy guitar solo appears along with mellow female voice. So now the song has completely morphed and lost its heavy and powerful sound, which however it is still present in some way.

"Falling Asleep in Real Time" starts with a calm and charming sound for the first minute. And then an explosion of rage arrives with powerful guitars and voices. What I like here is that in a single and relatively short song they managed to create different atmospheres and emotional states, but without harming the sound at all, I mean despite in a minute you seem to be listening to another song, it is still one of the passages of the same. The bass sound is great, along with the always precise and constant drums.

"Hummer Pierced through the Central Square" is a heavier track with death vocals almost all the time. Though this is not a song I really like, I must highlight the drums work along with the great guitar riff. On the other hand, "Veneto Slumber Recon" is my favorite track off the album, and also the longest one. It starts with acoustic guitars in a soft and slow way. After an introductory minute the electric strings and drums appear and begin to build up a structure. Here both, male and female vocals are excellent and perfectly work together, honestly I like them a lot (not the growl ones). The experimentation and creativity of the band can be truly appreciated in this track. The final minutes are pretty good, with vocals in English and other language that I don't recognize.

"Selena" is another favorite of mine. Here the rhythm may be catchier and gentler, it actually sounds at first like an ordinary alternative rock track, but well, I really like it. The vocals sound now charming and tranquilizing. After a minute, electric guitars appear and greatly complement the song's feeling. Before the third minute a cool guitar solo appears but the rhythm prevails; the only hint of rage appears at 3:30 with death vocals.

"Shiseido" is the shortest track, and a very experimental one, with some odd time signatures and inner changes in time and tempo. The sound is once again heavier and powerful. Drums are a highlight again, and here the girl sings in Japanese. Now if we want another language, we just have to wait for "Par ti, San Marco" and listen to the Italian words. This song marks another change with a calm beginning with acoustic guitars. However, it little by little progresses and the rage gradually appears. I really love how they play with those mood and sound changes.

And the album finishes with "Nothing? (The March of Death)", which actually sounds like a goodbye due to its soft rhythm and emotional male vocals. Acoustic guitar and drums accompany the voice for the first two minutes, and then electronic strings appear along with death vocals. Seconds later there is a guitar solo that last for few time, and the song continues with the same structure, this time it does not have more changes.

I am happy with this album, the talent and experimental sound of the musicians is evident, and when I can bear with death vocals is because the album succeeded with me, like it happened this time. Kudos for Rain Delay!