ITALIC

LoreWeaveR is a promising italian progressive metal band with strong female vocals. Their second album, 'Italic' is nothing revolutionary within this realm, yet it is quite enjoyable despite some flaws.

As specified earlier, the great thing about LoreWeaveR is that they have a singer with a staggering voice (a good comparison would be Patricia Tapia of spanish melodic hard-rock band Nexx). However, she doesn't reach the high notes as often as expected, preferring instead the wounded whispered chant. The first two songs might get on your nerves with their bland rehash of Dream Theater-like prudent rhythm patterns blended with the sinister and hesitating guitars akin to djent metal, another over-used feature of modern progressive metal. These two tracks are saved by a catchy chorus showcasing great vocal performance and by more inspired bridges. The band really sounds like a cover band on these songs, which is a pity because the remainder of the album is pure gold. And, indeed, "Lionheart" denotes a very dynamic side with faster pace, swirling and orchestral keyboards, together with daring vocals: there you feel that the band has a true personality. From this track on, drums are more colorful and more creative, keyboards deliver a broader range of sounds, while the voice of Barbara Rubin flies towards unreachable skies. As an illustration of wider keyboard array, lend an ear to the cabaret-like piano on "Vae Victis", but also those accordion-like layers on "Angry Tears", or even the eerie layers reminiscent of Pieter Nooten on "The river suite". The guitar riff of Pantera's "Walk" all along "Vae Victis" comes a bit surprising, just as the pop vibe instilled by the impassioned duet in italian language on the bonus track "Soldatino industriale", but they spice up the music without making it sound too goofy.

In the end, I have mixed feelings about this album. It doesn't start in the most inspiring way, but then quite unexpectedly a boost of energy and creativity makes sparks fly and a smile comes back on our face. I would rate it 4/5 but with regard to my complaint on the first two songs, and a preference of the vocalist for whispered chant, it's rather a solid 3,5.

3.5 stars for sure

Loreweaver from Italy is more then an intresting prog metal band, at least for me. So far they released two albums, the second one Italic from 2014 is a real winner for my ears. I've said intresting because, I guess the cherry on the cake here is the voice of Barbara Rubin, she has a very powerfull voice, very elastic in manner of singing and is in places is very similar with Lana Lane teh tone is quite same. The instrumental sections are more then good with some top parts like on opening track Rigor Mortis and on my fav from here Lionheart, the rest aswell is great. Now on Lionheart a pieces clocking around 8 min is full of plistering passages with some angry vocal parts from Barbara, the whole package being very very solid to me, one of the most intresting prog metal pieces I've heared lately. What I like more is that the crossing between more melodic aproach to a more edgy ones is done in a gentle manner, the guys play so well, specially I like the drumer Claudio Cavalli.All in all the potential is certainly there - Loreweaver for sure knowing to deliver solid prog metal and I'll keep an eye in the future on their music, definetly a better album then the debut who also was good. About the lyrics, on one piece my attention was captured more then on others is the piece My freedom, just read the lyrics and see that are intresting for sure, even apear a tanks for Gentle Giant music and for progressive music as a whole, a nice one.So, 3.5 stars for Italic, a nice art work aswell with a nice gatfold cover. Fans of the genre give a try , belive me worth it.

Italian band LOREWEAVER was formed back in 2008, and released their debut album "Imperviae Auditiones" in 2011 through Italian label SG Records. "Italic" is their sophomore production, and was issued through French label Musea Records in 2014.

I recall that Loreweaver's debut album was a fine album in most respects, but one that for me at least suffered slightly from the vocals not being quite aligned to the music it was a part of as I experienced this production. That isn't an issue this time around, as the vocals is a much better fit in the arrangements as a whole on this occasion. As such, those with an interest in progressive metal sporting a female vocalist should have a nice band to get familiar with here.

Loreweaver's take on progressive metal is one that resides well inside the classic progressive metal sound, and perhaps most of all inside a context that should be familiar to fans of a band such as Dream Theater. At times a bit too close to comfort perhaps, but as long as the compositions are well made that isn't a problem as such. The opening pair of tracks here, named Rigor Mortis and My Freedom respectively, stands out for me as possibly the strongest cuts here despite some rather obvious references in terms of how the dark, dirty guitar riffs and majestic keyboard textures blend and complement each other. The second of these also sports what is a recurring feature later on, with gentler and more careful sequences added to the otherwise more majestic and hard hitting passages that has more of a purebred progressive metal touch. In fact, third track Lionheart is just about the only other purebred example of a purebred, tight metal composition besides opening cut Rigor Mortis, and Lionheart is also the song where vocalist Rubin showcase the more aggressive part of her vocal repertoire most extensively, with a type and mode of delivery there comparable to a singer like Chastain's Leather Leone.

From forth track Angry Tears and onward to concluding piece Soldatino Industriale we're presented with compositions that have more of an elaborate character and structure, where Angry Tears and the massive, epic length The River Suite in particular examples of songs sporting multiple themes and developments, alternating gentle and harder edged arrangements and, at least to my taste, with perhaps just a bit too much going at times, to the extent that tension and momentum has a tendency to suffer from that. One of those small details that separate a song from being merely a good and pleasant experience to being a great and thrilling one. Such notions is obviously something that boils down to personal taste rather than quality, a matter of how you enjoy and listen to music, as others might highlight those very same compositions as the clear highlights due to the manner in which they experience them based on their taste in music.

All in all an enjoyable album of fairly sophisticated classic era progressive metal that primarily explore the Dream Theater variety of this style, and expands the canvas to include also passages and sequences of a more careful and gentle nature from time to time. Those who treasure the Dream Theater variety of progressive metal should obviously be a key audience for this album, and then especially those amongst them that are also fond of music with an occasional gentler and milder expression at times.