FAITH

Belorussian ensemble IN SEARCH FOR was initially set up as a solo vehicle by composer and multi-instrumentalist Yann Zhenchak back in 2007. But as songs were written, developed and initially recorded by Yann himself, the idea to involve other musicians became more compelling. Eventually a band was formed, consisting of young and talented musicians, and several guest musicians were involved along the way too. The end result became this young outfit's debut album "Faith", initially released in Belarus in 2009 and reissued by Russia's MALS Records the following year.

"Faith" is a sincere and honest album that offers quite a lot of diversity, but for me it is found lacking in terms of finesse and identity. The flawed centerpiece aside, the songs are competently performed by competent musicians, and while the compositional aspect of this disc isn't too impressive according to my standards, there's nothing really wrong with them either, other than the fact that none of them manage to make a great impression. Personally, I'd suspect that young metal fans who would like to explore a metal act keen on adding in art rock-inspired motifs might be a key audience for this band. But they as well as others should take the time to sample this material prior to a possible purchase.