Symphonic Power Metal is probably one of the first sub-genres a budding metal listener will encounter, a stopover on their way to the heavier and scarier side of things. This path, however, is wrought with false gods and idolatry. While the sub-genre is ruled over by multiple giants, for every Epica and Kamelot you find, you encounter ten or so copycats – or worse – bastardised versions in a misbegotten attempt to put a creative spin on the symphonic sound. Undeterred, Italy’s Ravenword has thrown their hat in the ring with their 2020 offering Transcendence to try where so many have failed.
Formed in 2007, the band went onto an extended hiatus while the members focus on other projects and they have since reformed in 2016, with Transcendence as their first release as a band. The first thing that struck me was how heavily they lean on their influences. The neo-classical sound instantly pulled names like Stratovarius to mind, and Nightwish-y composition oddly goes well with the album’s cover photo. The songs themselves display the catchy hooks and melodies we all expect from the genre. But this is the caveat, as many of these songs open strong with a nice catchy hook but never really elevate it. This plagues the rest of the album. Each song starts out strong, but the magic of the melody slowly fades as we hear it for the umpteenth time.
The severity of this problem will vary depending on how much the particular melody resounds with you, as on some tracks I didn’t mind listening to the obligatory two choruses after the solo, but if the particular melody they decided to go with is not one you mesh with, well, those two repetitions are gonna feel a lot longer than it is.
The Nightwish composition further compounds this problem with the predictable song structure. When you are listening to the same song structure, it can get fatiguing fast. Considering the album is seventy minutes long, this is a lot to digest in one sitting.
There is a sense that the album does overstay its welcome a bit, and the last three songs do become a slog to get through. **Ravenword** do put a ballad every few songs and these are a very welcome change of pace during a listen, but these feel few and far between when marathoning the album and, while a nice bandaid, doesn’t quite stem the bleeding.
That being said, however, the songs themselves are quite good. There is some stellar playing from Davide Scuteri and Cesare Ferrari on the keys and guitar, and the dynamic duelling solos are a highlight of each song. Chiara Tricarico’s powerful vocals also take to the symphonic power sound like a duck to water, fitting right in pleasantly. The repetition issue only really rears its head when the melody is unengaging to the listener, but these are the strings and harpsichord filled, shimmery keyboard, power chord guitar songs that are the hallmark of the genre and its not altogether unpleasant. If one likes the sound of that, then there’s a lot to like on *Transcendence*.
Overall, the album is one with many hits and just a few misses, but these misses undercut the album just enough to taint the experience. There is a lot of potential for this band as they certainly have the chops to compose solid songs, but they may have given Yngwei’s words too much weight when he said “More is more”. The album is a solid offering but it pushes too much at once. With a little restraint, I’m sure the next album will be far more refined and that will definitely be an album in interested in hearing.
Overall, it’s a solid offering and fans of Symphonic Power should definitely give it a listen. Just remember to loosen your belt first.
Release Year: 2020
Label: Rockshots Records
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by Kevin Jin
