I’ve found out to my personal satisfaction about some really good bands that way, Messenger stands out immediately. Well Rizin is another indie I received recently; In Ruins is the title of their debut release. The band was formed in January of 2012 and this disc was released in December of 2012.
Their bio indicates that their influences range from 80’s metal to current metal sounds. On first listen I thought some of their stuff reminded me of Jacob’s Dream. Perhaps because of vocalist Dave Kruse, his range is similar to Chaz Bond. The band itself makes no bones about being a Christian Metal band with ministry as its primary objective.
The band is pretty heavy, make no mistake about it; they definitely lean toward a more traditional metal vein. However the songs suffer from muddy production. I’ve listened to this disc in my truck, on my computer and on my home stereo (yes I still have one of those!). After the fifth listen or so I got a bit more acclimated to the overall sound of the disc and was able to listen to it a bit more objectively.
Tracks like 6:12, In Ruins and This Present Darkness have some rather intriguing musical ideas. They all have great energy, which can be said for most of the material here. The recording process is also the most even sounding on those three tunes, in my opinion. I realize that I’m probably stirring up a hornets nest for reaction here, but this is NOT a knock against their ministry just an evaluation of the CD they released.
Sometimes it just sounds like there is so much going on that there isn’t enough separation. The double kick drums just get lost in several of the songs where they come into play. The production hampers the vocals the most, where I can’t tell if they’re flat, off key, or just awash in a vocal effect. Nightmares & Dreamscapes and Dying Peace are where this stands out the most.
I would bet in a live setting Rizin probably gives a strong performance. In my opinion I think they would’ve been better served to record six tracks and strengthen them production wise while continuing to fine tune their song writing skills. I’m gonna swing 6 axes this way as I bet Rizin is better then what I’m hearing on this disc. However I’m sure there will be many who will disagree with me, it wouldn’t be the first time.
You can order Rizin’s album In Ruins from many of the usual online shops.
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1 comment:
Can't agree on the muddy line. Heard this thrown and Jacob's Dream "Drama of the Ages" and it doesn't stick there either.
The mix is heavy, as traditional American Power Metal. Cymbals are crisp, snares are sharp, lead is clear. Vocals are mid placed. If you don't like that, that's matter of artistic taste than production.
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