I must have listened to this album about 50 times I believe... Why is
that ? One monday morning I took this album to work after buying it and started
listening to it in order to review it. But then you know what's its like. At
the end of the week, I thought it would be the right time to review it over
the week-end, but I simply forgot it at work. And so did I the next friday,
and the next friday, and the next friday. Then finally I managed somehow not
to forget it...
The album kicks off with the title track Ravenheart, which is also
their debut video to promote this new album. This is a great song, with catchy
melodies and an easy to remember chorus. The ethereal voice of female singer
Lisa Schaphaus is better than on the previous album, getting more mature and
more refined. The Lioness is again a catchy tune filled with poppy
melodies and is probably as good as the opening track. Back To The River
contains some oriental touches but the song remains a bit less catchier
than the two previous ones. Eversleeping is one of those metal ballads we used to listen to from the likes of Scorpions or Bon
Jovi, alas the quality here is not the same, but who really cares as
this song fits the album really well and I believe nobody cares that much about
metal ballads anymore, except maybe for The Darkness. Fire
Of Universe gets the band back on track with killer guitar riffs and again
the beautiful voice of Lisa Schaphaus. I could go on like this until the end
of this album, but honestly I don't see the point since it's an album worth
your bucks. I know I can't help it but I am fond of this sweet gothic metal
à la Evanescence and Within Temptation.
Xandria will certainly not become the latest gothic hype such
as Lacuna Coil is doing in the US, but this album is definitely
a must for every gothic freak such as me. I don't care to repeat myself. Go
and get this one.