THE PROVENANCE - Still at Arms Lenghts
Scarlet Records
Wonderful, this
is a spectacular creature of mature gothic metal played with class, so far from
the crystallized standards of this genre, there isn’t the typical angelic
soprano female voice, but the singer have a very personal voice, with various
solution and the right timing to appear leaving astonished. On the riffs they
strongly remind to the Opeth’s discography, but differently from them they
haven’t any sort of limitations on the keyboards involvement. The Hammond
sound is there sometimes but another time its presence is useful to the very
emotional and melancholic insight that The Provenance music recalls. This is
music made with different dark and sombre shades, more gloomy parts with some
very nostalgic-like parts and other that bring similar visions to more metal
contexts, but a very reflexive side is always present. What capture my attention
is the very intelligent and mature performance, a lot of very interesting riffs,
really impressive without any decline, differently from other gothic acts who
think to their music as a base for the female vocals show, The Provenance have a
very powerful strength on the composition and arrangements, every instrument
have his role without relegate the others in the corner. Talking about a dynamic
songs "Carousel of Descent" is a travel through misty paths, the flute
melody is the prelude to a very sombre arpeggio and after all shadows are went
away here come a reborn, like someone reawaken from a cloud of thorns. "At
Random Choose" is the only songs that haven’t totally persuaded me,
‘probably because of the too repetitive central part. The pity for this band
is to be a bit out of the fast binary because I’ve heard much more interest
around for the shitty sides of EBM, and probably like Opeth this band will have
to fight very hard to gain the respect that they surely deserve. Time ago I’ve
listened to their debut and notwithstanding this was good "Sill At Arms
Length" is far better, the previous was
showing a very prepared and promising band , much more more metal
oriented, not an unique experience like that. They haven’t lost the
traditional metal vivacity that pops out with continuity but they have also
progressed on the creation of a new edge of communication with deeper passages
of our mind and spirit.
Ild