SOUL TAKERS - TIDES - 2005

This was an unexpected surprise, I thought Soul Takers was another Power Metal band from Italy, and I was so wrong! This is anything but your traditional Power Metal band, as a matter of fact I can't really call this Power Metal, because is something completely different, is more oriented towards melancholy and mid-paced tunes with awesome vocals, beautiful violin and fantastic keyboards.

Got your attention? Good, let me explain this more thoroughly, Basically what we have here is a band playing some sort of melancholic Gothic Metal with some Progressive sections in the songs, or to sum it up, Dark Metal (this tag applies to anything melancholic that can't be classified in a particular genre).
That's not all, besides the band uses a mesmerizing violin in every song, which adds so much atmosphere to the music, I addition to that there's the excellent keyboard work, always supporting the riffs, mostly in the form of classical piano.

The singer Dino Brentali has a powerful voice, that is kinda hard get to used at first, but then he totally convinced me, and if I might say, I found his vocal timbre very similar to Geoff Tate from Queensrÿche fame. The addition of female vocals in some songs is also welcome.

The artwork reflects perfectly the overall mood of the album, sombre and nostalgic, you can't avoid stop for a while and listen such dismal songs like "1936" or "The Fakest Jest".

I usually don't go for music like this anymore, but this time I'll sure make an exception because this band has convinced me of their talent and dedication. Again, this is not a band that breaks a mould or redefines the genre, but sure is a pleasant listen once in a while. A lesson taught for me: never judge a book without reading it!
http://www.metalstorm.net