ASRAI Touch In The Dark
Transmission
2004
www.asrai.net
www.transmission.nl
1 In Front Of Me
2 Pale Light
3 Whisper
4 Restless
5 Touch In The Dark
6 Tower
7 Dream
8 Child
9 Garden
10 Shadows
ASRAI are another band hailing from the Netherlands that feature female vocalists, with a mixture of metal and gothic overtones. But, they add something a little bit different to at least make the band stand out from other bands in this genre a little bit. They mix it up with a little 70s inspired rock, and I am talking about HEART in particular. I hear a lot of that vibe in the energy of the band, and it really made it stand out to me. The vocals are not of the over the top soprano type and they chose for more of a rockish style like ANN WILSON from HEART, and there is plenty of closeness to the sound of Cristina from LACUNA COIL. Also, thrown in for some good measure, is plenty of bouncing synths and keyboards, almost with the same style as those new wave bands of the 80s. Got to love that. This is a wonderful mixture of styles. And almost creates a brand new sub genre, but we wont go there. The guitar sounds are crystal clear, and the instruments all fall into place nicely. Thankfully, the songs are well played, and well thought out. There are no simple song structures here, and the songs are extremely catchy while never being over the top.
Transmission records have discovered another great talent. Make room for ASRAI, as they are here to stake their claim in the gothic metal gold rush. They deserve that chance, as they bring enough bright ideas into the fold to make them a worthwhile listen. The band got their start in 1988, and this is only the second album to be released from the band. While they are nothing truly original, I ultimately found myself enjoying myself, and isnt that what it is really all about? Good music, right. Gothic metal fans will definitely find something to sink their teeth into. This is really a well crafted album, and if bands like LACUNA COIL, the GATHERING, or AFTER FOREVER get you excited, than ASRAI will fit nicely into your cd player. Just ignore all comparisons to EVANESCENCE and you will be just dandy.
Rating: 7/10
Evil C
Transmission
2004
www.asrai.net
www.transmission.nl
1 In Front Of Me
2 Pale Light
3 Whisper
4 Restless
5 Touch In The Dark
6 Tower
7 Dream
8 Child
9 Garden
10 Shadows
ASRAI are another band hailing from the Netherlands that feature female vocalists, with a mixture of metal and gothic overtones. But, they add something a little bit different to at least make the band stand out from other bands in this genre a little bit. They mix it up with a little 70s inspired rock, and I am talking about HEART in particular. I hear a lot of that vibe in the energy of the band, and it really made it stand out to me. The vocals are not of the over the top soprano type and they chose for more of a rockish style like ANN WILSON from HEART, and there is plenty of closeness to the sound of Cristina from LACUNA COIL. Also, thrown in for some good measure, is plenty of bouncing synths and keyboards, almost with the same style as those new wave bands of the 80s. Got to love that. This is a wonderful mixture of styles. And almost creates a brand new sub genre, but we wont go there. The guitar sounds are crystal clear, and the instruments all fall into place nicely. Thankfully, the songs are well played, and well thought out. There are no simple song structures here, and the songs are extremely catchy while never being over the top.
Transmission records have discovered another great talent. Make room for ASRAI, as they are here to stake their claim in the gothic metal gold rush. They deserve that chance, as they bring enough bright ideas into the fold to make them a worthwhile listen. The band got their start in 1988, and this is only the second album to be released from the band. While they are nothing truly original, I ultimately found myself enjoying myself, and isnt that what it is really all about? Good music, right. Gothic metal fans will definitely find something to sink their teeth into. This is really a well crafted album, and if bands like LACUNA COIL, the GATHERING, or AFTER FOREVER get you excited, than ASRAI will fit nicely into your cd player. Just ignore all comparisons to EVANESCENCE and you will be just dandy.
Rating: 7/10
Evil C
