SOUL TAKERS „Tides”

Music: Melodic heavy metal
Website: www.soultakers.net
Country: Italy
Duration: 59:52 (12 songs)
Cool songs: Breath of time, 1936, C.R.A.

Soul Takers are completely new for me, and how I’m predicting for most of you too. They are coming from Italy and playing melodic heavy metal, with some influences taken from trash (guitars), and classic music (piano, violin parts, etc.), and everything this is mixed up with very melancholy, but also beautiful climates. Sounds strange? In fact it is. It’s really hard to define exactly this music. All those epithets I used before, are not enough to describe depth of this music. In the begging it was seems to be not to complicated, classic heavy metal, but with every next listening of this material I was more and more impressed by it’s complexity. This music needs time, and listener must g o into this world created by musicians. It’s not simple kind of music, and we must concern on it , to explore it fully.
I must say that I’m not very big fan of classic heavy metal, and to be honest there’s not many bands playing it, that I really like. And at the beginning I had not too good opinion about this album, but it changed. On “Tides”, there’s many nice arrangements, a lot of good compositions, and it’s definitely good music to listen to. It’s obvious, that musicians know how to use theirs instruments, they know what they want and how to gain it. We have here many almost classic themes, combined with guitars. There’s much of great solos, piano and violin parts. And of course lot of good, metal riffs (C.R.A.!).
And however, it’s really good album, I think it could be a little shorter. It’s filled with good music, but at few lost tracks I was little less concerned than on the beginning. Maybe good solution would be to omit good songs (just good), and leave those best, like Breath of time, 1936.
Also, at the beginning, I had a little trouble with vocals. When I first time listened this album, I couldn’t stand them. I fought that they are extremely annoying. But it was just matter of time, and now I couldn’t imagine any other vocalist, and other sing kind. It’s combined perfectly with music.
Production of “Tides” is good. It’s not very polished, and not outstanding or something, but it’s simply good. All instruments are clearly heard, and there’s nothing to complain about.
And at the end, there’s just one more problem. For who this album is created? I think it’s not just for people who love heavy metal, but maybe every one should give it chance, because it’s possible, that they will really like it.

note: +7/10

Tracklist

1. Red
2. Blind dreamers
3. Tides
4. Bitter and unsaid
5. The fakest jest
6. Breath of time
7. Crossing
8. Desert dust
9. 1936
10. C.R.A.
11. Sacrifice
12. My infinite
13. Bonus track – “Tides” videoclip

Line-up

Dino Brentali: vocals
Francesca Badalini: guitars
Federica Badalini: piano
Andrea Grumelli: bass and stick
Mauro De Brasi: drums
Jari Pilati: violin

Guest musicians:
Laura Stella: Cello
Ilaria “Banshee” Taroni: vocals on Tides, The fakest jest, acting voice on Red
Pascale: acting voice on The fakest jest