Ravenlight – Intermission Review

September 2021 – Dublin

This time I am going to stay closer to home and write a review about a local band called Ravenlight. In case you want to learn more about the band watch the interview on D Metal Galaxy Youtube Channel. It will basically give you a better understanding of the musical background and how this album is a step up on the previous album Project Genesis.

However, Intermission is not entirely the next album of the band. As the name already gives away it is a pause between Project Genesis and Ravenlight’s upcoming album. The very reason for this approach is due to Genesis not having an EP launch yet.

In this review, I will discuss the idea behind this album, the songs themselves plus the structure, the music video which was created to promote this album and in the end I will summarise everything.

IDEA

I think the idea behind Intermission is a great one as it introduces them to a whole new audience and it showcases their musical style and what they are capable of. Also, it doesn’t overshadow their previous album “Genesis” which is still going to receive its album launch. At last, it gives fans something to look forward to and make them hungry for the upcoming album.

But in my opinion, this album is quite short as it contains only 3 songs and the total time is roughly 15 minutes. I can’t think of an EP from any other band which was as short as this one.

In brief, “Intermission” is a nice break between “Genesis” and the upcoming album. Unfortunately, in my view it is too short to get a good taste of this album and really get into it.

“INTERMISSION OFFERS A NICE PAUSE AND KEEPS YOU WARM FOR THE UPCOMING ALBUM”

THE COVER SONGS

The EP contains only three cover songs: Blinding Lights (The Weeknd Cover), Black Diamond (Stratovarius Cover), Ravenlight – Zenith (Ghost Cover). The first song especially, is a great one, because it shows the bands creativity to overcome the challenge of transforming a pop song into a metal one. All instruments and singing style have been altered to a symphonic/modern metal style. Despite the transformation, you can still recognize some pieces of the original song. Another great element in this song is Rebecca herself. She has a broad vocal range and it shares some similarities with Tarja Turunen.

The second one – Black Diamond, intertwines nicely with the first song, as the intro melody is not far apart regarding the music. Both songs are leaning heavy on a modern electronic sound. However, Black Diamond cover stays much closer to the original one. Especially vocal wise which is a kind of a pity as I was quite curious after hearing the first song how Rebecca would interpret this one too. Nonetheless, Rebecca is doing a great job, because the song displays the diversity of her voice. Apart from this, the song displays what the band is truly capable instrument wise, there are long and tough guitar and keyboard solos.

The next song is completely different. It is slow, heavy and melancholic like the original Zenith song. As a consequence, it does not blend in at all with the rest of the album due to the opposite music style. Also, music wise and instrument wise it is not as impressive as the other two songs. Don’t get me wrong this song is okay to listen to, but they have so much more to offer if you listen to the first song only.

“INTERMISSION LAST SONG LEAVES A BITTER TASTE, BUT OVERALL THIS ALBUM DISPLAYS WHAT RAVENLIGHT IS CAPABLE OF”

PROMOTION VIDEO

The promo video which kicks off the album is a great one as it’s so coherent with the song Blinding lights. The use of the rain in the video strengthens the mood of the song. Also, the cyberpunk setting lends a hand. Moreover, the cyberpunk is a fitting representation of the modern music style the band is aiming for. Most impressive is the fact that Ravenlight is a small band and yet they are capable of putting a professional video which will certainly move viewers.

SUMMARY

In general, “Intermission” is a nice EP that covers the break of “Genesis” and the upcoming album. The first two songs show the potential of the band as they are excellent in terms of vocals and melody. The video which comes with the album gives an excellent kickoff. In brief, it’s great to listen to “Intermission” if you want to get to know the band or are eager for the next album.

“INTERMISSION IS A DEFINITELY A MUST LISTEN EP, ESPECIALLY BLINDING LIGHTS AS IT SHOWS HOW MUCH POTENTIAL REBECCA HAS AS A SINGER.”
MAIr