#vandenplas — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/es/607576/ El disco de Yngwie Malmsteen en noviembre. EP de VOIVOD. Single de VANDEN PLAS. #Entertainment #Entretenimiento #ES #España #Music #Música #Spain #VANDENPLAS #VOIVOD #YngwieMalmsteen

VANDEN PLAS (Alemanya) presenta nou àlbum: "AcCult II" #VandenPlas #ProgressiveMetal #Juny2026 #Alemanya #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

VANDEN PLAS (Alemanya) presenta nou àlbum: "AcCult II" #VandenPlas #ProgressiveMetal #Juny2026 #Alemanya #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

CD-Review - VANDEN PLAS - AcCult II
https://hooked-on-music.de/review/cd-review-vanden-plas-accult-ii/16692
#cd #review #vandenplas #accultii

https://www.europesays.com/es/536069/ Nuevos vídeos de VANDEN PLAS y ACID REIGN. 100xRock. #100xRock #ACIDREIGN #Entertainment #Entretenimiento #ES #España #Music #Música #Spain #VANDENPLAS

We specialise in engine bay stickers for cars like this #VandenPlas #ADO16, lovely - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

We specialise in engine bay stickers for cars like this #VandenPlas #ADO16, lovely - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

We specialise in engine bay stickers for cars like this #VandenPlas #ADO16, lovely - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

We specialise in engine bay stickers for cars like this #VandenPlas #ADO16, lovely - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

https://www.europesays.com/es/474558/ KREATOR estrenan vídeo. RUSH se estrenan con su nueva batería. Nuevo disco de VANDEN PLAS. #Entertainment #Entretenimiento #ES #España #KREATOR #Music #Música #RUSH #Spain #VANDENPLAS

Algo que sacuda las bases de toda esta mierda y a darlo vuelta. 🔥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o7LFiYqK8Y

#vandenplas #heavymetal #metal #progMetal #progressiveMetal #Badass #Masterpiece #obramaestra #motherfuckingHit #AboveAverage #BadassAsFuck

Algo que sacuda las bases de toda esta mierda y a darlo vuelta. 🔥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o7LFiYqK8Y

#vandenplas #heavymetal #metal #progMetal #progressiveMetal #Badass #Masterpiece #obramaestra #motherfuckingHit #AboveAverage #BadassAsFuck

Song: Crown of thorns
Band: #VandenPlas
Album: The god thing
Year: 1997
Genre: #HeavyMetal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBEm35G0FRs

Full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/14jd7IW32OZtlmXiOfz4eG

Song: Crown of thorns
Band: #VandenPlas
Album: The god thing
Year: 1997
Genre: #HeavyMetal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBEm35G0FRs

Full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/14jd7IW32OZtlmXiOfz4eG

Song: Crown of thorns
Band: #VandenPlas
Album: The god thing
Year: 1997
Genre: #HeavyMetal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBEm35G0FRs

Full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/14jd7IW32OZtlmXiOfz4eG

We specialise in engine bay stickers for #ADO16 like the #Morris1100 #VandenPlas & #MG1300. Good to know - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

We specialise in engine bay stickers for #ADO16 like the #Morris1100 #VandenPlas & #MG1300. Good to know - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

We specialise in engine bay stickers for #ADO16 like the #Morris1100 #VandenPlas & #MG1300. Good to know - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

We specialise in engine bay stickers for #ADO16 like the #Morris1100 #VandenPlas & #MG1300. Good to know - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

Hello Princess: Engine bay stickers for #VandenPlas Princess #ADO16 - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

Hello Princess: Engine bay stickers for #VandenPlas Princess #ADO16 - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

Hello Princess: Engine bay stickers for #VandenPlas Princess #ADO16 - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

It is said that the three door #AustinMetro #VandenPlas is the rarest of all the Metros. Nonetheless we stock engine bay stickers for them all - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

It is said that the three door #AustinMetro #VandenPlas is the rarest of all the Metros. Nonetheless we stock engine bay stickers for them all - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

It is said that the three door #AustinMetro #VandenPlas is the rarest of all the Metros. Nonetheless we stock engine bay stickers for them all - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

It is said that the three door #AustinMetro #VandenPlas is the rarest of all the Metros. Nonetheless we stock engine bay stickers for them all - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

Cea Serin – The World Outside Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

The game of finding the right words to describe your music is one that all bands must play. Do you tow the line, allowing a reader’s mind to fill in the blanks with something easy like “heavy metal” or “black metal?” Or will you stand out from the crowd with a challenging label, and risk confusion? Thus do we arrive at today’s topic, the Louisiana two-piece Cea Serin1. In some circles, the enigmatic term “mercurial metal” has been coined to described Cea Serin. A tricky turn of phrase that could indeed mean anything! However, I’ve become an expert metal translator after my time spent with Cea Serin. My team of expert analysts have helped me decode that into human language. The direct translation: the Proggiest Prog to ever Prog. Rejoice and/or mourn, depending on your taste for prog, because it’s prog time, baby!

Ah, all in good fun Cea Serin, you proggy boys, you! Anyone who listens to even a moment of The World Beyond would easily clock it as competently written and engaging prog. To steal a term I hadn’t heard before Dolphin Whisperer said it2, Cea Serin play comfy jam prog. Cea Serin aren’t quite as twisting or noodling as Haken or Dream Theater, but more riff-forward in the spirit of Vanden Plas and Threshold. The riffs are often aggressive and straightforward, though there’s plenty of complexity in the sinew binding them together to reward active listening. Supporting these comfy jams are two damn good musicians. Rory Faciane’s work on the kit is precise and expressive, and Jay Lamm, who also effectively covers the keyboards, bass, and rhythm guitar, is a thoroughly talented vocalist. His growls get the job done, but his cleans are a soaring delight. He reminds me a fair bit of Avantasia’s Tobias Sammet but with a deeper heft.

Cea Serin earnestly boasts all the trademarks, cliches, strengths and weaknesses, whatever-you’d-call-them of progressive metal. Gargantuan in scope, The World Beyond is 70 minutes spread across six tracks, none of which fall below the 10 minute mark. Each song builds and maintains a fun sense of momentum; an emotive verse drifts into a righteous chorus (“The Rose on the Ruin”), mournful pianos grow into shredding guitars (“All the Light that Shines”), or a keyboard solo shifts into violins and then into a bass solo (“Until the Dark Responds”). In fact, the ludicrous abundance of shredding solos across The World Beyond are easily the album’s strongest aspect, especially how they glide across the riffs from one to the next with such gleeful abandon. These long, winding sequences are all across the album, but they’re particularly memorable in “Until the Dark Responds” and “The Rose on the Ruin.” A whopping eight different musicians are credited as providing solos, and they do excellent work, always keeping me excited for the next bout of wild guitar-work (or violin, in “Until the Dark Responds”).

Since The World Beyond leans so heavily into its progressive nature, so too does it carry the genres downsides. There are standout moments here and there—soaring choruses in “Where None Shall Follow” and “When the Wretched and the Brave Align,” or the slick shredding introducing “All the Light that Shines”—but truthfully, if someone selected any song at random and started playing it somewhere in the middle, it would be difficult to determine exactly which song is playing. Riffs can begin to blur and blend across the album. There are few real surprises or meaningful shake-ups to song structure, and attention can waver by the end. “All the Light that Shines” especially begins to feel long as it barrels through its movements without any falling action since it leads directly into the following song. The momentum is often exciting, but with consecutive songs of such length, more strongly defined peaks and valleys would not go amiss.

Depending on your appetite for capital-P Prog, however, nothing is really a deal-breaker. The World Beyond is, through and through, just plain fun. The World Beyond is best consumed as whole, surrendering to the journey and losing yourself in the swirl of solos and riffs. Cea Serin are talented musicians who’ve crafted a kickass album that’s sure to appeal to any fan of comfy jam prog, and I look forward to their next album.

Rating: Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Generation Prog Records
Websites: bandcamp | facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 12th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Avantasia #CeaSerin #DreamTheater #GenerationProgRecords #Haken #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #TheWorldBeyond #Threshold #VandenPlas

Cea Serin – The World Outside Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

The game of finding the right words to describe your music is one that all bands must play. Do you tow the line, allowing a reader’s mind to fill in the blanks with something easy like “heavy metal” or “black metal?” Or will you stand out from the crowd with a challenging label, and risk confusion? Thus do we arrive at today’s topic, the Louisiana two-piece Cea Serin1. In some circles, the enigmatic term “mercurial metal” has been coined to described Cea Serin. A tricky turn of phrase that could indeed mean anything! However, I’ve become an expert metal translator after my time spent with Cea Serin. My team of expert analysts have helped me decode that into human language. The direct translation: the Proggiest Prog to ever Prog. Rejoice and/or mourn, depending on your taste for prog, because it’s prog time, baby!

Ah, all in good fun Cea Serin, you proggy boys, you! Anyone who listens to even a moment of The World Beyond would easily clock it as competently written and engaging prog. To steal a term I hadn’t heard before Dolphin Whisperer said it2, Cea Serin play comfy jam prog. Cea Serin aren’t quite as twisting or noodling as Haken or Dream Theater, but more riff-forward in the spirit of Vanden Plas and Threshold. The riffs are often aggressive and straightforward, though there’s plenty of complexity in the sinew binding them together to reward active listening. Supporting these comfy jams are two damn good musicians. Rory Faciane’s work on the kit is precise and expressive, and Jay Lamm, who also effectively covers the keyboards, bass, and rhythm guitar, is a thoroughly talented vocalist. His growls get the job done, but his cleans are a soaring delight. He reminds me a fair bit of Avantasia’s Tobias Sammet but with a deeper heft.

Cea Serin earnestly boasts all the trademarks, cliches, strengths and weaknesses, whatever-you’d-call-them of progressive metal. Gargantuan in scope, The World Beyond is 70 minutes spread across six tracks, none of which fall below the 10 minute mark. Each song builds and maintains a fun sense of momentum; an emotive verse drifts into a righteous chorus (“The Rose on the Ruin”), mournful pianos grow into shredding guitars (“All the Light that Shines”), or a keyboard solo shifts into violins and then into a bass solo (“Until the Dark Responds”). In fact, the ludicrous abundance of shredding solos across The World Beyond are easily the album’s strongest aspect, especially how they glide across the riffs from one to the next with such gleeful abandon. These long, winding sequences are all across the album, but they’re particularly memorable in “Until the Dark Responds” and “The Rose on the Ruin.” A whopping eight different musicians are credited as providing solos, and they do excellent work, always keeping me excited for the next bout of wild guitar-work (or violin, in “Until the Dark Responds”).

Since The World Beyond leans so heavily into its progressive nature, so too does it carry the genres downsides. There are standout moments here and there—soaring choruses in “Where None Shall Follow” and “When the Wretched and the Brave Align,” or the slick shredding introducing “All the Light that Shines”—but truthfully, if someone selected any song at random and started playing it somewhere in the middle, it would be difficult to determine exactly which song is playing. Riffs can begin to blur and blend across the album. There are few real surprises or meaningful shake-ups to song structure, and attention can waver by the end. “All the Light that Shines” especially begins to feel long as it barrels through its movements without any falling action since it leads directly into the following song. The momentum is often exciting, but with consecutive songs of such length, more strongly defined peaks and valleys would not go amiss.

Depending on your appetite for capital-P Prog, however, nothing is really a deal-breaker. The World Beyond is, through and through, just plain fun. The World Beyond is best consumed as whole, surrendering to the journey and losing yourself in the swirl of solos and riffs. Cea Serin are talented musicians who’ve crafted a kickass album that’s sure to appeal to any fan of comfy jam prog, and I look forward to their next album.

Rating: Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Generation Prog Records
Websites: bandcamp | facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 12th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Avantasia #CeaSerin #DreamTheater #GenerationProgRecords #Haken #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #TheWorldBeyond #Threshold #VandenPlas

Cea Serin – The World Outside Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

The game of finding the right words to describe your music is one that all bands must play. Do you tow the line, allowing a reader’s mind to fill in the blanks with something easy like “heavy metal” or “black metal?” Or will you stand out from the crowd with a challenging label, and risk confusion? Thus do we arrive at today’s topic, the Louisiana two-piece Cea Serin1. In some circles, the enigmatic term “mercurial metal” has been coined to described Cea Serin. A tricky turn of phrase that could indeed mean anything! However, I’ve become an expert metal translator after my time spent with Cea Serin. My team of expert analysts have helped me decode that into human language. The direct translation: the Proggiest Prog to ever Prog. Rejoice and/or mourn, depending on your taste for prog, because it’s prog time, baby!

Ah, all in good fun Cea Serin, you proggy boys, you! Anyone who listens to even a moment of The World Beyond would easily clock it as competently written and engaging prog. To steal a term I hadn’t heard before Dolphin Whisperer said it2, Cea Serin play comfy jam prog. Cea Serin aren’t quite as twisting or noodling as Haken or Dream Theater, but more riff-forward in the spirit of Vanden Plas and Threshold. The riffs are often aggressive and straightforward, though there’s plenty of complexity in the sinew binding them together to reward active listening. Supporting these comfy jams are two damn good musicians. Rory Faciane’s work on the kit is precise and expressive, and Jay Lamm, who also effectively covers the keyboards, bass, and rhythm guitar, is a thoroughly talented vocalist. His growls get the job done, but his cleans are a soaring delight. He reminds me a fair bit of Avantasia’s Tobias Sammet but with a deeper heft.

Cea Serin earnestly boasts all the trademarks, cliches, strengths and weaknesses, whatever-you’d-call-them of progressive metal. Gargantuan in scope, The World Beyond is 70 minutes spread across six tracks, none of which fall below the 10 minute mark. Each song builds and maintains a fun sense of momentum; an emotive verse drifts into a righteous chorus (“The Rose on the Ruin”), mournful pianos grow into shredding guitars (“All the Light that Shines”), or a keyboard solo shifts into violins and then into a bass solo (“Until the Dark Responds”). In fact, the ludicrous abundance of shredding solos across The World Beyond are easily the album’s strongest aspect, especially how they glide across the riffs from one to the next with such gleeful abandon. These long, winding sequences are all across the album, but they’re particularly memorable in “Until the Dark Responds” and “The Rose on the Ruin.” A whopping eight different musicians are credited as providing solos, and they do excellent work, always keeping me excited for the next bout of wild guitar-work (or violin, in “Until the Dark Responds”).

Since The World Beyond leans so heavily into its progressive nature, so too does it carry the genres downsides. There are standout moments here and there—soaring choruses in “Where None Shall Follow” and “When the Wretched and the Brave Align,” or the slick shredding introducing “All the Light that Shines”—but truthfully, if someone selected any song at random and started playing it somewhere in the middle, it would be difficult to determine exactly which song is playing. Riffs can begin to blur and blend across the album. There are few real surprises or meaningful shake-ups to song structure, and attention can waver by the end. “All the Light that Shines” especially begins to feel long as it barrels through its movements without any falling action since it leads directly into the following song. The momentum is often exciting, but with consecutive songs of such length, more strongly defined peaks and valleys would not go amiss.

Depending on your appetite for capital-P Prog, however, nothing is really a deal-breaker. The World Beyond is, through and through, just plain fun. The World Beyond is best consumed as whole, surrendering to the journey and losing yourself in the swirl of solos and riffs. Cea Serin are talented musicians who’ve crafted a kickass album that’s sure to appeal to any fan of comfy jam prog, and I look forward to their next album.

Rating: Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Generation Prog Records
Websites: bandcamp | facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 12th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Avantasia #CeaSerin #DreamTheater #GenerationProgRecords #Haken #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #TheWorldBeyond #Threshold #VandenPlas

Aujourd'hui sur Blog à part –

Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things

Je n’avais pas l’intention d’écouter le nouvel album de Vanden Plas, The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things, mais Metal Hunter, l’a placé album de l’année 2024.

#Allemagne #metalProgressif #metalSymphonique #powerMetal #VandenPlas

https://wp.me/ppneF-bpl

#VandenPlas Princess engine bay stickers by http://miniphernalia.co.uk

#VandenPlas Princess engine bay stickers by http://miniphernalia.co.uk

#VandenPlas Princess engine bay stickers by http://miniphernalia.co.uk

I just discovered a side project from some of the members of #ProgMetal legends Vanden Plas. If you like #VandenPlas or #DreamTheater give this a listen.

https://album.link/us/i/1656141611

#ProgTuesday #ProgRock

I just discovered a side project from some of the members of #ProgMetal legends Vanden Plas. If you like #VandenPlas or #DreamTheater give this a listen.

https://album.link/us/i/1656141611

#ProgTuesday #ProgRock

I just discovered a side project from some of the members of #ProgMetal legends Vanden Plas. If you like #VandenPlas or #DreamTheater give this a listen.

https://album.link/us/i/1656141611

#ProgTuesday #ProgRock

I just discovered a side project from some of the members of #ProgMetal legends Vanden Plas. If you like #VandenPlas or #DreamTheater give this a listen.

https://album.link/us/i/1656141611

#ProgTuesday #ProgRock

Happy Saturday: Here is a #VandenPlas Princess in a rather gothic setting, looks right at home we think - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

Happy Saturday: Here is a #VandenPlas Princess in a rather gothic setting, looks right at home we think - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

Happy Saturday: Here is a #VandenPlas Princess in a rather gothic setting, looks right at home we think - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

Happy Saturday: Here is a #VandenPlas Princess in a rather gothic setting, looks right at home we think - http://miniphernalia.co.uk

No reason #VandenPlas post - miniphernalia.co.uk

No reason #VandenPlas post - miniphernalia.co.uk

No reason #VandenPlas post - miniphernalia.co.uk

No reason #VandenPlas post - miniphernalia.co.uk

NEW!! Vanden Plas Princess Sticker Bundle 1 - https://www.miniphernalia.co.uk/en/vanden-plas-princess-ado16-sticker-packs/1713-vanden-plas-princess-sticker-bundle-1.html #VandenPlas

NEW!! Vanden Plas Princess Sticker Bundle 1 - https://www.miniphernalia.co.uk/en/vanden-plas-princess-ado16-sticker-packs/1713-vanden-plas-princess-sticker-bundle-1.html #VandenPlas

NEW!! Vanden Plas Princess Sticker Bundle 1 - https://www.miniphernalia.co.uk/en/vanden-plas-princess-ado16-sticker-packs/1713-vanden-plas-princess-sticker-bundle-1.html #VandenPlas

#VandenPlas Princess Rocker Cover Stickers - miniphernalia.co.uk

#VandenPlas Princess Rocker Cover Stickers - miniphernalia.co.uk

#VandenPlas Princess Rocker Cover Stickers - miniphernalia.co.uk

We don’t just do engine bay stickers for #ClassicMini, we also cater for cars like this #VandenPlas Princess 3 Litre - miniphernalia.co.uk

We don’t just do engine bay stickers for #ClassicMini, we also cater for cars like this #VandenPlas Princess 3 Litre - miniphernalia.co.uk

We don’t just do engine bay stickers for #ClassicMini, we also cater for cars like this #VandenPlas Princess 3 Litre - miniphernalia.co.uk

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Album Review: VANDEN PLAS The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
"Give Vanden Plas a shot if you're looking for some accessible metal that will be sure to satisfy your melodic tooth."

https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-vanden-plas-the-empyrean-equation-of-the-long-lost-things

#VandenPlas #TheEmpyreanEquation #ProgressiveRock #SymphonicMetal #GermanBand #RockOperas #LiveOrchestras

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Album Review: VANDEN PLAS The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
"Give Vanden Plas a shot if you're looking for some accessible metal that will be sure to satisfy your melodic tooth."

https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-vanden-plas-the-empyrean-equation-of-the-long-lost-things

#VandenPlas #TheEmpyreanEquation #ProgressiveRock #SymphonicMetal #GermanBand #RockOperas #LiveOrchestras

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Album Review: VANDEN PLAS The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
"Give Vanden Plas a shot if you're looking for some accessible metal that will be sure to satisfy your melodic tooth."

https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-vanden-plas-the-empyrean-equation-of-the-long-lost-things

#VandenPlas #TheEmpyreanEquation #ProgressiveRock #SymphonicMetal #GermanBand #RockOperas #LiveOrchestras

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Album Review: VANDEN PLAS The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
"Give Vanden Plas a shot if you're looking for some accessible metal that will be sure to satisfy your melodic tooth."

https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-vanden-plas-the-empyrean-equation-of-the-long-lost-things

#VandenPlas #TheEmpyreanEquation #ProgressiveRock #SymphonicMetal #GermanBand #RockOperas #LiveOrchestras

Ravenstine – 2024 Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

If you were to ask me how I began 2024, my answer would be, “Why, with 2024, of course!” More specifically, 2024, the sophomore outing of the German hard rock outfit Ravenstine. A silly album title to be sure, but it piqued my interest, and I was in just the zone for a cut of Jorn-ish hard rock. Something that stuck out to me in the marketing around Ravenstine was the focus on them being first and foremost a group of friends. Could that mean 2024 is a pile of well-meaning but messy jams by a gaggle of lads taking the piss? Or is it perhaps a collection of great songs by artists all on the same wavelength, like the gents from countrymates Vanden Plas? Turns out it’s somewhere right in the middle. Slap on those novelty 2024 glasses and let’s rock n’ roll.

2024 is something of an oddball, like a sonic midpoint between Jorn and Bon Jovi. Lead singer Žanil Tataj gives a righteous vocal performance that blends heavy rock Masculinity™ and a Tobias Sammet-esque sensitivity. That sensitivity instills 2024 with a certain kindness that’s unusual to the genre, and the instruments further enable that kindness. Whether it’s the groovy riffs and keys in “Easy Come Easy Go” or the 80’s rock guitar in “Killing Spree,” Ravenstine is always more interested in rockin’ and rollin’ than being aggressive, even veering towards Journey territory in “In the Light.” 2024 is supported by a clean mix that doesn’t give the guitars a whole lot of crunch, instead placing the vocals front and center. With a voice like Tataj’s, that’s the right choice. The clash of borderline power metal vocals and gentle-leaning heavy rock is one with the potential to fail, but in Ravenstine’s hands, it’s kind of a blast. Everything together makes for a unique style stew that’s something like road trip dad rock but for dads who go to therapy.

Ravenstine’s greatest strengths are catchy choruses, groovy melodies, and an outstanding lead vocalist, and when they lean into those strengths, 2024 kicks ass. I’m a real sucker for well-done climactic choruses, and when the guitar solo drops and silence accompanies Tataj belting out the chorus in “Fly Eagle Fly,” or when he goes buck wild on the final chorus of “A Long Way Home”, I feel like I’m in the stratosphere. Tataj brings so much power to 2024, and while the musicianship supporting him is more focused on efficiency rather than flashy indulgences, it gets the job done perfectly well. Mystic Prophecy’s Hanno Kerstan keeps the drums at a clockwork head-nodding pace, and the guitars comfortably riff away with just enough gusto to never get lost in the noise. Look to “Easy Come Easy Go” for Ravenstine firing on all cylinders: a simple, effective acoustic intro, launched into an infectious dance between electric guitars and backing synths, followed by a heartfelt chorus that demands to be sung along to.

It’s when Ravenstine ignores their strengths that 2024 begins to falter. Everyone in Ravenstine besides Kerstan is credited as a vocalist, and it’s fine when they provide support in a track like “Fly Eagle Fly.” The problem is when they completely sideline Tataj’s unique character. Of the two ballads in 2024, “Signs by the Roadside” suffers from angsty, weightless vocals that sorely lack the oomph of the more grandiose singing, in contrast to the far more engaging “When I’m Dead and Gone” where the vocals are at their most bodacious. The instruments aren’t guiltless, either. The few guitar solos in 2024 are harmless if a little uninspired, but the solo in “Killing Spree” is a brief, bizarre tonal shift that annihilates the song’s pacing before sheepishly going back to normal. Transgressions like these are infrequent, but it’s sad to see Ravenstine get in their own way when they’re capable of writing some great stuff.

2024 has plenty of issues, but it’s got all the heart it needs to deserve a recommendation, and at 39 minutes (45 if you count the live bonus track) it’s an easy listen that moves at a real clip. Quite frankly this album is worth your time for the lead vocals alone, but there’s enough to like besides. I’d love to see Ravenstine flesh out their stupendous vocals and groovy rock n’ roll sensibilities while cutting away the chaff that bogs some tracks down for their next release. If this group of friends can do that, we might have a real winner on our hands.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
Dr: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: ravenstine.com | ravenstine.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ravenstine
Releases Worldwide: January 12th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BonJovi #GermanMetal #HardRock #HeavyRock #Jan24 #Jorn #JornLande #Journey #MassacreRecords #MysticProphecy #Ravenstine #Review #Reviews #TobiasSammet #VandenPlas

Ravenstine – 2024 Review

By Mystikus Hugebeard

If you were to ask me how I began 2024, my answer would be, “Why, with 2024, of course!” More specifically, 2024, the sophomore outing of the German hard rock outfit Ravenstine. A silly album title to be sure, but it piqued my interest, and I was in just the zone for a cut of Jorn-ish hard rock. Something that stuck out to me in the marketing around Ravenstine was the focus on them being first and foremost a group of friends. Could that mean 2024 is a pile of well-meaning but messy jams by a gaggle of lads taking the piss? Or is it perhaps a collection of great songs by artists all on the same wavelength, like the gents from countrymates Vanden Plas? Turns out it’s somewhere right in the middle. Slap on those novelty 2024 glasses and let’s rock n’ roll.

2024 is something of an oddball, like a sonic midpoint between Jorn and Bon Jovi. Lead singer Žanil Tataj gives a righteous vocal performance that blends heavy rock Masculinity™ and a Tobias Sammet-esque sensitivity. That sensitivity instills 2024 with a certain kindness that’s unusual to the genre, and the instruments further enable that kindness. Whether it’s the groovy riffs and keys in “Easy Come Easy Go” or the 80’s rock guitar in “Killing Spree,” Ravenstine is always more interested in rockin’ and rollin’ than being aggressive, even veering towards Journey territory in “In the Light.” 2024 is supported by a clean mix that doesn’t give the guitars a whole lot of crunch, instead placing the vocals front and center. With a voice like Tataj’s, that’s the right choice. The clash of borderline power metal vocals and gentle-leaning heavy rock is one with the potential to fail, but in Ravenstine’s hands, it’s kind of a blast. Everything together makes for a unique style stew that’s something like road trip dad rock but for dads who go to therapy.

Ravenstine’s greatest strengths are catchy choruses, groovy melodies, and an outstanding lead vocalist, and when they lean into those strengths, 2024 kicks ass. I’m a real sucker for well-done climactic choruses, and when the guitar solo drops and silence accompanies Tataj belting out the chorus in “Fly Eagle Fly,” or when he goes buck wild on the final chorus of “A Long Way Home”, I feel like I’m in the stratosphere. Tataj brings so much power to 2024, and while the musicianship supporting him is more focused on efficiency rather than flashy indulgences, it gets the job done perfectly well. Mystic Prophecy’s Hanno Kerstan keeps the drums at a clockwork head-nodding pace, and the guitars comfortably riff away with just enough gusto to never get lost in the noise. Look to “Easy Come Easy Go” for Ravenstine firing on all cylinders: a simple, effective acoustic intro, launched into an infectious dance between electric guitars and backing synths, followed by a heartfelt chorus that demands to be sung along to.

It’s when Ravenstine ignores their strengths that 2024 begins to falter. Everyone in Ravenstine besides Kerstan is credited as a vocalist, and it’s fine when they provide support in a track like “Fly Eagle Fly.” The problem is when they completely sideline Tataj’s unique character. Of the two ballads in 2024, “Signs by the Roadside” suffers from angsty, weightless vocals that sorely lack the oomph of the more grandiose singing, in contrast to the far more engaging “When I’m Dead and Gone” where the vocals are at their most bodacious. The instruments aren’t guiltless, either. The few guitar solos in 2024 are harmless if a little uninspired, but the solo in “Killing Spree” is a brief, bizarre tonal shift that annihilates the song’s pacing before sheepishly going back to normal. Transgressions like these are infrequent, but it’s sad to see Ravenstine get in their own way when they’re capable of writing some great stuff.

2024 has plenty of issues, but it’s got all the heart it needs to deserve a recommendation, and at 39 minutes (45 if you count the live bonus track) it’s an easy listen that moves at a real clip. Quite frankly this album is worth your time for the lead vocals alone, but there’s enough to like besides. I’d love to see Ravenstine flesh out their stupendous vocals and groovy rock n’ roll sensibilities while cutting away the chaff that bogs some tracks down for their next release. If this group of friends can do that, we might have a real winner on our hands.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
Dr: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: ravenstine.com | ravenstine.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ravenstine
Releases Worldwide: January 12th, 2024

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