Female fronted metal bands are nothing new. Good ones are hard to find though and great ones are extremely rare. Imagine my shock when I find this band that combines the European melodic majesty of Nightwish with the power and fiery metal splendor of Doro Pesch right in my own backyard.
They call Lansing, Michigan home but their music is definitely more rooted in the metal of lead singer Svjetlana Foster's homeland of Croatia. This gothic vampire tale that explores the feelings and mindset of a lost soul is a rich piece of regal metal that lets guitarist Vincent Foster and Dave Levendowski wrap the soaring vocal abilities of Svjetlana in a dynamite blanket of six string virtuosity. When you add the mystical keyboards of Clink, the music is taken to another level where few are able to go. Reign IV on this second release deserves to be put up there with the upper echelon of the genre.
When the crunching guitars that greet you on the opening song "Forever More" give way to the magical vocals of Lana, you know that you are in for a treat. This album will sweep you away with a style that is both classical in its foundation and mesmerizing in its delivery. Both bold and daring, the band Reign IV sets a very high scale for those who wish to enter into the realm that they are destined to reign over.
There is something about this band that is very different. After listening to the album through a few times, it seems to me that the varied influences blend together in a way that will make metal fans really sit up and take notice. Maybe it is the way that they manage to take the influences that make up Lana's background and add a pair of guitarist who you can easily hear grew up on the Midwestern Rock and Roll scene that was prevalent in Michigan. It is such a unique blend that I have not been able to stop playing the CD since I received it. It has a feel that makes me think of Edenbridge with just a dash of Ted Nugent. The combination makes for one great disc that will be a welcome addition to your collection.
While songs like "Remember" and the acoustic tinged "Riding The Wind" will suck you into the gothic world created by Lana's tale with its old world regality, tunes such as "Forever More" and "Alive" will clean out the aural passages with their heavy metal attack. One thing you will not have is a lull in this album as from start to finish it is a masterful work that you will thank me for bringing to your attention. With the volume of music that comes to me on a daily basis, it is truly refreshing to hear something that I want to put into the player more than once. This is a disc that I have a hard time taking out as I know that chances are, whatever I put in will not be nearly as good! You have all the elements of a classic here on this disc. Great musicianship, terrific songwriting and a lead singer that grabs you from the first note you hear from her! It does not get any better than this. For my money…and we all know how hard that is to come by these days, this is a disc that should be in your collection. They are my pick for surprise find so far this year. Reign IV is a gem hidden here in the state of Michigan.
Track Listing:
1. Forever More
2. In Her Name
3. Alive
4. Stigmata
5. Say Goodbye
6. All I Need
7. Remember
8. Mistreated
9. Swallow
10. Reign Of Fear
11. Riding The Wind
12. Focus
13. Eternal Darkness
14. Tale Untold
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