A Feast For Crows – Re|Awakening
A FEAST FOR CROWS
RE|AWAKENING
Independent release
Release: February 22, 2019
A Feast for Crows is a young, up-and-coming German band that combine modern metal with metalcore and some electronic elements to create a style that is uniquely theirs. Founded in 2015, the band released its debut EP “Let the feast begin” in 2016, followed by the first full length “A chapter unwritten” in 2018. February 2019 sees the band independently releasing their second full length album “Re|Awakening” and solidifying their status on the metal scene.
The album offers around 40 minutes of relentless metal heavily infused with edgy and energetic soundscapes that remind me of hardstyle, and hardcore. This is one aspect of the metal genre as a whole that I really love – it never gets boring, as it is flexible enough for all types of experimentations and stylistic adaptations, like the ones put into practice by such bands as A Feast for Crows or Abandon all Ships. It’s the type of music you can either headbang or mosh to, or you can jump and scream to the beat.
Tracklist:
No salvation
Last minutes of oxygen
The void
Delusionist
Life
False hope
No way out
Knuckleheads
This is the end
Wings of stone
This mix of styles is both the strength and the weakness of the album. All the instruments blend well together with the electronic arrangements creating a dense, heavy sound, and Killian’s deep resounding vocals are like the icing on the cake, either we are talking about growls, harsh vocals, or screams. Check for instance “The Void”, opening track “No salvation”, or any other track here and see (well, hear) for yourselves for good of a vocalist he is. This makes for a very consistent output of songs, though a bit to consistent as the album seems to have the same pace from start to finish, and the songs follow the same basic formula, reason why it’s hard to pinpoint any particular ones as highlights. I’m not saying that some songs are better or worse than the others, just that there is a high level of quality throughout the music so picking one above the other would be a disservice.
And this consistency is a double edged knife since it is clear that the band is extremely talented and creative, but at the same time, a bit more diversity, as the piano lines in “Wings of stone” or the instrumental interlude “False hope”, or even some clean vocals here and there as contrast to the massive wall of sound, wouldn’t hurt. It’s one thing to be consistent with your sound and another thing to offer ‘too much of the same’. True enough songs like “No way out” and “Knuckleheads” are heavier and more aggressive than, “Life” or “Delusionist” which are more melodic, but overall the difference isn’t that big. Also, I do love how in-your-face Tim’s bass is most of the time, making me think of Jinjer’s punchier sound.
All in all, “Re|Awakening” is a well-crafted collection of songs that masterfully explore the heavier side of metal music. The guitars make a lot of noise, the bass is rumbling like crazy, the drums are fierce and the vocals are just as powerful, making for a very intense and lively listening experience. It’s the sound of a mature band that knows where its strengths lie, and play on them unapologetically. But don’t take my word for it, and listen for yourself on this Bandcamp link.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Links:
By Andrea
7/4/2019
Line-up:
Kilian – Vocals
Markus – Lead Guitar
Martin – Rhythm Guitar
Tim – Bass
Marco – Drums