 It is a real pity that this mini album was recorded after Castrovalva had officially signed Leemun Smith as their lead singer. Castrovavla have included eight songs on this “mini” album, but only one features the aforementioned Leemun Smith. Castrovalva have set themselves up as a Progressive Rock band and found a home with Brew Records, home of all things progressive in the midlands United Kingdom. 'Max Rhodes' the opening track on Castrovalva contains a heavily distorted guitar, rolling, building drums, some nice filter effects, but that is about it. Max Rhodes does not, in my opinion, try and take the listener into any from of progressive trance coma, and certainly has minimal changes from start to finish. Track Two, “We don’t go to Ravenholm” is pretty much the same affair, except with a slightly funkier guitar riff and, on the whole, a song with a bit more melody. Castrovalva, on first listening, have to work hard on their “start, middle and end” arrangements, and probably have to learn a little restraint. Most listeners’ ears don’t take kindly to being bombarded for a full three minutes with heavy drums, distorted guitars and little else. By the time I got to Dream Carpet, track three, I realised that Castrovalva had a very, very able drummer, and this is probably why the songs sound so constant in their timbre. I reckon the band are trying to keep up with a drummer who really knows how to lead a song. It really isn’t until track five, “London Kills Me” that we see the imaginative and more “progressive” side of Castrovalva. “London Kills Me” has an immensely spacey, dream- like feel to it, like an elongated prog-rock breakdown, with more than one echo to Pink Floyd. To be honest though it is only at Track Seven, the penultimate track on Castrovalva, that we see the real potential of this Leeds outfit. Leemun Smith accompanies them on “Bellhausen”, and the effect raises Castrovalvas’ game to another level altogether. Suddenly the songs have a depth of emotion and feeling that was lacking in the previous tracks. Smith sings in a frequency which, to be polite, is close to female, but that doesn’t matter. Now Castrovalva are communicating with their audience with more than guitars, effects and drumming. They have a centre. As I said earlier it is a pity that the band hadn’t signed up Smith before this recording, and moulded him into the other seven tracks on Castrovalva. The end product would have been worth so much more. As it stands, I am sure their live show will be energetic, and lets just hope that BrewMusic backs them to go back into the studio soon, as Castrovalva, if nothing else, have a very decent drummer, a pretty unique vocalist, a lot of energy, and some form of potential.
Last edited by jack s : May 21, 2009 at 11:43 PM.
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| | | | Overall Rating | | 5 | | Vocals / Lyrics | | 4 | | Musicianship | | 5 | | Production | | 4 | | Creativity | | 4 | | Lastability | | 3 | | Reviewers Tilt | | 1 |
37% | |
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