It’s been four long years but prog rock/metal band Brave’s long-awaited full-length follow-up to 2004’s Passages EP has finally arrived.Was it worth the wait?
For those that don’t know, Brave is the creation of brother and sister duo Scott and Michelle Loose.Much about the band is described in Matt B.’s review of their Passages EP.They have a sound all their own but if I had to describe their sound in relation to other bands then, in my opinion, it could perhaps be described as a mix between Mostly Autumn and The Sins of Thy Beloved.
With their latest album, Monuments, Brave makes me wish that there were more female-fronted prog metal bands out there.There are an insane amount of time changes on this one.Now some bands out there will have a lot of time changes but will make the songs sound jerky because the timing is off when going from one time signature to another.Not Brave.Like Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, and other bands of that caliber, Brave knows how to make the music flow well at all times.
My favorite part about Monuments is that the violin plays a much, much bigger role.In fact, besides Michelle’s vocals, the violin is pretty much front and center.It’s as if Passages, which had the violin in it but as more of a bit player, was just a teaser for us of what was to come.With Suvo Sur added as the violinist, Brave is now truly complete.
One thing that a prog metal band needs is great production and Monuments has it in spades.Even though the violin and vocals are front and center, they don’t drown anything else out.In fact, some of the best parts of this album involve violin/guitar harmonies.Not since Kansas in their prime has a violin and a guitar sounded so good together.
So what are the songs like?As I’ve stated before, many are filled with several time changes so it can really be hard to pin down whether a song is ultimately heavy or mellow.The opener, “Hold On,” is a favorite of mine with many time changes.It pretty much tells you, “Hey, check out all of this kick-ass stuff being done on the violin.Do you like it?Well there’s a boatload more where that came from.”It’s also great as an opener since it showcases the chemistry of the band better than any other song on the album.Another goody, which is actually the second track, is “Hero.”Remember those great violin/guitar harmonies that I was talking about?Well this song’s got them.Then you have really mellow songs like “Forgiveness” and “Without You.”Of course there is the wicked instrumental “To Remain Unseen.”It is just absolutely beautiful.In case you couldn’t guess, it’s another favorite of mine.It’s also yet another example of Brave’s great guitar/violin harmonies.“Sooner or Later,” which is another top-notch tune, features both a violin solo and an excellent guitar solo.As far as any really heavy songs, “Driven” would definitely fit the bill.However, if I had to pick one song to list as my number one favorite from this album, it would be “Stronger.”It’s not a metal song at all, really.However, what it is is a Pink Floyd-ish space rock masterpiece.I even consider it to be one of my top-ten favorite prog rock/metal songs of all time.
As far as complaints, I don’t really have any.Some of the more mellow songs may drive some metal heads away but seeing as I’m a huge fan of both prog rock and prog metal it suits me just fine.
With all that is great about this album, I give Monuments a 5 out of 5.If you are a fan of prog rock or prog metal, pick it up.Pick it up now!
Review written by: Keith H. Date: June 29, 2009 Rating: 5 stars out of 5
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