Searching for the Sun

To say I‘m not familiar with the inner workings of progressive metal would be somewhat of an understatement. My lack of knowledge on this genre, which I‘ve tended to look passed over the years, is laughable to be honest. Whenever I tap into the genre for the first time, it is usually with a crossover band. So, lets say, progressive will be mixed with black metal or some other genre that I’m already totally accustomed to because that can ease me in to the ways of the world in terms of the respective genre I‘m delving in to. When I first came across Brave, a seemingly unheard of American act, I had no expectations and was prepared to give it a shot just in case I was in for a surprise. I can say now, having heard both Brave full-length efforts that I was, indeed, in for a surprise. As previously stated, the fan base for this Virginian act is small. I, personally, don’t know anyone who knows of this band and do I consider that a shame based on what I’ve heard? Hell yes!

I believe I tapped into this band through their MySpace page when I was randomly searching for unique bands that could offer me and the readers of Metal Archives something fresh, something new and ultimately, something worth listening to. ‘Searching For The Sun’, which is the record I am reviewing, is not the first taste I had of this band. My first glimpse at what Brave were all about was through the song ‘Without You’, taken from the second and rather recent outing ‘Monuments’. The aforementioned song, with it’s subtle beauty and searing brilliance was enough to persuade me I was on to something big. The most striking thing about it? Of course, the female vocals. Having heard only one song I decided to check out the debut before I checked out the rest of the follow up, to see the progression from the first to the second record. To me, ‘Searching For The Sun’ is a dark portrayal of the lyrical themes than the follow up, ‘Monuments’. The soundscapes, whilst still astoundingly beautiful, are harsher than they are on the second record. There are no lyrics that I can provide you with, but thankfully, the female vocals are clean and sung in perfect accordance with the instrumentation, which has an odd juxtaposed feel to it. Whilst the harsh sound that the production brings to the soundscapes, particularly by inspiring the bass to take centre stage, the songs are actually incredibly soft and gentle, which songs like ’Falling Into Bliss’ show splendidly with it’s gorgeous arrangements of stunning intertwining guitars and rather sombre bass. It is only until the main guitars sweep in whenever the choruses are sung by Michelle Loose, who gives a resounding performance, that the emotive content of the song changes to it’s more dark and depressing sound. The lyrics, which can all be made out clearly, often take on a dark side too. Take ‘Waiting All This Time’, for instance, which I can relate to, thus making them more important to me.

“Waiting all this time to find
The reasons for my life
I’m searching deep inside
With hope I will carry on
And I’ll find the truth
And I will find the truth.
Waiting all this time.”

The major positive to take from this record is obviously the female vocals. I’m not generally a fan of female vocals, especially operatic, but Michelle Loose has a very unique voice which portrays the lyrical themes well and stands alongside the gorgeous and inspiring guitars terrifically. There are times, rather oddly, when I can feel a Katatonia vibe running through the music. Particularly the ‘Viva Emptiness’ era, but unlike that particular Katatonia effort, this record doesn’t restrict the audience with it’s powerfully hard sound. That doesn’t mean to say that this record isn’t powerful because it is, but there is a certain quality of ‘Viva Emptiness’ which pushes the listener down and makes them listen. The subtle soundscapes, which are driven on by fantastic guitars and a bass section which isn’t afraid to lead the proceedings, are more inviting than those on’ Viva Emptiness’. Whilst the similarities are small, to me, I can imagine a fan of that era of Katatonia works liking the efforts put in front of us here. Songs like ‘Waiting All This Time’ are perfect and prime examples of how to incorporate female vocals into metal without annoying the audience or sounding tedious in any way, shape or form. The opening to the song, in particular, is noteworthy. It’s a theme that runs throughout the record. The simplistic styling of the guitars, which create a number of beautiful images and soundscapes (shown in songs like ‘Bleed Into Me‘), alongside the endearing bass which encompasses all the attributes that bass should do when taking control from the lead guitars and, of course, the vocals. Whilst the percussion doesn’t offer much in the way of talking points, there is still a fair amount on offer that should appeal to the listening public. There is enough on this record to suggest that it's simplicity shouldn't be much of a problem. Take songs like 'Candle In The Dark' with it's haunting piano and perfectly matched vocals. 'Searching For The Sun' is well worth putting your trust in.