RSS Feed


RAPTORE
Renaissance

Dying Victims Productions (2024)
Rating: 6.5/10

Two years ago Barcelona, Spain-based Raptore released a rollicking sophomore outing in the form of Blackfire, so it’s good to have the lads back with their third platter. As I expected this is more glam-tinged metal that’s catchy and accessible and rewarding in its anthemic content.

As opener ‘Satana’ attests, Raptore is more than capable of delivering fleet-of-foot hard rock boasting airy choruses and crisp rhythms. Admittedly, ‘Satana’ is a bit too pop tinged for my liking even with its nod to late 80s melodic metal. It wouldn’t seem out of place on Vain’s 1989 cult debut album No Respect, but throughout this latest offering there’s a bit too much of the lighter side going on here as ‘Abaddon’ briskly provides pomp to a New York Dolls-style hook.

Nico Cattoni’s vocals are harmless bubblegum yaps that lack conviction this time round, but in general the band appears to have offloaded the armour from last time and replaced it with something breezier, which a shame because the opening chords on ‘Kingdom Come’ are truly bruising.

There’s no denying the ability and creative process here, ‘Imperium’ is speedy and aggressive and the bass heavy ‘Into The Bowels’ chugs nicely, but this is a record that just doesn’t have the effect I anticipated. Instead, one gets a rather bland record let down even further by the rather flat mix. Shades of Mötley Crüe, Dokken, Ratt and White Lion remain but the punch and vim is absent. Unfortunately, Renaissance is one the biggest disappointments of 2024 and that makes me sad.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share