XANDRIA RAVENHEART ALBUM DRAKKAR, BMG RELEASE: MAY 25, 2004 REVIEW: JULY 5, 2004

You know it's going to be a bad album when the singer has a key line which he/she follows for each song. Such is the case with the German band Xandria. Being as this is their second album (read our review of the debut album which got a seven), there are some truly unforgivable and entirely forgettable tracks which make up "Ravenheart".
Let's be clear about one thing: metal is metal. No matter how you try to disguise it with other genres. It sticks out wherever it goes and I feel a band should not attempt to hide what they are. Xandria are doing just that. Their so-called "innovative" usage of classical and medieval elements might be impressive if it hadn't been done to death by so many other gothic metal acts out there. True to goth form, however, they didn't even bother to use actual classical instrumentation. No, they opted for cheap keyboard presets. The combination of this nauseatingly cliched sound with a female vocalist whose voice goes flat several times (check out track four "Eversleeping" for the worst example of this) serves as a prime example of how gone all the life is from anything which bears the name goth in its description.
Wave after wave of stabbing guitar riffs pummel the listener in a valiant attempt to cover the numerous flaws of "Ravenheart". But to no avail. Once one looks beyond the shimmering surface, they are left with poorly constructed melodies and bland, lifeless intent. I really wish these sorts of bands would stop. They may love you on the festival circuit, but you'd not rate a raised eyebrow anywhere else.

PETER MARKS