Scarlet Records (2012)

At this point in metal’s lifespan, intertwining genres appears to be a regular occurrence for originality’s sake. Given the wide musical palate at everyone’s fingertips, little wonder musicians are refining and experimenting in the hopes to stand out amongst the sea of releases. The question remains for many potential fans- what is too much or not enough to consider a product still metal?

Italy’s Evenoire take elements of medieval/folk, gothic and symphonic metal to develop their sound on this debut album “Vitriol”. Even exotic woodwind instruments and a soprano female guest vocal make the 7:28 “Misleading Paradise” a dream for The Gathering or Therion followers. Acoustic guitar sprinklings give the brief ballad “The Prayer” a nice reflective moment mid-way through the album. The folk parts shine in direct proportion to the symphonic bombast attention given to “Girl By The Lake”- as main vocalist Lisy Stefanoni showcases her enchanting melodies in an After Forever meets Anneke Van Giersbergen method, while the pianos and electric guitars serve and volley with excitement. I would dare say the songwriters even delve back into the 70’s scene with Styx and Kansas for some of their folk/acoustic inspiration- the best example being “Minstrel Of Dolomites” where Evenoire combine atmosphere with a moving gothic arrangement.

“Vitriol” on the surface did not appeal to my tastes with a first or fifth listen. The charm of Evenoire’s songwriting and performance won me over the more I sat with this record. The flowery parts are very dramatic and for some who can’t handle that European majestic bombast, this quintet could rub you the wrong way very quickly. The heavier music lovers will seek comfort in other acts - Evenoire definitely is a gothic metal act that will appeal more to the fringe alternative crowd.

www.evenoire.it
www.scarletrecords.it

Rating: 4 / 6

Composed by Matt Coe