“What the hell was that song?” I asked myself as I left the dance floor, one night at The Ination. I needed to know what song that was that I just stomped a hole into the floor to, but as I was still very new to the scene, I wasn’t comfortable asking a DJ, nor did I have Shazam on my phone just yet to find it myself. One night, during my studies, I was going through some tracks on YouTube, before I settled on paying for Spotify Premium, and came across the song “Aeon” by Rave the Reqviem. As it started in, with its sample of “simply mind-fucking,” I popped like I had never popped before. That’s what that song was! Finally, my hunt was over, and I knew the name of one of my favorite songs from the club. Shout-out to DJ Darks Choir for introducing the band’s music to me.
Knowing this, I had high hopes for the band’s fourth studio album, Stigmata Itch. With the release of each single, my anticipation grew for the full release, the excitement over their new singer The Seraph, who replaced The Mother after their last record Fvneral [sic], built even greater, and finally, I got my hands on the record, and it’s a doozy. This is a band that blends electronic, industrial, symphonic, and metal music into a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs sort of stew, with catchy chorus after infectious guitar line. The imagery conjured up by the album cover is religious, esoteric, and of a higher plane, and the music within said album creates an image that matches.
“Oh, The Joy!” starts off the record with a folk song full of vocal harmonies and a jaunty acoustic guitar line. Things kick off in electro metal fashion with “I Bring the Light,” an anthemic banger which sees The Prophet’s vocals go from robotic to growling before The Seraph brings her powerful voice to the first part of the chorus. This is the kind of song I could easily see opening a live performance, with the line “Fuck you Satan, I bring the light!” making for some great crowd participation. The drum triggers sound more electronic than metallic, but that doesn’t mean they hit the listener any less. Next is my favorite song from the album, the instantly-memorable “Holy Homicide.” Even if electro-industrial isn’t usually a radio-friendly genre, per se, this song is radio ready for sure. It’s heart-pounding and epic, a three-minute burst of symphonic metal nirvana.
“Riptide,” the first single from the record, sounds like an anime intro at times (do with that info what you will), especially during the chorus (deja vu, anyone?), but it’s a damn catchy track, chugging on that low A like no other track on the album does. It feels more in line with older RTR in the verses, which are mostly sung by The Prophet. It is in this track that I confirmed what I thought previously, that being that The Seraph is less of an operatic, classical singer than The Mother is. This isn’t a complaint, and the line between old and new RTR isn’t a very bold one anyways. “Colossvs” has a grand synth intro before kicking into a dance beat and big barre chords. The Seraph’s voice powers this one along, sticking to lower to mid range up front, with harmonies in the chorus running higher. It’s a straightforward song with just a handful of chords, but this band knows how to work the “less is more” mentality, even with the odd guitar solo, such as the one here. “Phantom Pain” feels a bit nu metal to start out, with an opening riff that could put some bounce in some mosh pits (not that that’s a bad thing, per se). The drum triggers get some fun triplets and other mania in this song, while again providing another crowd participation moment with the “ay-oh” chanting through some sections.
“Alpha vs. Omega” has a swagger to it unlike what we’ve heard so far, a bit of a whimsical edge without sacrificing the heaviness or urgency. “By the Horn of Joshva” is fast and unrelenting, with dancing synth lines and more bellowed vocals from The Prophet. The instrumental break adds a weight to the overall product with a choral sample and the orchestrated synth lines. “She Will Weep” has a peculiar intro, before the record literally scratches and we’re greeted with another dance beat and heavy guitar riffs. It’s a mid-tempo stomp with another great crowd-pleaser with the echo of “WEEP” in the chorus.
“Aerial” lives up to its name, with heavenly synth lines coupled with chugging guitars. The chorus is another great one, and if you aren’t hip to the idea that a weak chorus isn’t something Rave the Reqviem knows how to make, you’re not going to catch on. “Majordomo” has an odd yet fun beat to it, another swagger not unlike “Alpha vs. Omega” to break up any time signature repetitiveness one might have felt. Closing things out is “He Cometh Forth Like a Flower,” signing off Stigmata Itch with an orchestral and choral arrangement as the listener ascends even higher into the metallic heavens.
Stigmata Itch is available now via Out of Line Music. Order the album here.
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