Generally, if a band land in my inbox citing Alter Bridge and Halestorm as influences, I’m going to check it out. Whilst there’s been a slew of bands in the last few years citing these two alongside other modern titans, it still manages to grab my attention, moreso if bands are putting a spin on it.
So instead of the usual male baritone vocals you’d expect, Reawaken present something different but every bit as welcome and more to the point, fitting. Meg Parkinson’s vocals on opening track, “Don’t Run” kick in as a way to catch you off-guard in the best possible way. She screams, catching you off-guard but as it nestles in with the crunchy guitars of Nathan Page and Matt Gregory, channelling early Halestorm, it works perfectly.
The operatic vocal style, much like Evanescence or certain parts of Nightwish, shows power and skill and whilst it may not seem like the barrage of their obvious inspirations, it’s got just as much heft to it. Meanwhile, the afore-mentioned guitarists have the chance to channel their early Alter Bridge sound on songs like “Black Tears” and “C.R.A.W.L” to great effect. There’s also the pounding drums you’d hear from their entire career as the guitars intertwine one another.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned “Don’t Run” looks at the concept of not running from what the future holds in store, choosing to embrace it instead. However, it’s not all high-octane hard rock with an alternative slant. Closing track “I’m Gone” shows the band know how to drop a gear and gives Parkinson another chance to show the range her voice possesses against the backdrop of a more simple composition before it builds into something more fierce and grandiose.
Whilst Monochrome may not be the first release to show the world how the American hard rock bands influence the UK scene, Reawaken twist it into something to call their own. Backed with skill and confidence, they know how to write a song and capture the listener’s attention to remind you that it may have been done before, but not quite like this.
Monochrome is released on 5th October
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L6rxESErAg
