Lorien - From the forest to the havens 4/5
Reviewed: 3-16-07
Tracklist:
1. Return from the abyss
2. Light of valinor
3. Now I ask myself
4. Graceful pixies
5. Light is only light
6. You let me down
7. Breath of salvation
8. Fire of life
9. I can't find your home
10. Outro
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Lorien is a band from Spain and while they're not as popular as a lot of other power metal bands out there, I'm confident in knowing that many of you do have their debut 'Secrets of the elder', a CD that greatly impressed me when it was released back in 2002. Unfortunately, their 2nd CD 'From the forest to the havens' (from 2005) has been plagued with extremely poor distribution and I wouldn't be surprised if there were some kind of licensing problems involved as well. I finally got my hands on a copy though, and for those who have the debut, you can rest assured that this CD is every bit as good and is in the exact same style. So close in fact, that I can't mention any (even minor) changes.
For those unfamiliar with Lorien, they sit nicely in the center of the power metal genre. While I usually throw out some band comparisons, I've decided to go more in-depth this time. Regarding both of their CDs, Lorien to me, comes off as a blend of Vision Divine's 's/t' debut and Morifade's 'Imaginarium'. So I guess, generally speaking, you could say that they combine the sounds of the Italian style and what we hear from the well known Scandinavian style. Vocally, Jordi Tordera's voice ranges from a low to a high pitch (with a slight accent), and I find him to be both refreshing and easily recognizable.
Musically (as you're imagining a blend of the 2 aforementioned CDs), there are faster songs, hook-filled changes in tempo, upbeat/bouncy moments, and these guys really excel at galloping riffs. There are lots of excellent keyboard parts, sometimes in the background, sometimes upfront in an intermixed manner, and there are some outstanding solos (a la Vision Divine) too. Lorien is not one of those bands known for memorable choruses however, and instead are perfect for when you can listen carefully to the amazing music they offer. The CD leaves me with only one complaint, which is the very short running time (just over 35 minutes), but this isn't something that affects the quality (or rating) of the CD.
So if you have the band's debut, I do recommend an attempt to find 'From the forest to the havens'. But if you don't have the debut and are looking to get into the band, I definitely suggest picking up their much more accessible debut first. Sadly, Lorien called it quits in 2006 and this will certainly make it harder to find 'From the forest to the havens'. In addition, we're going to miss what they could've provided us in the future, as they were surely one of the more talented bands in the genre.
CLINT
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