CoC : Scarve - Six Tears of Sorrow : Review

Scarve - _Six Tears of Sorrow_
(Independent, 1996)
by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10)

Apparently, these guys want to be called 'atmospheric progressive death metal,' with perhaps the word 'technical' thrown around, but I really don't find any of those terms (save 'metal') appropriate. What this 30-minute CD contains is six songs of melodic thrash, mostly played at mid-to-fast tempos. The vocals are split pretty evenly between gruff death vocals, and more melodic vocals. The death vocals are fine, but the melodic vocals could be better, as while the singer isn't off-key, he has a slight whine to his voice. At times, he sounds eerily like the singer for Damn the Machine. The production is good: powerful and clean. The playing is tight, and the drumming is very good at times, but there aren't a lot of technical parts to be found. The songs aren't bad, but they're neither progressive nor technical. The band is able to create a moderately unique sound, but does so within the confines of the melodic thrash genre. The songs mostly follow standard forms, and there isn't an overabundance of radical style or tempo shifts, although there are a good variety of moods in the six songs. This is a good disc, but it's not really outstanding in any respect, and it isn't what I've seen it hyped as.

(article published 14/9/1997)

ALBUMS
1/9/2002	D Rocher	9.5	Scarve - Luminiferous
25/5/2000	D Rocher	8.5	Scarve - Translucence