Rein Xeed – Majestic
Liljegren Records – 2010
Rein Xeeds new album is entitled Majestic and that title fits perfectly. The previous material by Rein Xeed honestly didn’t do much for me; it felt a little too indulgent. The vocals were unbearably high and the songs seemed to focus more on speedy solos without a hooky melody to keep you interested in the song.
Majestic is Grand Epic Metal at its finest. There are melodies that flow and soar like eagles, with the superb guitar playing to accent the compositions. Tommy Johansson has crafted a well thought out release of metal gems. His pallet of musical colors is wide and expansive with an emphasis on broad swaths of rich vibrant tones and soothing nuances of fabulous subtlety.
Simple hooky chorus are not what you’ll find here, but arrangements that build on each other. The atmosphere is truly one of adventure amongst green mountains and rushing waters. With guitars that are distinctive but not used as a sledgehammer. The elements of melody brought to the forefront. The solos don’t fall into a ‘heard this before’ but are used to paint the tapestry of musical genius.
Clearly Rein Xeed with this their fourth release has stumbled upon or rather has crafted a sound that delivers the image they’ve crafted for themselves. Using stories to communicate to their audience suits this release just fine. According to the band bio “Big bombastic music with big lyrics with stories and legends that has been told for centuries with a heavenly hope.” I’d agree with that summation. My favourite song here is Never Lie, a wondrous composition with swirling elements of melody with the driving backbone of guitar and drums. The epic chorus’s and large production sound drive this amazing album.
The keyboard used is part of those subtle nuances that don’t over dominate or dictate how the songs are structured, but rather are used to fill in those background elements which add to the richness of the album. The rhythm section is stunning with solid drumming and bass playing with superior sound.
Perhaps the thing that stood out to me is that Johansson has controlled his vocal performance. Clearly he sings in the upper register but this time he doesn’t scrape the stratosphere as in the bonus track from 2007s The Light, When Will I Know I’m Free.
Majestic is melodic, epic, heavy power metal, with soaring vocals that complete a very mature album. This doesn’t sound like a band trying to be something that they’re not, or sound like a band trying to ‘find’ their sound. Rein Xeed have found their style, sound, calling and here’s to future music they’ll make.
Fans of 7Days, The Sacrificed should find this release appealing. It delivers on a grand scale musically; time will tell if Majestic will catch on in the metal community. However from where I sit there can be no mistake that Rein Xeed have offered up a very compelling album of classically influenced power metal that is the real thing. Here’s to Liljegren Records and hoping to hear more releases from them! Miss it at your own risk.
[rating:8/10]
Review by Keven Crothers. Check out Keven’s review website White Throne Metal Reviews
