Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
The Virginia based progressive rock/metal band Brave began their career in 1996 under the name Arise From Thorns in 1997 they released their debut demo followed by a self-titled full-length in 1998 and then the album “Before an Audience of Stars” followed a year later before the band changed their name to Brave. Under this new moniker the band has gone on to release two EPs, two full-lengths and a compilation, but has not released any new material since 2008, until now. Which brings us to their new 3-song single “Surrounds Me”.
The 15-minute disc begins with “Surrounds Me”. Michelle Schrotz has a fantastic voice. Fans of While Heaven Wept will know her as their keyboardist but with Brave she gets to prove what a top flight vocalist she is. “Surrounds Me” has some cool tempo changes and a pretty heavy riff as well as a great solo to finish the song. “Three Ravens” is next and has an ethereal, moody and kind of melancholy vibe. Again, the depth of Michelle’s vocals can’t be understated enough. The whole thing is brought to its conclusion with an extended remix of “Surrounds Me”. This version is just over 2-minutes longer than the one that starts the album and features an extended intro.
In addition to Brave, several members of the band also have a hand in the progressive metal band While Heaven Wept, who has been riding a wave of momentum in recent years, but as fan of Brave since the Arise From Thorns days it is nice to have them back and hearing new music from them once again. These two new tracks are a reminder of how talented this band is.
Rating – 82/100
Tracklist
- Surrounds Me
- Three Ravens
- Surrounds Me (Extended Remix)
Line Up
- Michelle Loose Schrotz – Vocals & Keyboards
- Scott Loose – Guitars
- Matt Kozar – Guitars
- Ben Kelly – Bass
- Suvo Sur – Violins & Keyboards
- Trevor Schrotz – Drums
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