Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From California come the Gothic, Progressive Metallists Phavian. The band formed in 2005 and in 2009, they released their debut album “Kiena”. Their new EP is out now and goes by the title of “Foreword” and although I never actually heard their debut – thus, I have nothing to compare this to – I like what I have heard throughout the 33-minutes worth of playing time on “Foreword”, it makes me curious about their earlier material. The EP opens with “Feldgrau”. This is a pretty good, thumping opener and one that highlights the top notch musicianship – particular Elizabeth Matson’s strong vocals – that Phavian is capable of. Next is the intricate and epic 12-minute “Watersong”. This is a great progressive rock track that offers the listener some twists and turns; tempo, mood and style changes and definitely keeps the listener on their toes. This also is my favorite track. Despite clocking in at 12-minutes long, it never gets boring and is just an all around testament to the bands talent as musicians and songwriters. After the musical gymnastics of the previous tune the next one “Green Iris” gets back to basics before the final track “Acolyte” shows the band returning to their epic style, by closing things out with this monster 10-minute number. Phavian is planning to unleash their 2nd full-length album called “Meridian I” in the not too distant future. Until that happens, “Foreword” would be a pretty good starting point to becoming familiar with this band. If you feel like you want to check out this interesting band, the EP is available for free download at their official web site.
Rating – 85/100
Tracklist
- Feldgrau
- Watersong
- Green Iris
- Acolyte
Line Up
- Elizabeth Matson – Vocals & Keyboards
- Puyan Hassani – Acoustic & Electric Guitars
- Jason Lobell – Bass
- Patrick Hassani – Drums & Keyboards
Links