FUTURE AWAITS

DON'T LET THE PROG METAL TAG SCARE YOU AWAY!!!

I feel the genre tag for RC2 is inaccurate. They do have some metaly moments, but for the most part I would place them in heavy prog. There are some heavy riffs (in the beginning of the album), but there are no double kick drums and no screaming vocals. Not that these things are bad, but they are what I think is associated with the genre a lot of the time and turns many away. I would even consider RC2 softer than the heavy prog of Uriah Heep and Rush (at their heaviest).

What I like the most about the album is how it's neither dominated by keyboards nor dominated by guitars. They both receive equal time, one always backing up the other, coming in and out of the foreground and background. The keyboards are also constantly changing sounds throughout the entire album, going from a modern sound to a piano to a Mellotron-ish sound regularly (particularly in both parts of Voice of the Storm). The guitar is also varied up quite a bit. In the first two songs the guitar is definitely that of a metal band with its riffing, but in the latter part of the album, it becomes much more melodic or atmospheric (depending on the song).

The drumming on the album is very well done. One of things that can turn me away from a band very quickly is if I find the drums uninteresting or basic. RC2 does not make this mistake! Although the drums are somewhat basic in the softer parts, the drums are constanly changing and doing different things for most of the album. (Forgive the lack of technical terms; I know almost nothing about the technical features of music, unfortunately.)

I think some people might have trouble with the singer's voice, but I find it quite beautiful (reminds me of Banco's vocalist). Even though the lyrics are no longer in Spanish, the vocals still have a Spanish feel to them. This Spanish feel (in the music and the vocals) is perhaps what makes RC2 distinct from the traditional heavy prog (or prog metal, whatever). A soft Spanish guitar makes a few reappearances throughout the album (El Diablo Suelto, Voice of the Storm - Part 1), adding to the atmoshere and backing up the lead guitar.

I don't think this is as strong as their debut, but it is still an excellent album and their technical skills have definitely improved. It doesn't offer much of anything new to the prog scene, but it doesn't try to recreate the sounds of its predecessors. RC2 is definitely their own band and they have their own sound.

I very much look forward to their next album and I'll continue to keep my eye on them. The album isn't a masterpiece, but I think it would be an excellent addition to any prog collection, especially if you're looking for some modern stuff that isn't retro. If you're not willing to shell out the money for this album based on my review, check out their samples on MySpace and hopefully that will convince you!

~Kestrel~

Highlights: Time Pieces, Future Awaits, El Diablo Suelto, Voice of the Storm - Part 1

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