DARK ANGEL

I love debut albums that blow you away and The Reasoning's debut 'The Awakening' certainly fell into that category. The music wasn't hideously complex, but it chugged along with a great energy that was pleasant from end to end.

The problem with cracking debuts however is that often the second album is rubbish, especially when it follows close on the heals of the first release. I often think this is the record company getting it's way, and not the band devoting as much energy into the release as they did their first album. That said, The Reasoning's second release 'Dark Angel' isn't rubbish, but nor is it as solid as their first album in my opinion.

It's hard to say exactly what it is that doesn't quite stack up. Most of the songs are pretty good, some such as 'Sharp Sea' are exceptional, but on a whole it just doesn't hold the same interest as their debut and feels somewhat rushed to me. I really feel they haven't used the 3 vocalists to full effect on this album also, often opting for solo spots rather than harmonising together.

There's two or three ballads amongst the often crunching guitars not really present on their first album; Serenity is a little gem while Breaking the 4th Wall is woeful and really tarnishes the album for me. Bring back the chugging bass riffs from the first album I say.

Fans of the first album should like this album - if there was a 3.5 star rating, I would have used it. Those new to the band, grab their debut, one of the best releases of the year.