Band : Raintime

Album Title : Flies & Lies

Label : Lifeforce Records

Distribution : Suburban

Release date : 28/05/2007

Review : CD

If you relish the complexity of Dream Theater , mixed up with the Aggro Melodic Death metal stuff of Saab / Volvo quality, then Italy's Raintime may just be your favourite band of 2007. After their highly praised, but nowhere found debut album “ Tales from sadness ” on the defunct Arise Records , the band have fired back with a much improved sound, fitting line up and a supportive label Lifeforce Records . Recording at The Jailhouse studios with producer Tommy Hansen ( Pretty Maids, TNT & Helloween ) has given Raintime a bigger than you can imagine sound (It's obvious that Tommy's heart was in this project), and more soul-stirring than you expect. If music is a continuum that is always evolving then Raintime are a prime example of how a band can develop and grow into something unique. The band's new found progressive approach to thrash is both dark , enigmatic and very very uplifting at the same time. If they can get past the obvious Dream Theater references with a more personal style of singing – there are times where Claudio Coassin sounds like he is performing a Dream Theater cover at the Italian Idols– and leave the Michael Jackson cover's to the Limp Bizkits of the world (“ Beat it ”), then Raintime have great metal future ahead. Already “ Flies & Lies ” is a minor though very obscure, classic.

89/100

Trik.