Artist : Brave

Album : The Calm / The Storm

Release Date : 08-01-2019

Added : 15-03-2019

'Brave' is an American band whose last album 'Monuments' dates back to 2008 and which comes back in the front of the scene with a new album released in early 2019, 'The Calm / The Storm'. Known for mixing rock and progressive metal, their style fits more with this new album in line with bands like 'Karnataka', 'Mostly Autumn' or 'Panic Room' because this last album has a rock component more marked even if the guitar riffs are present and bring some power always in opposition to the sweet voice of 'Michelle Schrotz'. 'I Will Wait' which starts the album is the perfect illustration of this contrast that works perfectly. The following two tracks 'Mystery' and 'A thousand Miles of Sand' continue in this style and the melodic lines can recall the groups mentioned above. The following scrolls the instrumental 'No Gravity' where the violin of 'Suvo Sur' brings a folk side, the energetic 'Summertime' which is more rock, the short and beautiful acoustic ballad 'Bay Song' to return then with 'Race to the End' to a heavier sound where the saturated guitars accompany 'Michelle Schrotz' and the singer of 'While Heaven Wept', 'Rain Irvin' who form a wonderfull duo. The album ends in a light style with the acoustic 'November', a heavier 'Electric Ravens' but alternating serenity and power (the electrical cover of 'Three Ravens' of 2014 here) and the semi-acoustic 'Feel the Rain' which closes the opus beautifully with a last interpretation of 'Michelle Schrotz' charged with emotion. In summary, the return of 'Brave' is a real success and the title 'The Calm / The Storm' summed up very well the album because we navigate between quiet titles and other more powerful but their style is more like a accessible rock without real progressive components and probably intended for a wide audience...

Line Up / Musicians

Ben Kelly (Bass), Matt Kozar (Guitar), Michelle Schrotz (Vocal, Keybords), Scott Loose (Guitar, Ukulele, Keybords), Suvo Sur (Violin, Keybords), Trevor Schrotz (Drums) + Guest : Rain Irving (Vocal)