'Riven Earth' is a German band that releases its first studio album 'Project One' but if you look at you tube, they have a channel created by 'Gunter Schlünkes' which shows most of the videos from this album (see here) and have been created since 2016. Listening to the first track 'Darkness', the atmosphere reminds me of the progressive ‘Arena’ band (see their latest album here ) with this mysterious atmosphere throughout the title and beautiful instrumental parts. By cons, the title 'Stop' that follows is much more in a 70/80 rock and can recall groups like 'Barclay James Harvest' or 'Asia' and it is this trend that appears with the following titles : 'Til the Last Curtain Falls' has a little air of 'Huriah Heep' with a 2-tone guitar solo, while 'History Has Taught Them Nothing' looks like some 'BJH', period of times 'Ring Of Changes' and 'Boat People' is a long melancholic title (theme requires) that unfolds its beautiful melody alternating sung parts and ‘Floydian’ guitar solos. The suite continues to refer to the 70s with the instrumental 'Thoughts of the Past' (indeed it must remind some memories for some and for me, it makes me think of 'Europa' of 'Santana') or 'Out of the Blue' energetic who flirts with the hard-rock of the time but also alternates quieter passages, the album ending on 'Mad Man Moon' which could be a cross between 'Elton John' and 'Al Stewart'. In summary, 'Riven Earth' is a project that makes us go back to the 70s very beautifully and 'Project One' is therefore advisable to all those who loved the big rock bands of the 70/80 but also to a public much wider because all the compositions of the Germans are accessible from the first listening... | |
