Ripe

A Moment Forever

Written by: GR on 18/08/2010 23:17:08

OK, here's a review I started long ago but a busy schedule (and maybe just a bit of laziness, ahem) has delayed for a ridiculous period of time. So without fannying around any further it's time to get back on track. With a Myspace proclaiming the band to be 'true metal' and a name ripe for comment (see what I did there), it was even longer ago that I received Danish hopefuls Ripe's debut album "A Moment Forever" in the post for consideration. As the accompanying promo info was written in Danish I can't tell you exactly how their label is presenting their brand of metal, but we'll let the music do the talking, eh?

A tag like 'true metal' conjures up thoughts of Manowar and other such defenders of the steel, but those of you getting excited can put your broadswords back in your trousers as Ripe don't really come under this (admittedly subjective) category. That's not a criticism though, as what Ripe do offer is actually pretty good and to be fair to the band, their site does give a more detailed description of "a power metal band...who’s placed somewhere between the 80s' metal bands, the 90s’ straightforward heavy rock and the diversity of the new millennium". Whilst such band assertions are always open to debate, Ripe aren't far off as their sound is certainly a mix of Euro metal and hard rock sensibilities.

"A Moment Forever" might not push any boundaries but then it's not designed to. What it is though, is a well written, played and produced metal album with plenty of catchy songs, all the way from opener "Derelict" to the oddly titled closer "Funeral For A Kitten", via the excellent "Razorblade Kiss" and "Dreamers of Decadence". The vocals of Michael Bastholm Dahl take centre stage and are reminiscent of The Scorpions' Klaus Meine - as is the overall vibe on quite a few of the tracks. The guitar work on such an album is always going to be a major attraction and Jakob Højgård Olsen and Jeppe Høiby lay down the traditional riffs and flashy solos that fans of the genre will happily lap up. Sure it's not prefect, as some songs are fairly forgettable and overly-generic, but as a debut album this is a fine start to Ripe's career.

7

Download: Razorblade Kiss, Sweet Little Sin, Dreamers of Decadence
For The Fans Of: The Scorpions, Pretty Maids, Thunderstone
Listen: Myspace

Release Date 26.04.2010
Mighty Music

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