Fraise - A New Beginning (CD)

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It is Sweden again, and its beautiful representatives. In a land of countless nice Metal bands, FRAISE is an addition that offers nothing more or less than elegantly played Heavy/Power melodic Metal with serious work and a charming result. May this country stand proud for many many years to come.
I love bands where the drummer is the main composer. Who knows? Maybe it's the fact that a drummer does 'feel' where the limit of synthesis crosses the border of straightforwardness. Patrick - as I read - leads the FRAISE machine, a vehicle of powerful tunes played with lots of melodies, raging guitars and ethereal keyboards. Wow, this review could apply to no less than 10,000 of European metal bands. Still, the critical factor separating FRAISE from the average 'Euro Heavy' Metal band is divided into two parts:

1. As every band attempting to release a self-financed album, FRAISE cannot get a crystal clear production. And this - I believe - is in benefit of the band, since it forces the listener to consider the heavy side of the outfit and not the melodic one.
2. Lacking songwriting experience is not always a bad thing (though this can't prevent the listener dealing with an 'upper' 8/10 scale), so A New Beginning displays a songlist of semi-raw tunes that do not exactly follow the 'know how' of (commercially) successful songwriting but, rather rationally, step upon the inner instinct of the creators.

FRAISE are no newbies in the Metal scene. 2004's Hellicornia did mark the actual beginning of this Swedish squad. And A New Beginning - the title having to do with the non-ending lineup changes, too, I suppose? - is being released three years later, with songs from the heart and (even if things could be more 'bind' in the outgoing result) I don't think fans of e.g. MYSTIC PROPHECY, DREAM EVIL, NOCTURNAL RITES or FIREWIND will be disappointed. Really hope for a better future for these dudes. A New Beginning is an honest album, by all means, even if you'll expect more from it.