Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2023 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
September 2023
- Rockett Love: Galactic Circus
- Kerrigan: Bloodmoon
- Taz: Shipwrecked, Vol 2
- Taz: Wake Up & Sweat, Vol 1
- Ronnie Romero: Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters
- The Flower Kings: Look At You Now
- Vega: Battlelines
- Blackbird Angels: Solsorte
- Primal Fear: Code Red
- Eclipse: Megalomanium
- Seventh Wonder: Mercy Falls (Reissue 2008/2023)
- Seventh Wonder: The Great Escape (Reissue 2010/2023)
August 2023
- Hurricane: Reconnected
- U.D.O.: Touchdown
- Streetlight: Ignition
- Sarayasign: The Lion's Road
- Neal Morse: The Dreamer - Joseph - Part One
- Rian: Wings
- Icon Of Sin: Legends
- Lancer: Tempest
- King Kobra: We Are Warriors
- Dark Sky: Signs Of The Time
- Hell In The Club: F.U.B.A.R.
- Kent Hilli: Nothing Left To Lose
July 2023
- Turkish Delight: Volume Two
- Winterstorm: Everfrost
- Scream Maker: Land Of Fire
- James Robledo: Broken Soul
- Houston: Relaunch III
- All For Metal: Legends
- Withering Scorn: Prophets Of Demise
- Bloodbound: Tales From The North
- Kikimora: For A Broken Dime
- Degreed: Public Address
June 2023
- Night Legion: Fight Or Fall
- Midnite City: In At The Deep End
- Pyramaze: Bloodlines
- Shakra: Invincible
- Vypera: Race Of Time
- Stardust: Kingdom Of Illusion
- Pride Of Lions: Dream Higher
- Joel Hoekstra's 13: Crash Of Life
- The Defiants: Drive
- Ray Alder: II
- Art Nation: Inception
- False Memories: Hybrid Ego System
Phavian: Meridian II
Phavian: Meridian II
Folk/Symphonic/Power Metal
3.5/5.0
Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Independent / Self-released
by Craig Hartranft, 03.19.2013
Coming to Phavian's third release, Meridian II, is like coming into the middle of the first or second season of a television series recommended to you by a friend. You don't really know what's happening with the narrative or the characters. You have to play 'catch up' to get what's going on.
Phavian:: outdoors.
According to the band, Meridian II is the second installment of a tetralogy (something in four parts) to be played out over the next year or two. The story is rather complex: check their website for more details.
Basically, what you have here is a synthesis of classic metal with symphonic, folk, and power metal nuances with a female lead vocals at the forefront. At first spin, it's easy to dismiss Phavian simply because there are so many female-fronted bands out there, and this is simply another one. That's not to dismiss Elizabeth Matson as a vocalist. She's rather engaging. At times she reminds me of Annie Haslam from the early English prog band Renaissance. Conversely, sometimes she's nearly smothered by the music: Watersong is an example. Then again, this track is probably the most expansive and best representation of Phavian's style.
While clearly another rock in the pile of female-fronted metal bands genre, Phavian still tries to cut their own path. It's a familiar path, sometimes engaging, other times predictable. Let's hope their creativity allows them to rise above the genre fray with future releases.
Tweet
In Short
While clearly another rock in the pile of female-fronted metal bands genre, Phavian still tries to cut their own path. It's a familiar path, sometimes engaging, other times predictable. Let's hope their creativity allows them to rise above the genre fray with future releases.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
Album of the Week
Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]