Frost Raven - Body Snatcher EP

[abysis212]

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Artist......: Frost Raven

Title.......: Body Snatchers EP

Genre.......: Full On

Type........: EP/Single

Rel. Date...: 2010

Label.......: Geomagnetic Records

Country.....: United States

 

Traklist:

 

01. Alien Contact 8:07

02. Body Snatcher 6:55

03. Cosmic Radiation 7:21

 

I was asked to write this review of Frost Raven's new EP "Bodysnatcher". Before going into detail regarding the individual tracks I'll just mention that the style incorporates elements of both goa and psychedelic full on. The bpms range from around 145 for the first two track to around 135 for the third. I'm throwing on my Sennheiser HD 280 pros for this one. The closed ear design is definitely the right atmosphere to hear this release in. Also, a note on the cover art. Its nice. However, it would be nice to see a less generic font next time. Now for the review:

 

 

Alien Contact

Alien Contact throws us into the mix quickly. Hit play and we already have a kick, snare, a goa type synth line and a sprinkling of supporting elements. Around 30 secs in the bass comes in. It has a driving feel with a bit of dirty electro. As the goa synth line fades out for a bit we get a nice slice of the rhythmic backbone with the bass and some nice sidechained reverb. This is good cause that goa line was sounding dated to me and I like hearing the bass being showcased here. The track progresses using some simple melodic hooks, added percussion, and sweep buildups. Around 130 in we get a new rising arpegiated synth line that is reminicent of many full on songs. However, it is used to good effect here, compliments the bass well and is a welcome addition. The track seems to push toward a fevorish pace throughout leaving you little space even during the breakdown. Later in the track we get some Infected note stabs with delay and then some stuttering synth lines. A key change with the bass and main line is attempted and sounds decent enough. My main critique with this track is we have heard it all before. Lots of familiar elements are used and in some cases done well and in others like the stuttering synth line are not the best. The track is strong in its ability to create tension, make use of fills and pattern interrupts at the end of bars, use a catchy rising synth line, and have a driving low end. The track is weak in its lack of personal vision and melodic complexity. It sounds more like a reflection of what has already been put out there than an offering of someones personal felt experience. However, this may have something to do with Frost Raven's desire to master the elements of a particular genre and therefore is a necessary artistic step, that should be supported, before moving toward greater artist freedom. Seeing the track from this view it is a success as Frost Raven shows he is quite competent working within the stylistic sounds of this genre.

 

 

Body Snatcher

 

Here we have a little more of an intro before dropping back in with the kick/bass. Around 45 secs in the track starts to capture my attention as some nice percussion is laid down that compliments the bass pattern. Once again we are driving at a very fast pace though the percussion does a nice job of making it a little more bouncy feeling rather than barrelling down. Around 2 mins in we get a very nice synth line that fills things up nicely while keeping it simple. The elements here work well together as the song progresses and the sustain opens up on the lead synth. I'm grooving:) Around 4 mins some background pads come in they open up the track even more. Nice work. At the 5 min mark things drop out and some cool delayed vocal whisper sounding textures take over. The track calms down from there though it feels like it has lost some of the sense of direction and attention to detail that made the middle portions strong. Overall this song starts out kinda lackluster but ends up getting into a real nice flow for the majority of the track. The track has a more rhythmically pulsing feel to it. The percussion, bass, and melodic elements do well to compliment one another and I think Frost Raven does well not to try to get more melodic here. So far this is my pick of the EP. Good work.

 

 

Cosmic Radiation

 

Unexpectedly Frost Raven brings the tempo and energy down with this one. However, I think it is wise as there is only so much intensity I can take at that energy level before I need a break. As the bass comes in by itself I'm not really digging its sound but as it settles into the mix things start to gel. Cosmic Radiation also has a lot more melodic focus than the previous tracks and does a good job juxtaposing different melodic elements. We get some familiar harmonies but I can't complain too much cause my head is nodding:) Somewhere around the 4 min mark I feel like I'm transported back to the land of Astral Projection:). While this track is not my favorite off the EP (I like Body Snatcher the best) I think it probably has the best feeling of continuity over the course of the entire track.

 

 

Overall, this release was better than I anticipated. It certainly caters to the oldschool psy and goa sound. However, after giving it some time I like some of the nostalgia. Frost Raven has a good set of production skills to draw from and I can only see him improving as he further refines his personal vision and musical understanding. The tracks here demonstrate that he has a strong commitment to his music.