Coldrain - The Revelation (2013)^{Release ID: 23288}

In 2014, Coldrain were signed to Raw Power Management, a British company where many bands around the world have been signed to including Bullet for My Valentine, whom Coldrain would tour with in large festivals all over Europe. 7 years active, and this talented group had hit the big time, all thanks to The Revelation! Their third album was released a year prior in the summer of 2013, and I believe a good review is in order!

Now most of the reviewers for this album wrote about the more popular international edition, but I think it makes more sense to review both the original Japanese edition and their subsequent EP Until the End, so I can get the best of both releases. Let's get this war on...

"The War Is On" begins gently, but only for a short intro with soft singing. Then the furious high growls come in along with the heaviness, with everything in perfect balance. The drums and rhythm guitar stand strong. The dark-ish vocals invite you to join the singing, especially the chorus that is like Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong" on steroids. This song would definitely catch on live! Next up, the title track begins differently with a futuristic sci-fi vibe. This is a solid song worth headbanging. The growling vocals fit well with the loudness, with the clean vocals being a good addition. "Falling Forever" is another heavy song. There's a slightly greater balance between the cleans and the growls, the latter being common in the verses. This song works in the mainstream despite the aggression and should be appreciated more, a great song for newcomers!

"Behind the Curtain" has an electronic intro before the superb guitar and drumming crash in. There's some more of the signature growling. With solid rhythm, this is another great track worth headbanging. You just can't stay still! Another song to make live performances more dynamic! Continuing the journey is "Next to You", starting with quiet singing, making you wonder if this is a pleasant ballad that's a nice break from the singing/growling heaviness, and indeed it is, other than the chorus and bridge. You can pay more attention to the lyrics that are more cleanly sung than the previous songs. This mix of fury and balladry makes that song one of the band's most diverse and also one of the best of the album and live! Now time for the "Timebomb", beginning with a solid guitar/bass intro. The vocals have more dynamic aggression, rushing through subtle reverb. The guitar is important for the nice beat here, especially the fantastic solo. A beautiful song of variety!

For the next song "Voiceless", if you thought this would be a calm instrumental, you'd be wrong! Already you hear heavy drums, powerful guitars, and strong bass, one of the heaviest songs of the album. The vocals are absolutely solid, driving you through the instrumentation and lyrics. An exciting jumper! Next, "Chasing Dreams" is inspirational in both the song and the title to motivate you to chase your dreams away from darkness into positive light. The song starts with soft piano that signifies something different to go on in this song. Overcoming struggles with persistence in a nice message, this is absolutely inspiring! That track ends the international edition, but we still have two more tracks to comment on in the original Japanese edition. "Given Up on You" pulls you in right away with the singing. The song has great variation in the instrumentation. The dramatic feeling makes you realize the band's resilience after a huge disappointment which I think is their punky debut album. Drums and guitars beautifully share the spotlight. Just like Voivod's self-titled album, the ending song is titled "Carry On", which I have no words to say if I don't wanna ruin the delicate motivational message.

I think I made the right choice reviewing the original Japanese (released in Japan, not Japanese language) edition of this album. Besides wanting to get the full experience in the album and its subsequent EP, the 3 tracks exclusive to that edition are some of the best by the band, and I feel bad for people who only have the international edition. You don't know what you're missing! Anyway, whichever edition you want, The Revelation shall be owned by any fan of loud heaviness. Some songs really deserve radio play. All I'm saying is give Coldrain a chance!

Favorites: "The War Is On", "Falling Forever", "Next to You", "Voiceless", "Chasing Dreams"