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Oratorio
THE REALITY OF EXISTENCE
The year of 2003 saw Rivel Records really put themselves on the map with fantastic releases from bands like Crimson Moonlight and Pantokrator. Now in 2004, the label introduces to us Oratorio as they release their first full length, The Reality of Existence.
This album falls in the melodic power metal category somewhat, but it doesn't seem to fit the mold perfectly. Now, this is not some super original sounding band. They have their influences, but they just sound somewhat fresh and different to these ears. Musically the band has a very nice crunch and mixes it up between mid-tempo and faster, hard-hitting songs. Take a mix of Stratovarius, very recent Immortal Souls, and maybe Iron Maiden and you get an idea of their musical direction. The band is very tight and can really suck you into their musical world on any of these 10 songs. Vocally, Joel Hekkala has a deeper voice than most power metal vocalists and sounds similar in style to Ville Laihiala of Sentenced.
Oratorio succeeds on all counts in my opinion. The music seems to get better on multiple listens. The band uses melody and aggression to their advantage at all the right times. The vocals might be tough for some to get into, but I think that Hekkala has a very powerful voice that fits the music perfectly. His vocals are also very emotional, and mixed with the Christ-centered lyrics it really leads to an almost worshipful experience. Check them out at oratoriometal.com. [RIVEL RECORDS] STEWART STEVENSON
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