Band:	Face Off
Album:	The Colour Of Rain
Style:	Alternative metal, Post-metal
Release date:	February 14, 2013
A review by:	Susan

01. The Colour Of Rain
02. Dream Chamber
03. Close Enough
04. War Against War
05. The Innocence
06. Voices
07. Fragile
08. Lost In Translation
09. The End

Musical talent can come from anywhere. So, why is it that if we hear a great new band and they happen to be from Sweden or Canada or France or something we don't bat an eyelash - but if they come from somewhere like Serbia we get all "wow!" about it? I don't know about you but I totally do this. Countries that give us significantly fewer metal bands just have a certain special appeal.

But, in the end, their music is judged (by our ears) on the same level as everyone else. Face Off comes from Serbia and I'm happy to say, this music would cut it in any country. It's a kind of melodic alternative metal with well-sung female vocals and the focus resting equally on the intense guitars as it does on the vocals.

Musically, it's guitar-driven alternative metal with sweeping lines and some very nice crunch. The guitars are percussive at times, sweeping at others. On the other hand, the vocals wouldn't be out of place in, perhaps, a symphonic metal band. These two aspects come together nicely to find a slightly unique place between the two genres (and could appeal to fans of either).

This is not symphonic metal, as there is nothing remotely "symphonic" about it: no keyboards, no orchestra samples, and the vocals would NOT be considered classical or "operatic" by anyone. They're sung and they're pretty but they're also strong and a nice complement to the dominant guitars, if a slightly unexpected one. As I said, the guitars can be very percussive; when this happens, and when the drums kick into overdrive, the vocals provide an excellent counterweight. The smoothness of her voice almost amplifies the heaviness of the music.

Now to the important part: this album is deceivingly addictive. At first, it seems like just a nice, solid, straightforward album; the kind you listen to every now and then and enjoy and that's it. But before you know it, Face Off has shot to the top of your recent last.fm charts and you're listening all the damn time. It's catchy yet dark, heavy but temperate, and you will have a different one of their tunes stuck in your head each day. At least that's been my fate. And I've loved every second of it.

Hear samples from The Colour Or Rain at Bandcamp