Band:	Arcas
Album:	A New Dawn
Style:	Instrumental folk metal
Website:	http://www.arcas-band.com
Release date:	2008
A review by:	Bas

01. Let The Journey Begin
02. A Night To Remember
03. Sinister Fate
04. My Eternal Sorrow Without You
05. Crossing Swords
06. Wonders Of The Earth
07. Fade Away In Darkness
08. Into The Rhythm Of The Drums
09. Gone Beyond Skies
10. Remembrance
11. Unexpected Hope
12. A New Dawn

The main problem instrumental albums have is a simple one. Is it memorable? Most of the time memorable passages in music are derived from the vocal-work. Without the vocal work we need really catchy, but not repetitive, riffs, or symphonic magic moments, extraordinary guitar solos can do the trick, a dramatic build-up, unexpected twists? well, you get the point.

You already know what I want to say. The rating isn't spectacular so after this introduction you know I'm going to say that A New Dawn doesn't have enough of these catchy riffs, the majestic symphonics, the extraordinary guitar solos etc. Actually, that's not it. In fact there are a lot of really good keyboard and folk passages on this instrumental folk metal album, a lot of very dramatic moments, unexpected twists are present aplenty too.

The real problem with Arcas is that they're doing too much. As a listener you're thrown into a world of epic, majestic, dramatic folk metal and just as you got accustomed to it, you're hurled into the next soundscape. This continues for over an hour although you stopped really listening after fifteen minutes. Although the band is not bad at all, that makes it even more of a shame to listen to a whole CD and not remember a single part of it.

I think Arcas needs more focus in their songs. Maybe they should also consider employing a vocalist. The playing and composing skills are definitely here, so why not? Perhaps it would also do them good to use more different musical elements, because let's face it; an hour of pure epicness and nothing else is a bit much.