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Tracklist
1. This Legend Forever
2. Abandon Your Hope
3. Phantoms
4. The Curse Of Bravery
5. Remembrance
6. Live The Myth
7. City Of Hurt
8. Persistence
9. The Velvet Remains
10. Farewell To Devotion
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Although these Danes switched vocalists with the induction of new shouter Kasper Thomsen and the exit of one Lars Vognstrup, fans of Raunchy can consider the group to be that much more formidable as a result. It is a rarity that a band can effectively swap frontmen without a major backlash yet Raunchy proves that they're suitably up to the task with broad soundscapes and aggressive sensibility on tracks such as the hooky 'Phantoms' and 'The Cruse Of Bravery', a real nail-biter featuring a crisp, deadly main riff.
Although the band's songwriting remains mostly predictable, top-quality production and talented performances soften trend-sniffing arrangements. Structuring songs in order to achieve maximum dramatic impact is one thing, but the best songwriters avoid repetition and patterns more frequently than you will uncover upon listening to this record.
An A+ is due for the bright, punchy tones offered during solid bashers like 'Abandon Your Hope', the mix is tight and quite redoubtable. But upon listening to tracks like 'Remembrance', it must be noted that chugging on the low register guitar strings for measures on end is not only unoriginal, overdone and unthoughtful, it can become downright irritating if taken in without the proper frame of mind.
If As I Lay Dying or any of the countless similar acts that have invaded metal like a supernatural strain of flu were major Faith No More fans, they would probably sound a lot more like Raunchy. Unfortunately, the big hooks don't always save 'Death Pop Romance' from being yet another speck on the pimply face of metalcore. Does this album have merit? Yes, 'Live The Myth' and the aforementioned 'Phantoms' come off as being detached enough from the stereotypes at times. Further maturity and a willingness to further develop their own identity would be recommended, but if you have been living under a rock for the past five years, this still might be something that's new to you.
Review by: Erin Fox
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