CoC : Inner Shrine - Samaya : Review

Inner Shrine - _Samaya_
(Dragonheart, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10)

Generic intro aside, one is likely to find Inner Shrine's sound somewhat unusual. The music is composed of mostly rhythmic guitar work (actual leads only appear sporadically), relatively upfront bass, varied keyboards, a drum machine, and operatic female vocals a la Therion that conduct the melody most of the time (except for a male- sung track towards the end). The artificial drumming provides an early setback for getting into _Samaya_, as it is very easily noticeable and rather monotonous. Still, proceeding with the album, the band's intention of imbuing _Samaya_ with a medieval atmosphere soon becomes clear in-between the female-led power metal tunes. The simplistic nature of the vast majority of the guitar work on the album, the relatively generic keyboard work and the bland production mean there isn't much to grip the listener's attention unless the lead vocals and the atmospheric breaks can save the day. Ultimately, that will depend heavily on the listener's taste: the vocals are quite good, though not truly outstanding if compared to some other artists, while the medieval atmospherics will likely prove to be a source of interest for some and a reason to fast-forward for others. _Samaya_ does have some points of interest, and it's not terrible as far as power metal goes, but it is still far from soaring and captivating enough as a whole. Inner Shrine have a reasonable base to build from, but a lot of work is still required to come up with a release that will stand out in today's metal market.

Contact: dragonheart@audioglobe.it

(article published 23/6/2004)