Born from the ashes of various Italian rock bands, and comprising of (allegedly) some of the greatest European rock musicians of all time, Lovecrave are here with ‘The Angel and the Rain’, to show us exactly what they’re capable of. It’s their first release on RepoRecords and is actually a very nice little package. I’ve been putting off reviewing this record for some time, mainly due to the gothic artwork and band name that reminded me far too much of the Evanescense/HIM end of the musical spectrum. Fortunately, inside this disc lies a pleasant combination of progressive-rock intellect and 80s synth madness which to a certain extent doesn’t disappoint.
‘The Angel and the Rain’ starts off well, as the introduction to ‘Vampires’ sets up the atmosphere of the album, with a simple piano lick layered over electronic drumbeats to create a sense of grandeur. As Francesca Chiara’s vocals kick in, comparisons to Coheed and Cambria‘s Clauido Sanchez become inevitable, with hints of Iron Maiden and Marilyn Manson thrown in the mix too. This is not the most subtle of albums by any means. The epic riffery and use of synths and samplers make for an intricate backdrop to set the story of the album to. In ‘Can you hear me’, a powerful piano introduction is overtaken by the heavier side of the band’s creativity, and the song builds to a climatic chorus which perfectly demonstrates just how over-the-top this band like to be.
Vocally, this album is something of a masterpiece, as Francesca Chiara’s versatile voice is exploited to the absolute maximum throughout its duration. From the grittier elements of ‘Vampires’ and ‘The Chauffeur’ to the subtler, sweeter tones found in ‘Can you hear me’ and ‘Runaway’, she is clearly a girl at the top of her game, and perfectly suited to lead a band of this genre. The thing about this album is that while it is a creative masterpiece, it falls victim to its own intelligence. Lovecrave have obviously poured their hearts and souls into the creation of ‘The Angel and the rain’, as there is not a moment that sounds half-arsed. Unfortunately, at times you get the feeling that there’s just too much going on here, and the band would have been better off simplifying things, and focusing more on just a few musical ideas. There are tracks such as ‘Nobody’ and ‘Little Suicide’ where it’s hard to identify a clear chorus and verse structure, and ultimately ends up sounding confused. It’s almost as if they’ve tried to cram an entire career’s worth of material into a single album, and hoped for the best.
Andy R