For me, the best cover songs sound like the artists own creation. To the point where you are shocked to find out they covered the song and it wasn’t their own. Symphonic Power Metallers RAVENLIGHT are the latest band to show that this is the case with their upcoming EP Intermission, this is bridge between their debut Project Genesis and their upcoming second album given the fact that live shows haven’t been an option during COVID times.
The EP kicks off with a cover of THE WEEKEND’s floor filling anthem Blinding Lights. I personally love it when a band covers a song outside their genre and pull it off. With Blinding Lights, they pull it off impeccably. It sounds like one of their own songs and this will be a genius way to introduce a few more music fans to Symphonic/Power Metal. Covers are usually a wise and relatively safe way to go about this.
Out of the covers on the EP, STRATOVARIUS classic Black Diamond is closest to RAVENLIGHT’s sound. In terms of covering songs similar to your style, it can be a hit and miss. For RAVENLIGHT, it’s (most definitively) a hit. They not only managed to capture the musical and emotional essence of STRATOVARIUS, they also managed to keep to their core sound so it sounds very much like their own.
RAVENLIGHT’s cover of underrated GHOST track Zenith was released as a single and I can understand why it has been well received by many fans of both bands. I completely agree with one of the YouTube comments that stated this is what it would sound like if NIGHTWISH and GHOST had done a collaboration. Rebecca Feeney’s ethereal vocal work shines through spectacularly here, I had to double check I wasn’t listening to NIGHTWISH’s own Floor Jansen for a moment.
Intermission is a solid EP providing a sturdy bridge between their previous and their new, upcoming album. RAVENLIGHT manage to achieve the amazing feat of keeping key elements of the original track whilst sticking to the core founding bedrock of their sound that has drawn in both fans and critics alike. They are Power Symphonic metal icons in the making and Intermission is strong proof of this. If you’re a fan of the genre, I would highly recommend that you go ahead and seek these bards of steel out and lend them your ear and giving them a listen.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Lotty Whittingham
Intermission is out now.
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