Album review: VAN CANTO – Dawn Of The Brave

Napalm Records

A capella metal anyone? Amazingly this is Van Canto’s fifth album and they perform all the music on here bar the drums, so that’s all the bass and guitar solos. They have a good sense of humour as lead song, the hook filled ‘Badaboom’, features a video about the disappearance of musical instruments and the power of the voice. Do check it out for the doppelganger cameos from Metallica amongst others. ‘Steelbreaker’ and ‘The Awakening’ are the best of their self-penned tunes, good power metal with, err solid vocal riffs.

They are also famous for covers including on this album a truly impressive cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’. The guitar solos and throbbing bass line are all replicated faithfully. Europe’s ‘The Final Countdown’ doesn’t seem to work as well as it’s hard to replicate those famous parping keyboards. It really is quite fascinating picking out the vocals taking the instrumental parts and of course they are good singers too. They even do have a go at the Bonnie Tyler classic ‘Holding Out For A Hero’.

Highly enjoyable, although not sure I’d want all their backlist as this album is something to dip into now and then for a musical change. Do check them out though as their vocal dexterity is something else!

****

Review by Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

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Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)