EP REVIEW: Mediterraneo – Even Flow
Having started out in the late 90s, Sardinian metal outfit EVEN FLOW have just put out their latest EP Mediterrano. Now credit where credit’s due, this EP is self-released by the band which of course is commendable for anyone given all the time and effort it takes to write, record, produce and release any piece of music, however that might be where most of the praise ends.
Opening with Ocean Lies, the EP starts out sounding like the opening theme for an anime/thriller series. It’s promising; it’s melodic and includes vocals that are actually quite comparable to that of MUSE’s Matt Bellamy but then this is when things begin to go downhill. The chorus completely switches to a style that honestly feels incredibly out of place, and frankly uncomfortable. More than anything you’re left confused when it happens. We then go to a slow piano melody that once again draws comparison to MUSE, with some QUEEN also thrown in. But of course, things get ruined with the weird chorus. We are then treated to a guitar solo which sounds pretty at first but it seems to go just on and on and on until the song ends. Confused? Yeah, we are too.
And that’s the pattern we experience throughout the entire record. Strong sounding chorus, weird, uncomfortable shift to different style during chorus, repeat, and end with a dragged-out guitar solo. It’s disappointing, especially given the vocal talent we experience that genuinely sounds like if Matt Bellamy and Freddie Mercury had a child; the weird instrumentals just distract from it.
The only song really worth any praise is Revelation Day, a track with a power rock ‘n’ roll style that actually continues into the chorus. They don’t end with a long guitar solo! You want to yell out “they’ve learnt!” But of course, hope is dashed when it comes to the concluding title track. A seven-minute-long track… yes you read that right. Starting out electronic before shifting to metal guitars and violins, it sounds cool but, again, it doesn’t work. We’re all for creativity and experimentation with sounds and genres, but it needs to work and it just doesn’t here. Furthermore, a seven-minute-long song with a long guitar solo at the end – on a 20-minute EP it feels like this has been going on for hours.
Ultimately then Mediterraneo is a strange one as on one hand we have what should be a cool sounding EP that sounds like MUSE and QUEEN had a child, but the weird changes just completely distract, and frankly, ruin everything. Shame really.
Rating: 4/10
Mediterraneo is out now via self-release.
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