The Pitch: Apuan melodic death quintet Carved employ epic melodies and plenty of strings to tell a story of facing one's faith to define their free will.
What I Like: Love the strings. They are lovely and sound a little different from some of the other uses I have heard this year. Similarly I enjoy the folky overtones that present themselves right from the beginning with the choral intro. Nice use of piano as well. The vocals are strong and get the lyrics across while the guitar hooks convey a sense of immediacy and emotion to support them. Nothing could have prepared me for an epic Bloodhound Gang cover. Middle School Flight meets metalhead Flight.
What I Don't Like: Over an hour was a bit of a stretch. I'm feeling some filler in the second half. No horrible tracks on this one, but definitely a few I wouldn't notice if they went missing.
The Verdict: Kyrie Eleison was another welcome surprise this year. The band show some strong songwriting skills and would make for an excellent live show, but could work on shaving material to create a more impactful overall album experience. I also appreciate that they don't seem to take themselves too seriously despite their somber approach. Album out tomorrow through Revalve Records.
Flight's Fav's: "Camlann," "Malice Striker," "Lilith"