Dying Victims Productions - 2024
8.5/10
The Argentinian outfit (now residing in Spain) Raptore snuck its way into my top ten back in 2022 with their sophomore album Blackfire, so you can imagine my excitement upon seeing them come back with a third effort this year. For the most part, the band sticks to traditional heavy metal, using the accessible angle rather than focusing on speed and aggression. This was fairly streamlined for a very tight sound before, feeling consistent despite the nuances, and in some ways album number three titled Renaissance continues this trend. The only difference would be that I think this one branches out a little bit further in terms of song makeup.
On the surface, this may be harder to tell. Much of the record still traverses the path that aims for melody and tightness, with a similar cadence of cleaner production that doesn't feel too polished. But the smallest look inward reveals hints towards power metal oriented structure, while utilizing what might pass for glam metal tactics. Harmony-laced choruses and gang-shout eruptions are everywhere, an extension of what we got before. Neither influence is overly in your face, but sometimes this subtle hint is precisely what we really need.
All this really means is that Raptore is choosing to add epic layers to their foundation with prettier flares to their atmosphere. "Satana" reveals this pretty quickly, throwing in neat sound effects, pummeling drums, and driving bridges while coating on a sugary chorus. Others tracks will throw more emphasis on one side than the other. A favorite of mine is definitely "Requiescat In Pace" as it uses softer licks with incredible vocal clarity for a bright delivery not unlike what you'd find on a Lillian Axe disc. Yet, you get songs filled to the brim with power, such as "Kingdom Come," and I'd even argue that it's one of their heaviest tunes; the doom-ridden intro just adds even more personality. To the opposite end, "Imperium" flips this into a full-on speed metal track. That traditional metal root never gets lost in any of this, and the likes of "Abaddon" hone in on a more straightforward sound in line with what we got on the previous record.
In terms of variance, Renaissance shows a leap upwards in terms of construction and identity. However, the prior record felt just the slightest bit more focused, and if the ideas here are passed through that channel, we could have ourselves something better than anything the band has done yet. What's present is still incredible, and anyone into the aforementioned styles should absolutely dive into this record (or the previous one). For only having three albums, there's obvious growth between outings.
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