Leander Rising hail from a place that I didn’t know much metal existed…Hungary. Budapest to be exact; something that makes me happy since I have family from that area of the world, something that should make people happy is metal coming from lesser known foreign countries. But I digress because this isn’t some politics or ethics class…
Leander Rising caught my attention on “Heart Tamer” when I heard their cover of Lady Gaga’s often covered, usually sucked song “Bad Romance” and they owned it. One of the best covers of the song I have heard and a pretty fun ending to the album. Otherwise the album doesn’t really do much for me. The songs drag on sometimes and don’t seem to have a main direction. Jumping from hard rock on “My Spring, My Storm” into In Flames territory on “Six Feet Under” and into the style of bands like Trivium on “Sin Number Eight.” You can also make the case that they tread into Scar Symmetry territory on “Bound to Belong” but they don’t pull off any style that well.
Overall I think it is a band that is trying their best to make as much happen as possible without having a really defined sound. Yes, they have a lot going on that has a lot of potential but it is so spread out over the album that you get this overwhelming feeling of…well, to much depth. Not even guest spots from Marty Friedman and Jeff Loomis can make this a stellar album. It is worth a listen because when they cement their sound it should be great, just not yet.
Rating: 5/10
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