Whose idea was this? This is absolutely fantastic! The first time I heard about Van Canto, I honestly thought it was a joke. A German metal band consisting of a sole drummer and five vocalists does not sound like a metal band at all. Where are the shredding guitarists? Where’s the frantic plucking bassist? As it turns out, three of the five vocalists actually imitate the sounds of electric guitars and basses. This is accomplished by combining chanting voices, with the assistance of amplifiers, to produce sounds almost indistinguishable from real instruments.
To add to my astonishment, Van Canto has been around since 2006 and has recently released its fifth studio album, Dawn of the Brave. How had I not heard of this band before? Van Canto is truly unique. And that’s the appeal. In a genre that often lacks variety, there’s always room for talented, innovative bands like this.
Dawn of the Brave offers several pleasant surprises—aside from the way the band produces its sound. After covering Metallica’s “Battery” and “Master of Puppets” on previous albums, Van Canto recreate Europe’s “The Final Countdown”, Bonnie Tyler’s smash-hit “Holding Out For a Hero”, Annie Lennox’s sorrowful “Into the West” and Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.” As far as covers go, these familiar songs are triumphantly reborn, with the latter two being the runts of the litter.
It is utterly fascinating how Van Canto’s baroque treatment of “The Final Countdown” distinguishes the cover from its original, giving the song new life. Of course, the original is better, but there’s no reason Van Canto should shy away from covering any song.
The sheer power of all the voices coming together creates a dark and fantastical atmosphere, like a barbaric choir. Deep, baritone voices hum and rumble to the beat, while the two lead singers take turns belting out lyrics about bravery and overcoming adversity. Besides a self-descriptive song called “Badaboom,” another original song that stands out is the album’s third track, “To the Mountains.” With its funky “diggy-dum, diggy-dum” bass-like vocals and impeccable “guitar” solos, the song is the most metal of them all. I’m still in awe of how they make the solos sound so real.
While listening to Dawn of the Brave, you’ll want to see for yourself how Van Canto accomplishes this music in the flesh. But before you do that, I recommend giving a listen to this brilliant and unique album in its entirety. You won’t regret it.
Evan Davits, HMS
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