It took about a year of seeing Brave’s Searching For The Sun CD cover pop up as I made my way through The End Records’ (www.theendrecords.com) internet store before finally deciding to give this almost completely unheard of band from Virginia a try.
Originally a three-piece with Michelle Loose on keyboards and vocals, Trevor Schrotz on drums and Scott Loose on guitars and vocals, Brave formed in 1996 under the Arise From Thorns moniker and recorded their first album in 1997, pressing only 500 copies. Despite having a female front woman, an element just starting to become en vogue in underground metal at the time with bands like The Gathering and Theatre of Tragedy gaining notoriety, it was obvious from the onset the band was not going to be just another melodic rock/metal clone. With AFT sold out, they would record another self-released album, Before An Audience Of Stars, before deciding to change their name. It was during this time the band would be joined by bassist Chris Welborn, who would remain through the release of their debut LP as Brave, Searching For The Sun.
Released on the little known
Massachusetts
based Dark Symphonies, Searching For The Sun will surprise you. Even the name itself seems to radiate a bold sense of exploration that will be hard to place in any one specific genre. Which, unfortunately, might be their most difficult hurdle.
The problem, if it can really be called that, is that the band seems hell bent on playing what they want to play, genre be damned. My personal favorites, “Falling Into Bliss” and “Before Nightfall” lean more toward the poppier melodic rock sound. There’s warmness to these songs, hopefulness, a dreaminess that flies in the face of their more dour contemporaries and it’s absolutely habit forming. Conversely, songs like “Trapped Inside” tap the more metal part of Brave with a darker lyrical content and a lot of chunky guitars.
Songs such as the aforementioned “Before Nightfall” and “Falling Into Bliss”, as well as later tracks “Bleed Into Me” and the stunning piano ballad “Candle in the Dark” are really what stand out on Searching for the Sun. While heavier tunes “Trapped Inside” and “New Beginning” are by no means bad, they’re not nearly as satisfying and don’t properly convey, I think, the band’s most engaging aspects.
But, variety is the spice of life, right? Absolutely, and it’s not even like Brave’s bouncing from polka tunes to extreme death metal at any point on Searching for the Sun. However, in an industry that’s looking more at dollars and cents rather than artistic value, Brave’s sense of freedom seems to have served as a roadblock for them to find a really solid record deal. As of writing this, the band had parted ways with Dark Symphonies.
Do I see Brave getting big? I really hope so. They contain enough of the familiar elements and an almost naïve sense of musical adventure and heart to rouse the interest of many people and I have to admit to having a bit of a schoolboy crush on Michelle Loose. Great music and a beautiful voice will do that to me every time.
Sometimes, a certain band, or song comes along at just the right time. As I write this review I am listening to, for quite literally probably the 100th time, the new song from this most unusual, unexpected band via their website, www.bravemusic.com. Titled “Words”, the song marks the first recorded track featuring the band’s latest editions, longtime friend, bassist Ben Kelly and violinist Suvo Sur. Yeah, that’s right, violins. Beautiful violin passages, drum work one might not expect from someone who’s only been playing for less than ten years, thick, groovy bass, guitars that run from moving acoustics to stuff that could make Dream Theater virtuoso John Petrucci take notice, and a female voice that could only have been developed from natural, honest talent. Which kind of, in a nutshell, describes Brave as a whole. You’re not going to expect what you’ll be hearing but you’re going to appreciate it all the same.
Track Listing:
Escape / I Believe / Falling Into Bliss / Trapped Inside / Before Nightfall / To Dream Again / Bleed Into Me / New Beginning / Out of Focus / Candle In The Dark / Waiting All This Time.
Brave (2003):
Michelle Loose - Vocals / Piano / Keyboards
Scott Loose - Acoustic and Electric Guitars / Keyboards
Trevor Schrotz- Drums / Percussion
Chris Welborn - Bass Guitar
