review: Red Cain -- rising prog power from Canada

Red Cain

Kindred: Act II

22 January 2021

The 2019 debut full-length album Kindred: Act I was an announcement to the fandom of prog power and melodic metal in general that a new, very promising band had arrived for real. Equipped with memorable songs and a good energy of midtempo music that is prog yet also easy to understand, there were plenty of reasons to look into these Canadian rising contenders, not the least of which was the good, melodic singing. Usually, with independent do-it-yourself bands like this one, when they have such a good debut, one doesn't expect to hear again from them for years, if at all. Defying all such expectations, they have returned.

One of the best aspects, despite the fact that this is prog, is that the music is very easy to get into and enjoy. It is often midtempo, headbobbing music as a general style, and that makes things exceedingly easy for fans in general that prefer normal, song-friendly speeds. There are bits of uptempo, headbanging speeds, but that’s not the main tempo. The guitar melodies certainly help with understanding the music. There are good, melodic solos on the album. This is all helped by keyboards and ear-friendly rhythms in general. The combination of melodic guitar solos and those sweet keyboards and grooves make for a fun listen.

Fans will have to take notice of the singing. It is crooning that fans of melodic metal should understand without much difficulty. Here and there, there is some vocal variety, like some harsher parts and other extreme elements that show vocal contrasts, and it's nice to hear a bit of those other things. However, the real big reason to listen is the melodic singing. It makes this listener really curious to find out if the singing can be this good in the live concert. Is this voice for real?! It sounds so good, and strong, and also melodic. It is the thing that takes the band over the top in terms of music and of catching the interest of potential fans. There is an elegance and style to the singing that makes the songwriting attractive and pulls you in to check out more of the music. It's a masculine yet emotional personality, without sounding cheesy, emo, weak or fake. Just listen for yourself, and see if your ears like the voice, and take it from there.

Kindred: Act II by Red Cain