Kastalija by AVVEN reviewed

Kastalija is the second album from the Slovenian band AVVEN. The album made of 10 tracks :

01. Zmaji
02. Ros
03. Nuala
04. Vvile
05. Ibo
06. Tarak
07. Hej Ti!
08. Spain
09. L.78
10. Tornach

Lyrics can be found inside the booklet but I’m not sure to understand why it doesn’t follow the tracks order.

Tarak is the only full English song while some English can be found in the last track entitled “Tornach”.
Let’s see the music now:

01. Zmaji

The album starts by some fast’n’heavy beats from the drummer. Tin whistle, guitars and violin are the next to get into the song. That is one nice aria as easy to remember as the meaning of the tracktitle: Dragons.

One new and amazing riff is passing by the 24th second to the 39th, and then let the singer to do his job.

Strings muted are while the singing but 3 chords can be heard pretty well to the end of the sentences sent by the singer. The first riff is back for 7 seconds and the next comes again. By the way, drums are also amazing.

Accordion enters with chorus at 1.14. Enjoyment is shared by the folk parts, guitars ring well, and headbangs may be since the beginning of the song. : ) The second part is back 15 seconds later. Also, far behind is one sound that isn’t natural in this second part, I guess it comes from the keyboard but in my opinion, the sound engineer could do much better for this track of song. The singer has a follower to his next & short verse (1.46) that is the accordion and then is one bridge that drives you already to the chorus (2.01), again.

Trumpets appear at deep end of the chorus until 2.47. They remind me Spain. Nice part from the whole band but I wonder if the backing trumpets (not the lead) isn’t from the keyboard, and/or the result of the sound engineer again. The next is another verse made musically in 4 parts: 

- 2.47: Folky part without guitars

- 2.54: The guitar is back but shy

- 2.59: Metal is back (!)

- 3.16: The metal part is always here but with a different tone until the end of the song.

That’s a very good song, I think.

02. Ros

Drums & calm keyboard introduce the track, next are the fell instruments. The female singing that makes soft the verses starts at 0.25 of the song. The “metal” instruments are away in this part of song but the muted guitar can be heard from 0.46, raising that song with the help of the drummer. And then the metalish chorus can be within the male vocalist. Another verse & chorus are but with one small arrangement in between.

That chorus ends at 1.45 but the fell instruments still have something to say, in the need of 5 seconds more.

The soft part is back within different beats and the female vocals return with violin (2.04).

Chorus is from 2.16 to 2.41. The end is animated by guitars and violin.

03. Nuala

Piano begins the song. The violin player (0.08) is like a narrator. The female singing is the first character to enter the story (0.08). Acoustic guitar comes in (0.42) and the male singing replies to that lady (0.49). Too bad I don’t understand the lyrics so I can’t tell about it. x) 

Both characters are together at 1.22 with bathorian voices that I don’t appreciate in this song.

Distortion appears (1.51) but is nothing special. This part, ending at 2.14, is very influenced by Bathory from the voices, so is the end of that part by the two characters. Then is that piano & violin, still around – So is that nice acoustic guitar for a few seconds. 

The song ends softer with the two singers.

04. Vvile

The intro is shared with the clean guitar & bass guitar into a game of “delay”. The track behind are maybe the keyboards. Drums and a nice riff in distortion is (0.30) and then, the male vocalist begins his work at 0.52. Some palm muted (PM) are with the amazing drums and keyboard. Some strings ringing there too but I don’t like much that distortion. A matter of taste, I suppose. : ) The guitar can be better heard from 1.07 to 1.20 to become silent for 4 seconds. Chorus comes in and violin and all the instruments can be heard pretty well until 1.59. The drummer is having fun there, I guess.

Arrived to the second verse that ends to 2.27, most of the muted strings are away to give space to one anxious guitarist. The Chorus is back until 3.03. Next is one instrumental part until both the violin and female vocalist do the beginning of the chorus, caught up by all the others for the end of the song.

05. Ibo

The drummer opens the celebration. Accordion and rhythmic guitars are the next ones, and then the violin, back and lead vocals are in the verse for one minute. Chorus in distortion comes next. The second verse appears at 1.21 for 20 seconds and the chorus returns until 1.58 exactly. An instrumental part begins with the chorus part but ends (2.12) by an accordion escorted by the violin, following fine that chorus. Next is the singing, different, and the chorus is back. Too bad that accordion was a bit messed with the other tracks of the song while the chorus, but happily, the song appears great. 

06. Tarak

What do you think of mad laugh as intro? Well, Avven did it with this song, with drums behind. : )

Metal guitar riff arises, then bass, and keyboard. Now (0.23) the lead singing can start, with the other vocalists followers. Violin & female vocals enters at 0.35 backing the lead. 0.47 is a change but the main aria is back after. One break interfered with (1.10) & the movement returns (1.23). The whole restarts (1.46) within some arrangements. The song ends with the main aria. I don’t like at all that work from the sound engineer but I appreciated the violin player in this song.

07. Hej Ti!

The beginners of the song are some long notes from the guitars, beats and choir that end at 0.21. Some faster beats are and then guitar’s melody is in the next second. Now, the keyboard reminds me Prodigy (lol) but the riff is cool with it, and sounds harder with the other band members around. The next verse starts (0.34) and the whole is nice here. Then a sympho chorus is at 0.50, a verse (1.09), the following chorus (1.25) & a folky break (1.38) with guitars like at deep beginning. The next chorus wakes the listener (1.54). New guitar sentences are at 2.18 and the amazing violin joins at about 2.28. Chorus once more... The song ends with the first riff but they played with tone.

08. Spain

That title is pretty fine with the “Spanish” sentences from the guitars and the trumpet. The soft singing starts (0.21), some weight into the drums. Fast strings muted are in but ring at the half of the verse. So, a sympho part warns of the chorus (0.50) that is accompanied by some backing vocals inside. 1.09 starts another verse supported by the violinist but the trumpet appears a bit too early here. In my opinion, It would have been better if it could have wait 1 or 2 seconds more.

Chorus restarts at 1.29, and then is the guest leading that part with his trumpet and the others follow this Spanish aria but the guitarist seems angry (2.14) and decides to play a new and harder riff. Later, he will be caught up by the violin & keyboards, before the next chorus (2.47).

09. L.78

The tune starts with keyboards and guitars, the next are drums. The third is bass and forth to enter is violin. Nice intro.

Everything shut down (0.44) for the male singer, bassist, drummer and one clean guitar chord is played soft at each beginning of sentences by the singer. The female singing and violin join them at 0.55. Distortion is back to introduce the chorus (1.05), them all together. At 1.27 is one amazing but short riff.

The second part of the song is back at 1.38 about, with accordion. Then, this is the chorus.

The instrumental part from 2.08 is nothing amazing. The guitars are based on the verse melody later, the violinist follows them and then, the female singing with drums, give more weight to the whole, forcing the other singer to end that part. The song ends with chorus again.

10. Tornach

The tune starts soft, closer to classical than metal. : ) Slow tempo is but nice violin there (0.08). The metal instruments begin (0.16) and the tone from the previous ones turns different. Voice can be heard from 0.19.

We can hear one riff at 0.32 to 0.50 with a faster tempo. Next is the singer singing his verse until one classical part (1.06), the whole under rhythmic strings. New riff was born (1.24) before the instrumental act, and from the text sung, the singer is daddy and tells in English to his son (1.40) things like “I will take care of you now”, and repeats it after that nice instrumental made of 6 parts.^^ The electric instruments together with drums end that song. So now, let’s take care of Avven:

And to conclude :

The album is nice and they know what they do. There is a mix of genres in their music that is appreciated here. The drummer is amazing but I want to hear much more sounds different, and some more games with the power. The singers were fine, +1 to Mrs. For the next album, I hope the female singing will not be always together with the nice violin. That’s beautiful but they should try new things. Also I hope a better mastering…/ And I hope new ends for the songs: I don’t count all the songs ending with chorus… Once again, the band should try new things. : ) My favorite tracks are the first & fifth song, I think.