Karuna - Neitherworld (Demo)
Self-financed

file under heavy / power metal

Bart: Karuna is Sanskrit for compassion. I think the band's name is very fitting, as the main emotion of the music seems to be based around just that. The band shows a very keen sense of melody.

The first song 'Neitherworld' is a very catchy one, and has a distinct uplifting sound. The band manages to keep their sound light, so that the music in some way is relaxing to listen to even though it's all fast-paced. The second song also has a catchy chorus, but is too much for me, it seems to go on forever, and makes the catchiness of the chorus transform into irritation because of the cheesiness. Don't overdo it! Maybe in a live setting this would work better. The third song is more balanced again, and perhaps a bit less catchy, as the melodies aren't really standing out.

As for the production, this sounds very good, especially considering that apart from the vocals everything is home-baked. Main man Colin Callanan has a warm voice, which in the choruses reminds of Russel Allen of Symphony X, also due to the arrangements of the backing vocals. His guitar playing is impeccable and nice to listen to. The whole band flows together nicely, so it's about time that they get picked up by a label interested in this style of power metal.

Rating: 70/100 (details)

http://www.myspace.com/karunaweb