Armed Cloud are a young Dutch band from the city of Nijmegen. Although I live close to this town and I even have a regular job there, I'd never heard of this band before, so their debut EP came as a pleasant surprise. Shroud Of Rain contains only three songs in the heavier regions of progressive rock. Guitarist Wouter van der Veen and bassist Boris Suvee, who are the founders of the band, are responsible for the prog metal base of the music which sometimes refers to a big name as Dream Theater. Van der Veen has a fine and fluent way of guitar playing that perfectly suits the melodic keyboard parts of Remco van der Veen. The three compositions show that Armed Cloud are able to write catchy and varied tunes that keep you focussed throughout. Drummer Kevin Dekker supports the music with a steady base and his brother and singer Daan Dekker has a pleasant voice to listen to. He sometimes sings a bit in the vein of Rob Laarhoven from the Dutch band Casual Silence. One way or another I always recognize singers from the Netherlands. With this three-track mini-album, Armed Cloud have made a statement with powerful and melodic songs. Moreover these guys know how to play their instruments. I think we're going to hear more from this young and promising new band in the future. ***+ Pedro Bekkers (edited by Peter Willemsen) Where to buy? |
