THE PROVENANCE: "How would you like to be spat at"     the provenance   

reviews by Matthew Haumschild and Salvo Russo 

I would have to start out by saying that Provenance is a very unusual band. They are hard to compare to any specific band. This band is pretty much all over the place in their songs. What I mean is that it has structure, but it doesn’t and is does in the same vein like Jazz. Provenance is great for just laying in bed staring at the wall thinking about well…the darker points of life. Although, these guys have been, interestingly, categorized as a twist between Anathema and The Gathering however, personally I would give them a cross between Candiria and Paradise Lost.

     In some songs, Tobias would sing and in other songs it would be just Emma. Never once do they growl or get aggressive with their vocals. This whole album is very gothic. That it is the best way to describe them, I ask the question ‘what is gothic?” but the only response I can come up with is, “You know pornography when you see it, but it is hard to describe.” I can’t tell you specific why this group sounds Gothic, they just are. Songs like Heroine and Going Down give off this inner city, dark, disparity-type-dwell that is at the very heart of gothic. These guys (and gal) are the real deal, no doubt about it. Speeding To Get By is just as gloomy as it’s predecessors, very dark and very slow. One could feed off the depressive vibe this band has perfected to portray. Some of the other tracks like About A Whore, About A Kill, start out rocking, then slow down just a little, Emma comes in with her ice-queen like vocals which sound soothing yet hard hitting, and the song turns extremely dark and heavy at the same time. Can’t get anymore gothic than this.

     The production quality of this album was done to complete perfection. Personally, I don’t think anyone could have done a better job. The mix was very well, although the guitars were a little fuzzy as was the kick-drum, but other than my usual knit-picking of the mix and the sound it self, I thought this album was brilliant. The drums were at a perfect level as were the vocals and every other instrument. I am still amazed at the vocal sound they got on Emma. Roberto Laghi demonstrated that he is an excellent engineer with this album; watch out for this guy on CD’s because this is a true mark of great sound quality and mixing.

rating: 8/10

Matthew Haumschild

A very particular proposal arrives from this band ; A mixture of gothic rock/metal mixed with something similar to the latest The Gathering but also an evident macabre approach that could remind of black atmosphere mixed to psychedelic visions. I'd say a kind of psychedelic Goth-metal....that show me an interesting style in which I appreciate the band is able to put in evidence the good Emma vocals and the originality that must still find the maturity and the top of its expressions but on the whole I can't but admit that this album can be a point of begin. The songs get good structures, and It's evident how the band is able to create a very own personal mark......that comes out from the  influences that are well elaborated.

I don't appreciate the arrangements at all, and also the production is not at the top even if I can say that it's not bad; The sound takes inspirations from the latest The Gathering album, and there's no trance of power distortions, they prefer to have a sound nearer to alternative rock, thought the music is completely different.

This is not melodic Goth , and every song is full of sufferance and anxiety......I notice many psychedelic influences; "Heroine" is a very successful song that seem to remind of the Gathering and latest Anathema with a personal touch; A very elaborated composition .......

Almost Black atmosphere in the next "Catching scarlet in the sun" that gets a very psychedelic-black mood in which I notice the good Emma's vocals that gives an angelic touch to this song.

Great passion in the next  "How would you like to be spat at"....in which it’s evident the search of a personal style not only with the arrangement but also with a very claustrophobic atmosphere created with chords!

A little boring song  "Some gossip on stealing a spouse" while I can't but appreciate the horror and psychedelic atmosphere of "Going down " in which the band shows how to create an original song with a very amazing mood; Trances of Dimmu Borgir in the beginning of the next song in which the band shows its macabre attitude!

The track n°8 and n°9  seem to remind of the latest The Gathering compositions....two good songs that I'm sure could be more than interesting for all The Gathering fans....

I don't like the experimental psychedelic-doom of "Speeding to get by"...in which the band is not able to create the atmosphere realized in many songs of this album.

On the whole....this is a good and original cd that could interesting all those who like to listen something different from the usual proposals and I'm sure this band could be an interesting one for the future. 

rating: 7/10

Salvo Russo

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