VALET PARN — Riddle Figure (review)

VALET PARN — Riddle Figure album cover Album · 2011 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
J-Man
Fear The Bullet

As the progressive metal scene becomes more and more saturated with Dream Theater clones and Opeth wannabes, finding an original band like Valet Parn can be difficult in this day and age. Riddle Figure, the band's debut album, takes trash-oriented groove metal and makes it progressive by including complex riffs and instrumental breaks, rather than being based in prog metal and trying to escape the genre's mold. Although Valet Parn may still have a bit of work in the "intriguing composition" field, this is a remarkable debut from excellent musicians with a unique and promising sound. I'd recommend all fans of progressive metal with balls (but not "extreme" in any sense) to definitely check out this young Greek band. They have something special to offer, and I can only imagine the future holding great things for them.

As previously mentioned, the music here is progressive metal with groove-based riffs and heavy atmospheres. There's quite a bit of an alternative metal attitude here, and the thrash influence is also indisputable. Valet Parn has certainly developed their own sound, which is surprising considering this is only their debut. The compositions are occasionally lacking in the form of memorable hooks, but everything is enjoyable nonetheless. My favorite track is probably "Blindfall" which has excellent instrumental interplay and great vocals from Steve Venardo. Two of the biggest highlights from Riddle Figure are the top-notch musicianship and stellar production. This is clearly a talented and tight unit, and Valet Parn sounds confident and professional throughout the entire album. The production is very powerful and commanding; this meaty production is yet another thing that sets Valet Parn apart from much of the competition.

Conclusion:

Riddle Figure is a great debut from Valet Parn that's equally filled with promise as it is great music. I would've liked a few more memorable hooks and the playing time is too short (at only 33:42), but those are nitpicky complaints for this generally outstanding debut. Seldom do you come across a young self-released prog metal debut that actually has something new to offer, and that's exactly what Valet Parn have provided here. I'll go with 3.5 stars here, even with an upward tendency. I have a feeling that these guys will be doing great things in the coming years. Great work!
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