The Summary Judgment Reviews:
Title: Believe
Artist: Rain Fell Within
Label: Dark Symphonies
Release Date: 1/3/00

Rating: 4 Skulls
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    • Submitted by Requiem (11/21/00):
    One of the most difficult things to accomplish nowadays in modern metal is to sound completely original. However, on occasion we get a group of individuals with a vision of musical ideas that add an entirely new dimension to metal as we know it, therefore keeping it fresh while challenging the listener. One such group of individuals would be Rain Fell Within. Their performance at this past Mass Hardcore and Metal Festival caught my attention and left me with a glimmer of hope that there are some bands in the US that aren't afraid of trying something new and making beautiful melodic music.

    Having made an intense first impression on me in the live setting is almost unheard of, which left me craving to hear the newest release, Believe, on the Massachusetts based Dark Symphonies label. What we have is 5 songs of epic proportions, in which 4 out of the 5 songs exceed the 8 minute mark and therefore place this in full length territory. The band's sound is undoubtedly carried by the impressive operatic vocals of lead singer Dawn, who also handles the keyboard duties. Giving a flawless performance throughout the CD as well as the live setting leads me to believe that she has definitely come out of a professional background.

    When a band has an original sound, as this one does, it is often difficult to pinpoint a genre to stick them in but I definitely hear more of a European influence than anything. The overall feel is midpaced in tempo with some occasional slow sections. The guitars have a melodic death metal feel, with some early Anathema and early Amorphis influence possibly shining through. The keyboards play a dominant role in their sound, with piano sections and atmospheric keyboard passages almost leading the rest of the rhythm section throughout. Cap all this with top notch female vocals and vocal harmonies and we have one great debut. The disc seems to be planned somewhat strategically with the heavier songs appearing first and the later songs becoming more mellow and ethereal sounding until we come to the closing track, which is just keyboards and vocals.

    This is certainly one of the better releases I have heard lately and hopefully those who are daring enough to give it a shot will be as pleased with the results as I am. The vocals alone are well worth the efforts, indeed. A more polished production and performance next time will be likely to land this group into bigger territory. I'm sure a trek to Europe would do them wonders and with melodic metal on the uprise in the States, it could all be perfect timing for them.
    4 out of 5

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