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Renaissance

    
       
       
       
     
             
Raptore are a heavy metal band from Argentina formed in 2012, releasing three albums to date - 'Rage N' Fever' (2016), 'Blackfire' (2022), and 'Renaissance' (2024).    
             
Founded by vocalist/guitarist Nico Cattoni, the bands current line-up consists of bass player Cristian Blade (Savaged, Streamer), drummer Angel Smolski (Löanshark), and guitarist Kamie Killhead (Savaged) - the bands new album nine songs and thirty three minutes of eighties sounding heavy metal! You know the kind of metal I'm talking about - it's the kind that straddled the border between heavy metal and hard rock, and with bands such as Raptore around still straddling these borders, the grand mix of metal and rock lives on! The band deliver an unabashed and unadulterated sound from over four decades ago, right around the time I first got into heavy metal (and hard rock), so 'Renaissance' is very attractive to me...    
             
...the album strolling into life with the one minute atmospheric and tension building instrumental 'Ecclesia', 'Renaissance' bursting into life with the energetic 'Satana' - Raptore standing proudly on the bridge between metal and rock. The energy and oomph here is incredible, the band delivering a bombastic opener to turn the heads of every listener everywhere in the direction of the Argentinean four-piece - 'Abaddon' increasing the pace of the album to roar off at full throttle! The opening brace has been electrifying, the band oozing a feel good factor that's gonna plant smiles a mile wide on the faces of every metaller and rocker on the planet - even a little bit of a party atmosphere is coming forth too!    
             
The band are primarily striding across metal territory with consistent forays into hard rock country, 'Darklight' featuring the iconic metal gallop and a level of head bang ability higher than heard so far. Heard so far! Can you really hear head bang ability? Course you fucking can - although head bang ability isn't just heard, it's a sense and a feeling too, 'Renaissance' having all three in abundance. And as 'Requiescat In Pace' opens, the sound of a tolling church bell can be heard, similar in style and feel to AC/DC's 'Hells Bells' (off the bands 1980 album 'Back In Black') and Metallica's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' (off the bands 1984 album 'Ride The Lightning') - Raptore standing right in-between the genres of rock and metal with this one. Lighter than everything heard so far, 'Requiescat In Pace' is immensely melodious in nature, the band widening their sonic attack to new widths - a sonic attack that has seen 'Renaissance' conquer the airways! 'Into The Bowels' brings to the fore the iconic and instantly recognisable NWOBHM guitar tone, Raptore perfectly echoing a forty year old sound as the band plant their collective feet on the old school heavy metal monitor to adopt the classic metal pose, every listener, fan and follower raising their clenched fists high and punching the air to salute the glorious traditional metal sound oozing outta 'Into The Bowels'.    
             
Raptore have kept the pedal firmly pressed to the metal since the album began, 'Kingdom Come' delivering a slight Black Sabbath doom metal feel across its first thirty seconds or so, the band accelerating quickly to resume the all out metal and rock attack! Keeping everyone smiling and head banging like maniacs, Raptore continue to deliver an enjoyable and highly entertaining gallop of infectious heavy metal with 'Imperium' - the speed of the album increasing tenfold! The pace and power pouring out of 'Imperium' is sky fucking high, the level of head bang ability shooting right through the roof as the band roar louder than ever! What a breathtaking barrage of all out heavy metal delivered right outta the centre of metal territory, 'All Fires The Fire' maintaining the albums recent increase in power and pace! The band are at full tilt here, 'All Fires The Fire' a barnstorming end to a very good album.    
             
Overall, an energy driven gallop of heavy metal with a strong hard rock influence, 'Renaissance' is infectious and head bang-able to the max.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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