3.5 out of 5 Stars!

Germany’s Arven is a band of mostly females (except for the drummer). After hearing only a few tracks on Music of Light—the band’s debut album—I realized Arven had strong potential when it came to its songwriting. The band’s musicianship proved quite adept, and the singer capably handles melodies both forceful and mellow.

Although I originally expected Arven’s music to be nothing more than a clone of other Symphonic/Gothic Metal female-led bands such as Nightwish or After Forever, I quickly discovered the band is somewhat different, adding both medieval and folk influences into its overall sound, and the vocals are not overly operatic either (although on some tracks they do possess that “operatic falsetto” quality, though not in abundance), but are more rock-oriented. I also enjoyed the prominent use of atypical instruments, such as flute, or violin/fiddle, on some of the tracks, so again, the group delivers more than the standard fare, to my relief and admiration.

I’m unsure if Arven is still together, since the second album was released back in 2013, but I do hope the group hasn’t fallen apart like so many others. The world can always use more talented acts with skillful females at the helm.

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