|
|
|
|
After having released the amazing full length albums "Visionary Breed" and "Xura" Ruination from Lithuania released this mini album in 2001. It consists of 3 new songs plus a remix version of "Drive To Live". This release is in average of the same, not to say of slightly better, quality as "Xura". Generally speaking statistics is in favour of short duration releases because the band can control the overall quality easier by selecting just a few songs than among more songs of a full length album. The "Drive To Live" EP moves on the same successful route as the previous albums with some changes of course. The trademarks of Ruination remain: the nice melodies, clever ideas and the compositions sound more concrete than before. The amazing guitar duet is still in the frontline and luckily in high spirits as usual. However, here the vocals are exclusively clear (personally I preferred the mixture with the brutal ones), the supporting instruments bass (especially at "Drive To Live") and drums have a more upgraded role. The whole style remains "Classic Metal" inclining to Power Metal with some Gothic influences which are more obvious at "Kindred Spirits", while "A Magic World" is a sort of power ballad. As one can understand the "hit" of the release - without meaning that the rest of the songs are of lower quality - is the homonymous "Drive To Live", whose main idea is very inspired and very well elaborated. The difference between the two versions of this song is that the remix contains more keyboards in the background and this makes it sound a bit more gothic, mysterious and darker.
Whoever thinks that Heavy Metal bands have reached the limits of their creativity and have very little to offer nowadays, one possible answer is Ruination, a band with fantasy and craft.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Drive To Live |
| 2. Kindred Spirits |
| 3. A Magic World |
| 4. Drive To Live (Remix) |
: 18.16
| Buy other Ruination albums |
