Charetta - Self-Titled EP (2008)
Independent Release
Review by Mortuai
'Don't let the cover fool you' is my first piece of advice regarding New York City's Charetta. A glance at the sepia-toned EP cover artwork with its prominent dead tree on display and you might immediately think gothic doom metal.
This isn't the case at all, though, for the five-piece's style falls squarely in the realm of groove-driven heavy alternative rock with the occasional metal leaning. The three song EP I received for review was recorded just a few months after the band was founded in 2007, apparently, but is a polished piece of work featuring strong, clear production and solid...if not particularly distinctive or complex... songwriting.
It's tough to accurately judge a band's style based on twelve minutes of music, but even in that short span of time, a few influences become readily apparent. Opener On The Line, my favorite of the three for a variety of reasons, is a slow-tempo rocker which sounds like a blend of one part Deftones, one part Chevelle, and two parts Comalies-era Lacuna Coil. Unsurprisingly from the latter reference, vocalist Angelina DelCarmen does occasionally sound a bit like a higher-midrange version of Cristina Scabbia, though the resemblance isn't strong enough to be called derivative. Something about her delivery style - probably her tendancy to shift up her pitch and back down again in the midst of phrases - also reminds me just a tiny fraction of Johanna DePierre, though any thoughts of the group otherwise sounding at all like Amaran should be tossed aside immediately. On The Line also features the EP's only guitar lead, a tasty little melodic burst that unfortunately makes me wish there were more on the other tracks.
After the highly promising lead-off, things start to lean away from the Lacuna Coil influence and more towards the alt-rock side with Too Far In, a more groove-laden piece that calls to mind a mix of the aforementioned artists as well as bits and pieces of Sevendust, Creed, and Evanescence. It's a cool little number with a stick-in-your-head chorus, but for some reason it seems to me it ends a bit abruptly, as if there should've been more to it. The 'single' track of the EP, So Convincing is up last, and here we have a slower tempo, more melody coming to the forefront in the music, and Angelina's multilayered-vocals taking on more of a sultry, seductive tone. I can see this one being an unquestioned favorite with the alternative rock and borderline-rock-fan crowds, though more metal-oriented listeners might find it drags a bit.
While I freely admit to not exactly being the biggest alt-rock fan in the world, I have to say I do like what Charetta has to offer so far. They're tight live performers if what I've seen online is any indication, and while the music they write isn't anything exceptionally innovative, it's catchy and enjoyable without sounding too commercial or generic. Within a few weeks of this writing, as I understand it, they should be releasing their upcoming debut full-length, Defying The Inevitable. If you are a fan of the musical style I've described, then I would say it's definitely worth your time to check it out when it hits the streets.
Rating: 8.0/10
Tracklist :
- Too Far In
- So Convincing
- On The Line
Line Up :
- Angelina Del Carmen - Vocals
- Pablo LaFrossia - Guitar
- Adonis Sanchez - Drums
- Richard Mollo - Bass
Links :
Chiaretta Official MySpace