REVAMP - "REVAMP - 2010:

Floor Jansen used to amaze me so much with her voice! I remember the thrill I felt while listening to After Forever’s “Decipher” for the very first time. I thought that this had to be the best vocal performance by a female singer in the metal genre. All the After Forever- releases that followed, proved what a fantastic vocalist Floor was and showcased her vocal abilities even more: her singing became more and more mature and professional, her range was expanding and her ways of expression were becoming even more diverse.

After the band’s split, Floor was involved in many different events and projects, but ReVamp’s self-titled debut album is her first official recording since that time. Teamed up with Waldemar Sorychta (Grip Inc., Eyes of Eden, Enemy of the Sun plus producer of countless metal classics) and Joost van der Broek, a fellow ex-After Forever colleague, Floor wanted to create a heavy metal album that would be a kind of quintessence of her style and abilities. Has she succeeded? Yes. And no.

“Revamp” is a solid release, and all the ingredients that a good album should have, are there: great vocals, good melodies, quite strong and varied material, well-known and widely-respected musicians, interesting special guests, dynamics and energy, professionalism, the charisma of the leading lady … And yet, the album lacks something. I still haven’t figured out what it is, but I will try to explain what could have been done to make this release a bit more interesting or original.

The versatility was always Floor’s strength. It was her asset; the weapon with which she used to leave all the other singers far behind her. Now the same versatility is somewhat irritating. Here she sounds like someone still trying to find their own artistic direction. I guess I just need some more stylistic unity this time. After Forever’s diversity was their trademark, but I think ReVamp should find their own clear direction and character. Sometimes it also sounds as if Floor wanted to prove too much with this release. I guess a more modest, low-key piano album (in the vein of the closing song, the fragile “I Lost Myself”) or a real heavy-metal release (with way more moments á la the great, powerful verses of “Fast Forward”) would be a better move. Or a mix of these two styles. That would make the album a really interesting work of contrasts. But unfortunately, most of the songs do not sound as touching or as powerful as these two examples. What we hear most are cheap string arrangements that push all the guitars to the background and choirs that are too weak to make any impact. And the special guests do not do here anything special, either. George Oosthoek’s grunting-time is way too short. Russell Allen doesn’t do anything surprising or exciting. And s adly, the same goes for Soilwork’s Björn 'Speed' Strid - the guest I had been expecting from most.

It is a shame since the compositions themselves are quite solid. It is the arrangements, the sound and the production that lessen their impact. I wish Floor used the “less-is-more” principle here on this album. The songs would have gotten a bit more “transparent” and “pure,” and their impact would have been stronger. I wish way more attention was put to guitars and piano, in their rawer form, rather than to all the embelishements that haven’t embelished the album in the end. Is there any unwritten rule that a female-fronted metal band always needs a choir, strings, keyboards and lots of operatic vocals on their album? Most of the efforts from the world of metal seem to prove it. And the acts that break these “rules” and follow their own path come up with more interesting and fresher-sounding releases.

- Marta Samitowska