Time Signature Turned up and up...

Genre: eclectic metal

Raintime doesn't really sound like a very metal band name, does it? And the cover arts doesn't really look metal, does it? And, when first hearing the intro of "Fire Ants", one will be excused for thinking that one has purchased a stinkin' techno pop album and not a metal album.

By "Psychromatic" by Raintime certainly is metal - it is just that we are dealing with a band who have a very eclectic approach and are not afraid to borrow elements from electronic pop, one of the traditional adversaries of metal music.

Taking their starting point in the heavy Gothenburg guitar sound, the Italian band draw on thrash metal, power metal, progressive metal, groove metal, alternative metal, nu metal, traditional metal and what not in addition to their use of electronic elements.

Most of the tracks are heavy and aggressive, and "Fire Ants" contain some pretty cool uptempo riffs, while "Turned Up and Down" and "One Day" offer several pretty heay and groovy riffs. "Nothing But A Mistake" is an all out melodeath track while "Beaten Roads" is a thrash song (with blast beats to boot).

I think that Raintime succesfully get away with their eclectic approach, but I think that listening to their "Psychromatic" will be a sort of challenging experience to many metalheads because of the electronic elements. One has to give the band credit for never giving up on the heaviness of metal music in their quest for melody and originality.

Fans of Sonic Syndicate, Engel, and Deadlock might like this album, but fans of "true" metal are almost certain to dislike it.