Raibard - The Queen of the Night

Raibard

The Queen of the Night
self-released; 2017

​3.9 out of 5

By Dan Weston

Daniel Gil, Adam Morrison and Phil Mackay are Raibard. The band recently released The Queen of the Night which is a complete DIY effort. The band  apparently has been compared to bands like Pearl Jam, Dinosaur Jr. and The Who to name a few. To my ear the band has a distinct ’70s sound. It mostly fits into classic rock but some prog certainly makes it way in there as well. 

​The band did a good job in the production area. They used good gear and the results are impressive. That being said when the band really rocks some of things that a professional studio can do get lost. The stereo image can become a little narrow. In this case I think the album may have benefited by being passed to a top notch mastering engineer. 

Up first song is “Forest of Song” which is almost a ten-minute song. Get used it because all the songs are long with a couple of others are also around the ten-minute mark. The song bursts open with a riff that sounds like it came from a Led Zeppelin back catalog. They switch it up rather quickly and keep a couple of good grooves coming. The band eventually launches into a breakdown section that is somewhere between the song “Moby Dick” and Pink Floyd. They eventually find their way into another ’70s inspired riff.

The band pulls back the reins with “Always Home.” It's more atmospheric in general and the first couple of minutes is carried by an acoustic guitar and vocals. “False Prophet” is a fairly straightforward rocker. The title track could certainly be considered the centerpiece. It's dynamic and contains a couple of epic guitar solos and continuous crescendos. 

The song “Meaning” arguably has a tint of ’90s alternative while  “Ophra” contains a drum solo part that you would never hear on FM radio these days. It's felt like a homage to John Bonham. They end with “Pomegranate” and “Witness” which are both solid tunes. 

There is no denying that Raibard is ambitious. The influences from ’70s rock is undeniable and builds upon the aesthetics of a number of great dinosaur bands. Overall, I can’t say this band is reinventing the wheel but the songs  are well crafted and enjoyable. At the very least if you are hankering for more ’70s inspired rock this should satiate your appetite.

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