ARAPACIS, what great name for a band! Hailing from Canada, and
undoubtely influenced by the old arena rockers and the gothic metal
scene of today. If you combine the two music styles, you'll come
close to the sound on "So Many Leapers". Shelsey's crystal clear
vocals match pretty well to the long instrumental songs of the band.
What would RUSH sound like, when AVRIL LAVIGNE became their singer?
This band might give you the answer. A song like "Histories" for
example captures the sound of ARAPACIS in six minutes. Sometimes they
even sound LOUDER, like in "Tale Spin". And it's there, when my head
starts banging. What a mean scream and what a filthy guitar solo! Yes
baby, this is the real deal. Opener and title track "So Many Leapers"
will definitely make many rockers go wild. It may sound a bit like
BLACK SABBATH's "Symptom Of The Universe" sometimes. Do you need any
more proof that this band has got a lot of potential? Listen dear
friends, if you have supported a band like ANVIL, you just can't miss
in my book. Also wanna hear a good ballad maybe? Just wait until
you've heard "Reflections", and hear this lady pull the notes right
from her very soul. The jammy part at the end of this song is also
quite interesting. Although it might not exactly fit to a ballad type
of thing, it sounds really nice. Feel the groove in "Time's Has-Been",
which is again beefed up with a great guitar solo. This band simply
needs a special introduction on our website, because I really like
what I hear. In every song you feel the excitement that has been
written. Just tune in to "Fast Fingers", where singer Shelsey Jarvis
surprises me with some magic keyboard playing. I'd expected some
smoking guitarwork here, but don't be afraid, the fast axework is in
the same song too. They told me guitarist Jerry Fielden burned his
fingers, while playing this fast instrumental extraordinaire. Can
somebody please tame this guy, or cool him down a little? Not in
these four and a half minutes, I guess. I wonder how the band will
sound in a live setting? I didn't mention the rhythm section yet. It
consists of Ray Tessier on drums, who obviously brings in the
influences of some newer music styles, when I look at his influences
on the internet. But his drumming blends very well to the second part
of the rhythm tandem, Gab Boudreault on bass guitar. Like a good
rhythm section, they seem to be the invisible part of the band, but
they surely cannot be missed in the great sound of this wonderful
band. The last song is called "Soldier Of Fun", which is the longest
piece of art here. Again with a long instrumental part, it simply
beats the eight minutes border. Chapeaux! Is there nothing negative
to mention here? Nope, this is a killer release. We want more! Check
out http://www.arapacis.com for more information about the band and
keep an eye out for an interview with the band soon on metalmaidens.com.
 

ARAPACIS
So Many Leapers
(8-Song-CD: $ 16,88)

Aus dem französischsprechenden Teil Kanadas kommen bereits einige recht interessante Formationen wie FORGOTTEN TALES oder MAESTRO, die mit Damengesang aufwarten und diesbezüglich auch zu gefallen wissen. Das Quartett ARAPACIS sollte man diesbezüglich ebenfalls nicht außer Acht lassen. Die Truppe besteht aus einem erfahrenen Gitarristen namens Jerry Fielden, den wesentlich jüngeren Musikern Gabriel Boudreault am Baß und Shelsey Jarvis am Mikro, sowie einem altersmäßig zumindest optisch wohl irgendwo der Mitte der bereits genannten Musiker einzuordnenden Drummer namens Ulysse Bergeron. Ebenso unterschiedlich wie das Alter der Musiker scheinen auch deren Einflüsse zu sein, denn ARAPACIS wissen mit acht kaum einzuordnenden Songs zu überzeugen, die teilweise ganz gut abrocken, dann wieder eher gefühlsbetont in Richtung Seele abzielen oder aber auch desöfteren einen dezenten Prog-Touch aufweisen. Durch die recht kräftige und ausdruckstarke Stimme von Fräulein Shelsey vermögen aber die Songs allesamt zu überzeugen, was man auch von der Musik von »So Many Leapers«, nicht jedoch vom Sound nicht sagen kann, denn dieser kommt mitunter nicht differenziert genug aus den Boxen. Ansonsten darf man schon heute auf zukünftige Werke dieser abwechslungsreich und munter aufspielenden Truppe gespannt sein.
http://www.arapacis.com/

info@arapacis.com

abwechslungsreich und munter

Walter Scheurer

ARAPACIS im Überblick:
ARAPACIS - So Many Leapers (Do It Yourself)
© 1989 - 2006 Underground Empire

http://www.underground-empire.com/review.php?type=20&idx=5717

ARAPACIS – SO MANY LEAPERS
This disc is not the usual fare. The amateurish demo cover might hint at something childish, but the band’s unique name and puzzling title are bearers of eight tracks of rock, hard rock and pop music. Various reports on the Internet indicated the band might be gothic or, at least, hint at that style, but there is little here that justifies the tag. Instead, Jerry Fielden and crew go after rock fans with a taste for harder than average sounds. The band is good, yet it is the guitar leads that stand out. The vocals of Shelsey Jarvis are inconsistent. They can sound weak or they can sound strong. It might be that she is inexperienced and is just finding herself. It sounds as if she needs more confidence. Ironically, for a metal girl, it is the slow song Histories and its follow-up Tale Spin that best bring out her voice. Tale Spin is a great kick ass song too. There aren’t many bands like this around nowadays – the songs were written between 1976 and 2005 - so give it a chance. E-mail jerry@arapacis.com or visit www.arapacis.com. - Anna Tergel

http://www.metallian.com/news0806.htm#demoreviews

Full Frontal Recordings

May 2006

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