A band being labelled as ‘alternative’ can potentially throw up a lot of problems. Are they unsure of what they want to be? Or rather, is the band so musically diverse that they prefer the ambiguity of the genre? In the case of Sunderland trio, Rayne, it is a combination of the two.
“Raise the Alarm” starts off sounding very metalcore and unoriginal, but soon evolves into something much more atmospheric. A big, anthemic chorus quickly changes the whole feel of the tune, as Ben Potts (vocals/bass) does his best Matt Bellamy, of Muse, impersonation, pouring his heart out with the line “I’ve missed you forever”.
If Rayne can concentrate more on what their strengths, then they could be a lot more than just the best band in Sunderland. They just need to work out what they want to be, first.