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Forgive Durden - "Razia's Shadow"
Release Date: October 28, 2008

Forgive Durden first appeared on the indie scene with their release of Wonderland back in 2006. The band felt great about the record and loved the music they created, but poor record sales and personal issues between band members were discouraging until three of the four members left in 2008. The only member who remained was vocalist Thomas Dutton, who, at the time, was writing a musical for the band's next album. Dutton felt defeated, but stuck with his ideas and began working with his brother on getting an album released. Together, they wrote and composed Razia's Shadow: A Musical. With no band and minimal experience with instruments, the pair opted to use software to create each track.

As far as vocals go, Thomas Dutton has one voice, and there are over a dozen characters in the story. Guest vocalists were essential to make something interesting. So he asked a few friends to lend their vocals for the album, and almost everyone that was asked accepted. Dutton really chose an amazing line-up from the Alternative/Pop/Rock music community. Some are on the album solely for their talent with singing - Lizzie Huffman, Max Bemis, Chris Conley, to name a few - but some were selected for simply being unique. Shawn Harris plays a demented, evil doctor, and while not vocally pleasing, the voice he creates really gives him a creepy personality. Aaron Weiss was not asked to do vocals, but instead plays the role of the narrator, boasting a really great storytelling voice. He's very sincere; each word is packed with strong emotions. Hearing a new voice on almost every track is refreshing and pleasant and helps break the monotony of a single vocalist.

The song composition is great and really helps set the focus on the vocalists, but nothing really stood out on the album. No two songs sound the same and I guess the uniqueness is something to appreciate, but I can't help but imagine how the record would've sounded with a few powerful guitars or something. I think that's the biggest problem with creating music through software. It takes much more effort to make something big when you're not playing the instruments yourself. Not bad enough to call it a disappointment, but there's definitely room for improvement if Dutton ever decides to create a sequel.
 
The storyline in Razia's Shadow is complex and somewhat confusing, but if you follow along with the CD booklet and listen to the entire record a few times, you should be able to pick it up. Initially we follow Ahrima (Dutton), an angel who's tired of being ignored for all the good deeds he does. He meets the love of his life, Nidria (Huffman), who comforts him and recognizes his genius. The love of Nidria is enough for Ahrima to forget his problems, until he meets an evil spider named Barayas (Bemis). Barayas tells Ahrima the only way for others to realize his potential is to burn down the city. By doing so he'll finally be recognized, even if he's seen as a villain instead of a hero.

Ahrima goes through with it and burns down everything they'd ever created. The townspeople are frightened and banish Ahrima to live on his own in the Darkness while the rest find a new place to live. Ahrima separates the world into two halves, the Light and the Dark, two sides destined to fight each other until an ancient prophecy is fulfilled. The story then skips forward 100 years to Ahrima's great-grandchildren. I've rambled, but it's really something you need to completely experience. It's not perfect and it won't make you a fan if you don't like Forgive Durden's sound, but for those who like the music, the storyline is an awesome addition that can really get you thinking and make you enjoy the album that much more.

It's not your ordinary album and it's understandable that most people probably won't get into it. The album is definitely best when listened to in one run, so if you find yourself on the fence, just try the whole thing. The genius is not in the strange idea or crazy melodies, but in the lyrics and lessons that Razia's Shadow will teach you.