The Provenance
Red flags

The early The Provenance have recorded two of my favorite albums. “25th Hour; Bleeding” and “Still at arms length” (unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of listening to the following “How would you like to be spat at?”), released by the Italian Scarlet Records, are immense masterpieces sealed in unhealthy atmospheres, between despair and madness, violent death metal with gothic influences (but let's clarify right away that there's not even a hint of canonical gothic metal) and with a seventies touch obtained thanks to the particular use of Hammond and flute, with very varied and exciting vocals. Works unknown to most in Italy, but practically appreciated by all those who had the fortune to listen to them and grasp their dark and morbid charm. They are innovative and brilliant poets of despondency and disillusionment, of the evil that drives our society and fanaticisms, the bugbears, and the ever more frantic ways of living in the new millennium; their music is pure cynicism made of dripping black liquid, so opaque that it leaves not the slightest glimmer of hope and surrounds us with total negativity, bordering on madness and self-harm. Music that manages to be felt directly in the stomach rather than in the ears.

However, after the 2006 deal with the great Peaceville Records, The Provenance completely changed their appearance, and their sound started drawing from some of their label mates, among the boldest in the current metal scene. We can thus find something of Opeth, Madder Mortem, and Novembre, but what is proposed is so personal that it requires no comparison. The growl, once the backbone of the sound, has vanished, thus leaving the enchanting throat of the keyboardist Emma Hellström (but forget about the stereotype of the operatic singer with all highs and trills or that of the languid swooning of colleagues not anchored in classical technique), the true modulator of all melodic lines, the task of covering the wide range of vocal lines, assisted by guitarist Tobias Martinsson (once excellent both in growls and in theatrical clean vocals, now less incisive and almost cold) mainly for the backing vocals, creating a melodic effect that is certainly captivating but also slightly unsatisfying compared to the splendor we were used to in the past. The songwriting has been somewhat simplified, favoring a compact song form with more direct impact. The guitars are more "smeared" and less sharp than before, more inclined to chords than riffs, but have not lost their psychedelic yet extreme character (death is always the starting point). By completely abandoning the influences of Jethro Tull (no more flute and Hammond organ) and relegating the keyboards to a simple background role (but when they need to be heard, they do so with the same bewildering and apocalyptic effect as before) and making everything more bare but at the same time cerebral and intimate, they have recorded the most personal but also the most challenging album of their career.

Among the best episodes, it's worth mentioning the nervous and intense "At the barricades", the pounding "Thanks to you" (highlighted by Joel Lindell's precise drumming), the bewildering, psychedelic, and almost symphonic "Second and last but not always", the apocalyptic "Raveling masses", the liquid and quiet "Deadened", and the disturbed "Settle soon", all songs consolidated by Hellström's superb interpretative abilities. Perhaps the only evident weak point of this album, concerning the tracks not mentioned, lies precisely in having focused too much on the refrains, which, not being (fortunately) as catchy as those of some renowned colleagues, risk becoming verbose or at least boring for less patient listeners and those still tied to the atmospheres of the past. To tell the truth, on a first listen, no particular track struck a chord with me; however, not being an easy-to-assimilate record, "Red flags" requires multiple and accurate listens, and it certainly cannot be dismissed with a minimal approach. A few months after its release, I am compelled to assert that this is another good record from the Swedish quintet (even if it is not a masterpiece like the previous ones) which indicates the presence of still effervescent inspiration, light-years away from any commercial ploy, any prevailing stylistic wave and trend, filled with the usual dark and claustrophobic atmospheres, nihilistic lyrics full of images and metaphors concerning Western society, made of intimate emotions filtered through an updated and more personal sound but distinguished by the impeccable performance and exquisite technique of each individual member.

If for once we could forget the usual prejudice "female voice = tacky gothic metal", perhaps The Provenance would also be rewarded with their rightful merits, not only by myself and a few others (among specialized magazines, only Grind Zone has dedicated some space to them). But the mere fact that a historic label like Peaceville has decided to embrace their cause is already a big step forward. Listeners are advised to those who do not live with blinders, but especially to fans of the most emotional metal.