Tothem – Gemini (Review)

This is the second album from Tothem, an Italian gothic/heavy metal band.

This is the band’s follow up to their début album Beyond the Sea, which was a polished collection of gothic metal tracks.

As with their first release; no matter how enticing the female vocals are, Tothem still remember that they’re first and foremost a metal band. This means that the music is just as important as the singing, and the guitars are present and correct as they should be.

Overall, Gemini seems a bit rougher than their previous release. We’re not talking underground black metal-rough, of course, but there’s a distinctly earthier vibe to the music this time around. I wasn’t sure at first, but I’ve decided I think it works in their favour as it helps differentiate them from similar bands. The end result is that whereas the first album had a power metal base, Gemini feels like it’s utilising a heavy metal core instead.

The trappings of their power/gothic metal side are still present and correct, (keyboards, operatic vocals), but they’re incorporated into a more heavy metal sound overall. It’s a bit faster and more upbeat, with the energy translating into quite a rocky vibe here and there.

Speaking of operatic vocals, the singer performs these with ease, alongside the more traditionally gothic-styled singing. She’s an asset to the band, for sure.

Female-fronted gothic metal has been a thing that’s quite polarising in some quarters since it first arrived as a fully-fledge sub-genre; it seems to be one of those types of music that people either love or hate. Which is why I like it when a band takes the core of what makes the style successful and does something a little different with it, as Tothem have done on their second album. A little rougher, a little more energetic; Gemini is an interesting and enjoyable step forward in the band’s career.

With good songs and a memorable delivery; there’s a lot of content on Gemini and I’ve enjoyed it more than I expected. It’s a superior release to their début and should serve them well for the future.

Check them out.