This is the 16th album from UK metal band Paradise Lost.
This is the eagerly awaited follow up to 2017’s Medusa, which was a thoroughly enjoyable album through and through. Back with 45 minutes of new material on Obsidian, this is a great time to be a Paradise Lost fan. Continue reading
Midas Fall are a UK ambient post-rock band and this is their fourth album.
The music of Midas Fall is a thing of shimmering, ethereal beauty, replete with resonant emotion and resplendence. Continue reading
Nexus are an Italian Gothic/industrial rock band and this is their debut album.
Taking an electronic and keyboard powered approach to their music, The Taint is an enjoyable trip to places that I haven’t visited in quite some time. Continue reading
This is the fourth album from Belgian dark metal/rock band Diablo Blvd.
Just take a look at that album cover. I mean, how could you not be intrigued by that?
When you delve in, you’ll find that Diablo Blvd play a mix of classic and Continue reading
This is a remastered version of Paradise Lost’s classic 1997 album One Second.
What can you say about this album if you haven’t already heard it? It’s just so good.
Following up the metal masterpiece that was 1995’s Draconian Times was always going to be a tricky proposition, but the band certainly didn’t opt for Continue reading
This is the ninth album by German rock band Mono Inc.
If you haven’t encountered Mono Inc. before, then I suggest you prepare yourself. This is a larger than life band that need to be approached in this context. Continue reading
Worm Ouroborus are a doom band from the US. This is their third album.
Combining doom, dark ambient, Gothic rock, post-metal and neo-folk, Worm Ouroborus are the kind of band that easily stand out from the rest of the herd. This is not typically something you hear every day. Well, unless you listen to them every day from now on, of course. Continue reading
This is the latest EP from US post-metal band A Province of Thay.
According to the promo blurb – “This album is an amazing blend of doom and goth rock that takes the melodies of The Cure and combines them with heavy metal, into a unique whole.” Now, I don’t always put a Continue reading
Embassy of Silence are from Finland and this is their third album. They play Progressive Rock.
This is bright, upbeat and cheery Progressive Rock with Gothic elements and just a tinge of Metal. Good songwriting and the abundant energy that the band pour into the tracks mean that Verisimilitude is a winner.
Although there are Gothic elements, these are only added in for extra colour as the main base of the band is a Progressive one. This is good, as Gothic Rock/Metal has been so thoroughly done to death over the years that it’s a style that’s usually simpler and duller in many ways than what we find on this album.
As the band’s songwriting is based mainly on Progressive Rock rather than the Gothic variety, this allows them to avoid the obvious pitfalls of the Gothic Rock/Metal style. On this album the band have the mix just right, concentrating mainly on the Progressive and just adding a bit of the Gothic in here and there.
Verisimilitude is a well-done and enjoyable listen, with each of the songs having character and presence. The Progressive Rock influence is evident in the guitars and the keyboards, as well as the overall feel and style of the songs.
There’s a rich tapestry of orchestration and added layers of atmosphere to the songs and a good amount of diversity and variety of feeling and moods on the album. This is also true of the singer’s voice, which is used to great effect throughout. She has a top quality voice with a good range that’s more than capable of dealing with whatever is thrown at it.
Impressive and professional; Embassy of Silence have created a cohesive and compelling album that’s based around energetic and impassioned songs with bright hooks, catchy melodies and music with substance and depth. Who can ask for more?
Highly recommended.
The 69 Eyes are from Finland and play Gothic Rock.
This is a pretty epic Best Of album, spanning 28 tracks across 25 years. Most bands will never be that prolific.
I haven’t actually heard The 69 Eyes before but they’re certainly a band I’ve been aware of.
As is the case with Best Of albums like this it’s essentially a greatest hits package, and the quality of the songs reflect this.
It shows a remarkable consistency over the band’s long career. Times, style and fortunes may shift and change, but a good song is a good song regardless.
These are catchy, memorable, Gothic-infused Rock songs with personality and choruses aplenty.
The singer has that kind of deep, charismatic voice that is essential for this kind of music and it’s easy to see why he has captivated so many hearts over the decades with his vocal performance.
There is a lot of music on this release, almost 2 hours in total. But even given the constraints of the genre there’s a decent amount of variety here, with everything from up-tempo rockers, moody slower songs and outright ballads getting a chance to shine. The band have suffered no shortage of inspiration over the years, that’s apparent.
From my own point of reference, they combine elements of HIM, Ashbury Heights, Mono Inc., Paradise Lost, Tiamat, Type O Negative, Moonspell and Sentenced; although I’m well aware that it’s probably the other way around in reality.
With such a wealth of riches in one package, if this is your kind of music then it’s hard to go wrong with The Best of Helsinki Vampires.
I’m sold. Sign me up.
