Daniel Flores (primarily drummer for Mind's Eye) has been at the center of quite a few interesting, and very different projects. Foremost in the mind is last year's underrated
Crash the System disc "The Crowning" which was a roulette spin of vocalists set against a keyboard programmed heavy
AOR atmosphere.
The Murder of My Sweet project is another Swedish born creation, this time tackling the whole symphonic metal (with the ever-slight touch of the electronic goth). Something akin to a more programmed Nightwish, a slick pop capture of Evanescence, the creepy honeyedness from the Lovecrave.
"Divanity" is a skillfully intense ride that keeps the focus on plush choruses and builds symphonic walls around the warmth of the vocals. There's no hiding or denying its metal roots, as most tracks come barrelling forward with dizzying intensity, plunging into the listener with all the delicacy of a sledgehammer. Angelica Rylin has the right pipes to cozy up to the task, delivering solid, mesmerizingly powerful vocals that keep up with the music that relentlessly plunges forward. Her voice backs up the music with an occasional tender touch and otherwise edgy enthusiasm.
Starting up with the hammering
"No Evil" and the slinky feline
"Follow the Rain", these two songs establish the nature of the "Divanity". Haunting keys out of a Dracula movie and the epic trappings out of the book of power metal, combine and mix, a daunting elixir indeed. Like a 6 inch spiked heel,
"Bleed Me Dry" comes crashing down with a surprisingly killing blow. Modern pop goth slammed into a symphonic backdrop makes for a treat and the quick driving highlight of the album. The perfect production makes it a sheer delight, and Angelica's voice runs the gamut from sugary tender to vindictive vixen. The scale has been ran, and it only required three minutes to bedazzle. Every female fronted band that leans towards goth tendancies - from
Within Temptation to Lacuna Coil and back again - has been crammed into this one piece.
"Chemical Attraction" is a thumping rocker that has the scathing guitars of Daniel Palmqvist to add the iron to the lace. The pure pristine production comes pouring out on the proudly pompously passionate
"Kiss of Death", that swirls the keyboards with wild abandon and thickens the chorus in majestic trappings. Beating at the senses like the terror of a horror movie moment comes the shocker dynamics of
"One Bullet". Her swagger and acid sweetness leave this one in a wickedly tantalizing state that is just abound in terrific pop hooks. Sweeping the field is
"Tonight". Tinkling keys by Andreas Lindahl and the sizzling guitars create a pulsating swirl of sounds for this hero worship starry eyed love song. Lavish and luscious is the elemental fickleness for
"Storms of the Sea", subtle as lapping water and typhoon force, in turn. The metallic edge and determination drive
"Revolution" as a slick, dagger sharp, plunge to the heart, metal track that stands out with its fuzzy guitars, ambitious keyboard programming and the textbook solid drumming by Flores.
The balance of power shows perfect on
"Valerie" that has the musical tapestry working the weavings in overtime. Guitars punch through with as much heated ferver as the quirky keyscapes that lay on sounds like so many intricately woven blankets. Pauses of ethereal vocals and sweetly graced piano gives a breather before the urgency and damnation conviction of the chorus smashes back through. For a study of progressive music and tight concept songs, one would be remiss in not mentioning the glorious chance-taker that
is "Death of a Movie Star". Blaring sirens, twisting vocals that purr as a seductive serpent and twine around in venomous horror over the turn of events taking place within. Some
Savatage dramatics and pacings can be felt here, as the song keeps spinning itself through audience applause, time changes and this epic undercurrent that blends it all together.
The Murder of My Sweet's "Divanity" is endlessly dramatic, purposely passionate and powerful all-around. However, it does share much with many other bands that are competing for the same share of the goth-symphonic-female-fronted-metal subgenre pie. The production is brilliant, the songs tightly constructed, and the keyboards from Lindahl are just quirky and strange enough to paint this one a slightly different shade from Murder's main competitors. As far as the goth/metal genre goes, despite there being many fish in that sea, Daniel Flores and company have taken it to the top of its game here on "Divanity". It has a quite commercial sheen at times (blatant on the thundercracker short piece "Bleed Me Dry", and will be a major turnoff for some that like their music not quite as neatly laid out as this album is) and otherwise plays it hard, thunderous, and at times, quite ambitious. This is a massive album for anyone that has a penchant for femme fatale vocals and symphonically crushing music.
Written by
Alanna Saturday, April 3, 2010
Show all reviews by AlannaRatingsAlanna: 8/10Members: 7.75/10 - Average of 2 ratings.
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 | ProfessorShred
Rating: 7.5/10
Eloquent,even haunting it would seem...the more I listen to this album,the more it grows o... · Read more · |
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