This new interesting band comes from the mind of
Angel Dust singer Dirk Thurisch (vocals and guitar); he has joined forces with Dennis Riehle (keyboards), Anders Iwers (bass), and Stefan Gemballa (drums); former
Angel Dust guitarist Bernd Aufermann appears with some guitar solos on selected songs.
Why? is a very special sounding release because it combines many styles in a very original way. Most songs are mid-tempo in pace, neatly packed with a raw and grooving rhythm guitar, tight drums, powerful bass lines and a melodic and atmospheric keyboard.
When compared with the music of
Angel Dust, which is Power Metal,
Mercury Tide follows a groovier and calmer style. Elements of progressive passages, Heavy Rock rhythms and more traditional Heavy Metal are found in many songs.
One of the best things about this album is the completeness in the feeling you get when you listen to it; the aspect of a dreaming atmosphere coupled with great melodies seems to be a characteristic element running through the record. This is perfectly matched with the very personal lyrics of betrayal, hopelessness, wondering and deep emotions, the pure and powerful production; even the beautiful cover gets the feel just right.
I will narrow my description of the album a bit down by commenting on some of the songs.
Why? opens in perfect style and it's still my favourite track when the album runs in at 46 minutes.
A brilliant piano melody combined with a hard and rocking rhythm-section works fantastic, the bass is put out in front creating a heavy depth to the song. This is track is in one word a pure masterpiece; it has a catchy chorus, stunning vocal parts and a perfect overall flow.
Lost And Torn is one of the few songs where the tempo is turned up a bit; I clearly would have liked this aspect in more songs, but that's just me, the clear majority of songs have a down to earth tempo. After an intense opening we are meet by a short slow section and so the song changes quite a few times.
The heavy rhythm guitar dominates and lay down an aggressive line, supported by some great and hard drumming. The dark underlying keyboard arrangements works fantastic with the songs overall image.
Souls Of The Ocean is a very calm and dreaming track. The soothing acoustic guitar and slow piano rhythm make up a cool gloomy atmosphere. The drums set in at the chorus adding a new dimension to the profile. A cool semi-ballad.
Back To Reality is a more standard element on this record. The chorus is very standard and not really melodic at all. The distorted voice element and the fact that the song seems a bit on the basic side in terms of composition are not exactly great either. The melodic guitar solo and the change in the rhythm section are more positive points, anyway not more than an average song which seems a bit too tame.
Set Me Free starts with a wonderful distant atmosphere that is further developed with a genius piano melody and a fitting mid-tempo rhythm. A relaxing song with some fantastic, deep felt and varied vocals, and again keyboard arrangements of high class. This song creates a fantastic mood and the catchy melody sticks to my head for many hours after listening to the record, clearly one of the best tracks on the record.
My Dear Enemies relies on an extremely hard and raw groove, it's full of depth and aggressive vibes and the direct approach works very well, a pretty good song.
Alone with a playing time of 6:20 minutes is the albums longest song, a great varied track with a pretty cool chorus and some well incorporated acoustic guitar rhythms as an underlying aspect.
The down to earth guitar solo that speeds up at the end sounds well fitting as also goes for the minor alternative keyboard interludes.
Some songs are clearly better than others but I think the overall quality is very good indeed.
I think the band member's supports each other in a great way; every instrument is uniquely played and fits nicely into the broad picture. The key/piano parts are of high class, the drums have a special hard groove and the bass displays heavy and dark passages and a strong support to the rhythm of the songs. The rhythm guitar riffs are very central and Dirk has succeeded in laying down some very good ones indeed, catchy and raw at the same time.
This release is really worth giving a listen; it's very unique and filled with great songs that keep growing on you.
Why? seems to drag you into its dreaming and atmospheric world where both hardness and calmness plays an important part.
Written by
Tommy Monday, September 22, 2003
Show all reviews by TommyRatingsTommy: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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