Band:	Evereve
Album:	Stormbirds
Style:	Atmospheric gothic metal
Release date:	1998

01. Embittered
02. Fields Of Ashes
03. Escape
04. On Lucid Wings
05. Martyrium
06. The Failure
07. The Downfall
08. Dedications
09. Stormbirds
10. As I Breathe The Dawn
11. Spleen
12. Universe
13. A Part Of You
14. Valse Bizarre

We all have emotions. Emotions are what makes us human. Now, imagine yourself conjuring every last drop of emotion buried deep inside you, bundling them all up and releasing it, allowing it to flow back gently into your body. How, do you imagine, would you feel? Overwhelmed, maybe? That is exactly how I felt when I listened to Stormbirds for the first time, the overwhelming feeling of being stifled under sheer desolation and misery, despair-ridden at the bleak outlook of life that this album portrays. Only art can make you feel this way?

?and Stormbirds is indeed an art in audible form. A depressing one at that. Let me pause for a second to marvel at the artwork; absolutely stunning, truly captures the very essence of the album. As for the music, it is characterized by the charismatic, almost wailing-like guitar work, accompanied by the enchanting, ethereal background reinforced by the keyboards. Put them together with deep, meaningful lyrics and one hell of a vocal performance, and you get yourself a brilliantly-inspired album. If you are a fan of diversity, this album is as diverse as it gets, musically as well as lyrically ("Spleen" is entirely in French while "A Part Of You" and "Martyrium" is exclusively in German). From the downright brutality of "The Downfall", the pulsating guitars driving "?On Lucid Wings", the mellower yet darker, piano-driven "Spleen", to the grandiose build-up of "Martyrium", Stormbirds flows seamlessly, like the troubled waters of Acheron. This is the kind of album you can get through in one go. The whole album is a miasmal journey to the deepest corners of your soul?

Possibly the strongest element Stormbirds has to offer is the genuine, tormented voice of Tom Sedotschenko. This guy can scream, shriek, whisper, rasp, shout and what not. Hell, his vocals are the best I've ever heard in this genre, feeding us with the negative energy that we all crave (look no further than "the Downfall"; whenever I hear the lines "I declared the earth as purgatory", shivers run down my spine). His almost wraith-like whispers in "Spleen" and soul-shattering shrieks in "A Part Of You" shows his incredible versatility. Sadly, he committed suicide thereafter. It's ironic how the same negative emotions that he channeled to produce this timeless art are the very reason for his untimely demise?

Words cannot express how much I love this album. It definitely changed my perspective about how emotional music can be. Stormbirds is easily one of the best albums I've ever heard, if not THE best album I've ever heard. If there ever was a criminally underrated album, this has to be it, but that's just my opinion. Don't take the prejudiced words of a fanboy, give this immortal art a chance with willing ears and an open heart, I'm sure you'll love it?

Be prepared, though: once you enter the realm of Stormbirds, there is no return?

R.I.P.: Tom Sedotschenko (1970-1999). Without him, Evereve is just not the same?