Band:	Embrace My Ruin
Album:	A Lullaby For A Dying
Style:	Death metal, Gothic metal
Release date:	2007
A review by:	Marcel Hubregtse

01. In A Deep Silence
02. A Lullaby For A Dying
03. Solitude In Pain
04. Memories Through The Shadows

Bandname, album title, song titles, and having both a male and female vocalist make clear what sort of music we're dealing with. Yes, that's right, gothic doom death metal. According to their biography in the vein of My Dying Bride, Officium Triste, Novembre, Swallow the Sun and Katatonia.
Some of the influences they cite I can totally agree with but some others might have been of influence but I do not hear in Embrace My Ruin's music. Other bands I do however come across, in this well-produced 20 minute demo, are fellow Italians Vladimir (whatever happened to them after their brilliant Mother e.p.?) and Ames De Marbre era Sadness.
So expect some gloomy yet uplifting and at times almost eerie sort of gothic doom death.

Where many a band tends to slip off into cheese territory when employing a female vocalist next to a male grunter/screamer the interaction between the two works really well for Embrace My Ruin. Best examples of this interaction being In A Deep Silence and A Lullaby For A Dying. Here Andrea grunts and at times employs an almost black scream which is brilliantly juxtaposed by Tina's sweeping yet almost stately vocals.
A Lullaby For A Dying is the pick of the four songs with its effective riff , which pops up from time to time and which also closes off the proceedings on this song with a great melodious guitar solo played over it, drawing you back into the song over and over again.

A shame that Embrace My Ruin decided to only release a four track 20 minute demo for I am really curious how it will turn out when they decide to release a full-length.
As we all know originality is far and in between in the gothic doom death sector and that can also be said about this release. But damn, who cares when Embrace My Ruin plays like this. And the originality argument isn't a reason not to sign this band for there certainly is a market for this type of music, just look at the success a band such as Swallow The Sun is currently having. Totally not original. And dare I say it? Even bland most of the times. Okay, burn me I am a heretic, I know. But Swallow The Sun is selling by the buckets full. And Embrace My Ruin is a lot better than them, more varied, better songs, better execution. So come on you record companies, wake up and sing Embrace My Ruin.