Band:	Dwelling
Album:	Ainda É Noite
Style:	Neoclassical
Release date:	2007
A review by:	Jeff

01. Vigília
02. Acordar
03. Ainda é Noite
04. Sou Eu!
05. Forget Me Not
06. Some Love, Please?
07. Da Minha Ausência
08. Enthralled
09. Fujo de Mi
10. What If...?
11. Opus DCXVI

I know that Equilibrium is famous to sign "special" bands but if I have to be honest, I must confess that the new Dwelling is really surprising. Not that it's bad, at the opposite but if it was easy for me to review the last project of Duncan Patterson (also on the same label), it will be a bit more exotic with "Ainda E Noite".

Dwelling is categorized as a neo classical band. Well, that's not so wrong because you'll not be able to find electric guitars here but only violins and acoustic guitars. Add those classic instruments to the amazing voice of the female vocalist Catarina Raposo and maybe that you're starting to understand how it can be. But that's not all, actually the music of Dwelling is also a mix of Folk Metal and since that Catarina sings in Portuguese I thought at first that it was an album of melancholic Bossa or even Fado. It's a bit surprising at the first listening but with a bit of imagination, if you're a bit open minded and even if you only listen to Metal in general, it should work!

The songs are really sad and melancholic it's slow and with, as you already know, acoustic instruments. It's really peaceful that's right but on the other hand it's catchy and really hypnotic. We're not in front of a real Metal band but at least, if you like Gothic and dark music, you should have a look on this release which is nicely produced by the way (but that's a trend with Equilibrium's bands). I cannot compare it to any other band but if you just want an idea, Dark Sanctuary could be ok, with the big difference that Dwelling is not so dark (even if it's dark) and is a lot more Folk than Gothic and that the lyrics in Portuguese (even if we have also some lyrics in English) add something really special to the music.

Do you only listen to Metal? Well then maybe that you should try to listen to "Ainda E Noite", just to change a bit. It's a really beautiful piece of music, really new and fresh so please try it just to see. Aficionados of World music, Folk music and classical music, people a bit open minded "Ainda E Noite" is a must for you.