Band:	Krypteria
Album:	My Fatal Kiss
Style:	Symphonic gothic metal
Release date:	August 28, 2009
Guest review by:	Ag Fox

01. Ignition
02. My Fatal Kiss
03. Why (Did You Stop The World From Turning)
04. For You I'll Bring The Devil Down
05. Deny
06. The Freak In Me
07. Never Say Die
08. Dying To Love
09. Shoot Me
10. God I Need Someone
11. Now (Start Spreading The Word)
12. Headfirst Into A Sea Of Flames [limited edition bonus]
13. Too Late, Game Over & Goodbye [limited edition bonus]

These days, there seems to be an insatiable market for female-fronted bands. Presumably so, anyway, because they pop out quicker than the rate which rabbits reproduce. Krypteria is among the lot, popular enough to be under the Roadrunner roster, but never quite as popular as the mastodons of this niche like Nightwish and Epica.

So how does Krypteria differentiate themselves from the aforementioned acts? Visually at least, the woman behind the mic - Ji-In Cho - is from South Korea, a rarity in the metal scene, not to mention her rather incredible attractiveness. Though classically trained, her singing style is far from operatic, which matches the music as well because it is devoid of any significant symphonic arrangements. The sounds is more power metal-oriented with a tinge of Gothic metal thrown in.

The album would probably receive negative feedback by the majority of those who consider themselves "metal". The reasons are obvious other than it having a front woman, the music itself is definitely not the heaviest even among female-fronted bands. In fact, it's incredibly catchy, comparable to pop music standards. Spinning the record just three times in separate occasions and I can already recall the choruses of all the songs just by looking at the track list. For some, it could be a good thing, but for others, the lack of depth and long term replay value is probably the biggest pitfall of My Fatal Kiss. Right from the first track, it is apparent that the band's music is centered around Ji-In Cho as the only memorable parts are the vocal melodies and the rest of the band just exist for the sake of a complete line-up. Hence, if you are seeking killer riffs or crazy solos, look elsewhere.

Ji-In Cho is a rather good singer in her own right and given the right audience and, perhaps, mood, My Fatal Kiss is not a bad album at all. In fact, the ability to write so many catchy tunes requires a lot of composition skill. If you are reading this review in the first place, it's likely that you are into female vocalists in metal and if you don't mind the song structures being a bit predictable, maintaining a level of "catch" as your average radio pop, I would wholeheartedly recommend this album. If you are looking for something with more depth and complexity, this won't satisfy your needs.