The Murder Of My Sweet - Divanity - review
The Murder Of My Sweet - Divanity - review
Tracklist
01. No Evil02. Follow The Rain
03. Bleed Me Dry
04. Chemical Attraction
05. Kiss Of Death
06. One Bullet
07. Tonight
08. Storms Of The Sea
09. Destiny
10. Revolution
11. Valerie
12. Death Of A Movie Star
13. Mistaken [bonus]
A review by
Jason W. October 05, 2010
The role of vocalist Angelica Rylin reminds me of the lighthouse a heartbroken, solitary sailor sees up ahead through pouring rain and chaotic seas. She sings with a voice firmly poised against the dark waters, able to call us in with swift cries and a sweetness that purposely fades into the distance, knowing full well how far her light can shine. At once she can draw the listener in, such as in the opening verse of "Kiss Of Death," where she personifies the "shivering raindrops" with her breathy style. In other moments, like in "Bleed Me Dry," she freely shifts from a confident confessional tone to a soft, vulnerable tone. Angelica knows herself as a singer, seems pleased with her own direction, and leaves behind any reason to second guess her entrance to the symphonic scene.
Hopefully more than a few of you are familiar with Daniel Flores (Mind's Eye), who has co-wrote the music along with Angelica. He offers the mark of his superb Sound vs. Science Studio, and enthusiastically gives his drumming and additional keyboard performance. Although Divanity contains one or two progressive touches, particularly in the synth/guitar solo in "Revolution," predominately what relates to Mind's Eye is the light, intellectual feel, the cohesive warmth that wraps the album together, and most importantly, well-timed arrangements and synth melodies.
For me, it is those synth melodies that elevate this album from just a spirited beginning to one of my most listened to choices for this past year. Together with Daniel's playing, another recognizable face in that of Andreas Lindahl (Wuthering Heights, amongst others) takes us on a wondrous ride that surrounds Angelica's voice. From evoking the film noir motif of enthralling chases with the first thirty seconds of "One Bullet" to the provocatively lush melody that immediately follows the main chorus of "Follow The Rain," fans of lively keyboards will find themselves right at home with The Murder Of My Sweet.
Divanity is not just a strong arrival into the symphonic field, it offers compositions that feel like celebrations of personal strength and surviving the cold, windswept rains of personal afflictions and addictive romances. They have left enough space for continued expansion of their sound (I'd love to see a few more progressive touches or keyboard solos), have a clear vision for some lyrical concepts to explore, such as in the character-driven "Death Of A Movie Star," and possess a vocalist and musicianship with a depth of personality and expression.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
Comments
Comments:
9
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Really well written review, but after listening to some songs on their Myspace, it sounds more like rock then Metal.I don't think the heavy part are enough to carry them in the Metal scene but still it's way better then many other bands in their categorie
---- You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan
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| Lovecraft
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Very beautifully written review, now u make me want to listen to them....
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Very nice review. I listened to this album a lot when it first came out. This review was a good reminder to get it back on my play-list again.
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This review captures the important aspects perfectly: 1. This is band with complete confidence 2. Music is catchy and almost commercial yet still very interesting and engaging 3. Despite this highly accomplished start there is still room for growth After hearing the first few moments of this album I really did not expect to like it. Another symphonic band with a pop vocalist *eye roll*... but then next thing I knew I was completely enjoying it. This is an album I'll be singing along to long after the 2010 "in review" lists are buried away. Strong album, this does not sound like a debut, yet they left themselves plenty of room to continue kicking ass in new ways with the next albums. Those "progressive touches" as you put it are enjoyed and appreciated!
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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Posts: 887 Written by Edmund Fogg on 05.10.2010 at 14:45 I think so too. Plus, I think there's just too much synth on this album which kinda watered down the album's heaviness.. good album though
---- Freeze! Step away from the hubris.
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| Posts: 6941 |
Posts: 6941
Yeah, it feels more like rock than metal at times but who cares? It's awesome music either way.
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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