Band:	Zeraphine
Album:	Whiteout
Style:	Darkwave, Gothic rock
Release date:	June 2010

01. Erwachen
02. Lieber allein
03. I Will Be There
04. Out Of Sight
05. Tomorrows Morning
06. Louisa
07. Rain Falls
08. Waiting For The Day To End
09. Du fragst nicht mehr
10. The Stream
11. Remaining Desires
12. Whiteout

The modern/melodic reincarnation of one of the finest gothic metal acts ever (Dreadful Shadows), Zeraphine, are finally back once again with their fifth full-length release, Whiteout (probably a play between "without" and "white"). Four years of silence was quite a lot since Sven Friedrich and the rest quartet of the band had released 4 albums within 5 years. Alas, they didn't have the same fate as the aforementioned act.

Whiteout is nothing new and seems to sound like the mature collaboration of Blind Camera and Still seen through an emotionally charged prism once again. Zeraphine even if they tend to copy themselves nowadays they still sound quite personal and since the inspiration factor remains at high levels it doesn't tend to be annoying, on the contrary. Emotional and melodic well-produced gothic rock with modern touches of electronics, alternative rock and a more metallic vibe at times is the sound pathway upon which they step. The lyrics haven't lost their Deutsch vibe and they definitely add to the atmosphere the way they are interpreted, but still the main verse core lies in English. Sven Friedrich's interpretation remains one of the most characteristic, most expressive and most sincere in the scene and without any shadow of doubt he nurses your wounds under the curtain of his voice that caresses you so gently you don't want to be utterly healed. The good thing is that he hasn't yet forgotten his more "vulgar" tone that seems to make its shy appearance on tracks like "Du Fragst Nicht Mehr" for example. An immense sense of melody is being evoked by the guitars in the renowned gothic rock chord technique which blends with modern production and a heavier distortion and/or riffing, pacing well with the keyboard/piano ideas that make the overall scenery more fragile and the rhythm section which holds tight the compositions, tenderly or dynamically.

Twelve compositions that barely reach the 50 minutes in duration are here for all the Dreadful Shadows/Zeraphine fans to cherish once again the intensity of being fragile. I'd personally like to see them evolve somehow their sound, but at the current time Whiteout after 4 years of waiting was something like a heaven sent pack of cigs bridling my addiction.

Highlights: "Waiting For The Day To End", "Louisa", "Rain Falls", "I Will Be There", "Tomorrow's Morning".