2009年 11月 16日 月曜日 12:05
Monumental Tears Will Be Shed - 100%
Written by PrincipleOfEVIL on nov 16th 2009
Dakrya is a young gothic metal band from Greece, but this fact
shouldn't discourage anyone of listening to their last (and first)
album ''Monumento''. As the title of the album implies, the album is
indeed monumental, both musically and emotionally.
Dakrya has two vocalists, one does the classical vocals – Thomais, and
the other – Christina does the standard vocals, although she has her
own singing style, which makes her stand out among other female gothic
metal singers. A third member of the band is female – Sophia, and she
plays the keys and is the composer of the band. The remaining members
are male… There is a guest vocalist who does the narration, and
anther male guest vocalist (Dagwn from the band Nethescerial) who does
the harsh (or brutal, as he is credited) vocals. The main appeal of
this album lies in the interplay of all these vocalists. All voices
are different one from another, so it is easy to follow the vocal
lines of Christina and Thomais, as the harsh vocals are usually used
at some moments, while female vocals are dominating. The voice of
Christina has a distinct timbre and her vocal technique is special.
She is not the standard gothic female vocal, her singing style does
not reek of pop, but is more reminiscent of the chanson, which only
adds extra flavor to her delivery. The way she emphasizes certain
syllabuses and the way she changes dynamics adds a theatrical approach
to her singing. Thomais' voice is very gentle and lyrical. She usually
supports Christina or vocalizes, but she has her own moments, usually
at some breaks, when she leads. The timbre of her voice is plaintive
and sorrowful, which is perfectly suited to gothic metal and to the
whole atmosphere this album creates. Starting with the first song,
''Crucifixion of Faith'' that opens with peaceful narration over
synthesized violins and static drums, which accelerate to amid-tempo
for the first verse with Christina with: ''The eyes of God are full of
tears…'', soon to be replaced by Thomais as the leading vocal in the
chorus, but repeating the same verses, in her own singing style
''Another prayer to the Moon, another wish for heaven, upon the cross
our faith, clouds of guilt gathered upon us…'', and harsh vocals
then join… The synthesized violins supported by heavy guitars and
fast drumming create a mesmerizing listening experience. This feeling
never leaves the listener, as the album progresses, emotions become
darker and darker, and if you manage to find connection with the
music, your blood will curdle and shivers will run down your spine,
because the emotional impact becomes too hard to bear. Just for an
example, in the second song, while Thomais vocalizes, the narrator
recites a famous excerpt from Dante's Divine Comedy:
''Per me si va ne la città dolente,
Per me si va ne l'etterno dolore,
Per me si va tra la perduta gente.
Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate.
This album is not an easy listening, and it is just the beginning. I
just hope I have nt discouraged some listener, but if I have, he or
she is not someone who knows what gothic metal is and would not like
this album at all. Let him fantasize about Miss Scabia…And this is
genuine gothic metal, with a modern sound, but a traditional approach.
Instrumentally, the music is keyboard heavy, its emphasis is on the
organ sound, or on the piano. Neither is often used in the usual
''symphonic'' way, but rather to accentuate musical ideas. Ie. In
''Reflections and Illusions'', at the break, when harsh vocals join,
there are a few notes played by the piano, that create a chilling
effect, like the caress of a ghost. Guitars have a rich and thick
tone, but they are not dominating. From time to time, some solo shows
up, but most of the time, vocals and keys are up front. From what is
heard, riffs are very good ad the moments when the guitar shows its
presence are delightful, being somewhat a rest from the constant
ghastliness of the keys. Bass can be heard sometimes, but is only a
supporting instrument. Drums do their job. They are not prominent in
the mix, so don't expect some pounding double-bass here. Rhythm does
not change very often, the overall speed of the album is slower
mid-tempo, with occasional faster sections (usually in breaks) but as
this is gothic metal, the drums serve their purpose of providing the
rhythm, and they have served it well. Dakrya are labeled as
atmospheric gothic metal at MA, and this they are. While the music is
light and not very heavy, there are symphonic elements, but they are
not used in a symphonic way (as a band like ''After Forever'' would
use them), the overall feel is that this album is highly theatrical,
masterfully composed as to invoke the intended emotions, which is not
an easy thing, and as I said the emotional impact it imposes upon the
listener is increasing in darkness, sorrow and suffocation, which
makes this album a real delight.
The main theme of the lyrics deal with religion and its effects on the
human soul. Using common words, the band managed to invoke the dark
imagery presented on the cover. Tears, yes. Dakrya means tears. And
tears will flow while listening this album. While religion is the
main subject of the lyrics is religion, while not viewed in a positive
way, but without the usual ''Hail Satan!'' idiocy, they have a
quality which is their subversive meaning: religion destroys the human
soul. This is my generalized opinion, but thankfully, the lyrics can
be understood in other ways, and it is only a plus.
The monumentality of this album is then the euphonious combination of
all the musical aspects that make it: masterful composition,
expressive vocal delivery, an atmosphere that is emphasized by all
musical elements, intelligent and thought provoking lyrics. And all
this makes this album unavoidable and mandatory, for along time of
musical delight.