Diary of Dreams- Nekrolog 43

ARTIST: Diary of Dreams
ALBUM: Nekrolog 43
LABEL: Metropolis Records
REVIEWER: Matthew J.
DATE: 5-18-08

Diary of Dreams return with another conceptually rich darkwave album, this time depicting a crumbling future kingdom. As always, though, the songs stand on their own, ranging from bitter aggression to tender desperation and bringing in elements of progressive rock, industrial, and metal as well as Diary of Dreams' signature gothic/electronic arrangements. The standout track this time around is "Son of a Thief," with Hates' gentle pleas sung delicately over tense synths and moody echoing pianos, but nearly every track here is stunning. The soft vocals and tinkling chimes of "The Darkest of All Hours" betray an emotional vulnerability despite the occasional flourish of big synth pads, and "Tears of Joy" pairs icy piano chords with some of Hates' most melodramatic vocals for an effect that's at once cold and somehow regal. "Matching Lives" is likewise majestic, building from layered glittery pianos and wordless choir effects into a soaring portrayal of doomed love, while "Remedy Child" and "Malice" highlight Diary of Dreams' more overt rock influences, guitars ranging from a thin gothic wail on the former to a thick aggressive crunch on the latter. If the individual songs are wonderful, though, the album taken as a whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Best listened to from start to finish, this release is a magnum opus on both a musical and a thematic level, bringing Hates' interests in narrative-imbued rock to its next level.

Read the Nekrolog at www.diaryofdreams.de.