The Spanish gothic rockers released their highly anticipated debut album today. We’ve already been cranking it all week in preparation for this review, and just had to let you know what we thought of it. Spoiler alert, it’s good! How good, we hear you ask? Check out the review below to find out!
‘Shelter’ starts the album off perfectly, setting the tone and pace for the release. The awesome harmonised guitars and synths over the top of the plodding drums gives big HIM/goth energy right from the offset. The low vocals eventually come in, continuing the gothic vibes perfectly. However, we also get some amazing higher female harmonies , both working together incredibly well and adding so much depth to it. The sporadic nature of the harmonies also make them more special when they do happen. Even when it’s just the lead vocals though, it’s still powerful and amazing. The whole song has a real epic feel to it due to its length and pacing, and it’s a really good track to open the album on!
‘The Safest Place’ feels a touch heavier than the previous track, having some chunkier guitars running all the way through and the drums being more of a driving force. The powerful low vocals still run through the verses, while the harmonies come in for the choruses. It almost gives off Creeper vibes as much as HIM this time. Speaking of the chorus, it’s real catchy, and feels massive with the duel vocals. We even get an awesome guitar solo that really reminded me of Synister Gates’ playing in all the best ways. And when it doubles up with the vocals in the final chorus, it makes both even more powerful. This was an incredible song, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist!
Single ‘Ardent Hearts’ slows down the pace again, almost having a folky/pagan feel to the gothic rock. The keys in it added so much to the melodies too, sounding awesome. It’s a beautiful, simple ballad track that really builds into something massive in its last two minutes. It’s a really good choice for a single as it shows off everything the band do so very well. It’s a truly fantastic gothic rock/metal song that is easily another track to make it onto our Spotify. If you are reading this and are on the fence, check this song out, you won’t be disappointed!
Tracks like ‘Once’, ‘Cross my Heart and Hope to Die’ and ‘Sunflowers’ bring the heaviness back to the album in the best way possible. They’re awesome songs and work perfectly to break up the album, keeping it constantly interesting. It’s great too, as generally in this sort of genre that’s hard to do. Heck, I love the emphasis on the synth and keys in the latter track, and it’s another big highlight of the album. We even get some strings in it too, adding even more epicness to the proceedings.
The other tracks on the album, meanwhile, are the slower, more melancholic songs. I love that they are tucked in amongst the heavier songs, and are all really beautiful tracks. A particular highlight of these was ‘Shine’, which also comes back as the closing track with different backing instrumentation. Honestly, I feel like the original version is more impactful, but I do like both mixes. And that’s not to take away from ‘Love you to the Grave’ and ‘The Vast of Life’ either, which are both equally awesome songs. There truly isn’t a bad song on the album!
Overall: I loved this! I love the band’s sound and style, be it their softer or more rockier side. Even when it isn’t especially the sort of style I’d normally go for, it’s an awesome release that I’d happily listen to again and again. The band are massively talented players and songwriters, and aren’t going to get anywhere near the credit they deserve from this release. If you are a fan of gothic music at all, check it out, you certainly won’t be disappointed!
The Score: 8/10