Title: Immersion
Artiste: Dark Symphonica
Year 2015
Nationality: Australian
Familiarity: 0%
Genre: Symphonic Metal
1
Expectations: I like most symphonic metal, though some of it can go to the more overblown side of things, and operatic, dramatic vocals are fine, but when they're just there to distract from what is otherwise a pretty pedestrian, boring song, not so interested. The fact that these guys are Australian is an interesting wild card though, so we'll see. It's a debut too, so have to take that into account.
1. Chains of misfortune: Nice powerful neoclassical piano opening proceedings, always a good start. Takes off then on quite a power/progressive metal romp and the vocal from Sam Wolstenholme when they come in are not too operatic at all. In fact I feel she's struggling slightly to be heard. Gets stronger as the song goes on, but I still don't hear her putting her mark on the song like Sharon den Adel or Simone Simons. Song's all right, but is it anything different to a hundred prog/symphonic metal bands I've heard before? I'd have to say no, no it isn't.
2. Farewell: A slower, more gentle piano opening this, which I think and hope may be a ballad. It's quite long (over eight minutes) but given the title, I'd say that there's a pretty good chance. Now that she's just singing over piano, Wolstenholme can exercise her vocal chords and she does seem a strong enough singer with a nice tone. Okay, it's not a ballad: just kicked up into an epic dramatic rocker. Slightly disappointed at that, but we'll see where it goes. Some flute and what could be cello in about the fifth minute gives it a kind of medieval feel, also that of a film soundtrack, but then it pounds back into the same old groove. Bit bored now to be honest.
3. Envy: There's nothing wrong with the music, it's just there's nothing new here. It's not engaging my attention, and I'm finding it hard to write anything, either negative or positive, about it.
4. Apophis: Like, you could be listening to Within Temptation, Edenbridge, Nightwish, or any symphonic band. I just don't see anything different here.
5. Estrella: Another classical style piano, which is lovely, but about three songs have begun this way so far, and there are only seven on the album! Nice vocal choir adds something. Estrella means star in Latin, so I wonder (again) if this will actually be a ballad this time? I kind of don't really care, but I'd like to give them a chance to try to impress. But no, it explodes rather predictably again. Sigh. There are so many symphonic metal cliches on this album I could almost believe it was recorded ironically, though I doubt it. God! This is ten minutes long! And it's not even the longest track on the album. Okay, so some nice cello and ripping piano gives it an almost Danny Elfman feel in the third minute and the vocal choir is back. Maybe this could be the one to make me sit up and take notice. Nah, it didn't: reverted to the standard symphonic metal tropes. I'm beginning to see why some people hate this subgenre. It can be very predictable.
6. Set me free: I'm tempted to stop early, but I'm intrigued to see if there is anything worthwhile on this album at all. Again, there's nothing wrong with the music; it's not a bad album. Just not a very interesting one or one that stands out in any way. At least this opens with, for once, not piano, but acoustic guitar. Trouble is, every time I think we're heading into balladland (if there is a ballad on this album) they go in another direction. The vocal harmonies are nice on this. There's some powerful stuff going on near the end which I wish I could pay more attention to, but I'm just zoning out of this album now. I'll give it an Orange, just for a splash more colour.
7. Goliath (Tyranny Part 1): Oh Christ on toast! Fourteen ****ing minutes! Give me a book, someone! Wake me up when it's over. Honestly, this could be any symphonic metal band from any country. There's just no identity, and the idea of having a female singer is so old at this point that it makes no difference to my opinion. Come on, there's a nice instrumental and quite ethereal midsection, if only I cared enough to care, you know? This album is slowly draining my will to live.
Final result: All I can say is why? They used just about every cliche in the book, and produced an album that could be by any of the bigger symphonic metal bands. If they want to stand out, and survive, this is not the way to do it. Monumentally boring.
Rating: 
