Moonspell
(1999)
The Gathering. Okay, I've
said it. But there's something here besides the superficial
comparison of an atmospheric metal band fronted by a powerful
female vocalist. Persephone's Dream leans more towards
a heavy neo-progressive style, building on melody rather
than crunching riffs. A slight gothic ambiance leaves
a dark, hazy cloud lingering over the angelic vocal melodies
of Karin Nicely, which soar over the plodding low end
of 5-string bass, and distorted guitar tones. Ed Wiancko's
light touch on drums and percussion is a welcome reprieve
from the typically overplayed wankery typical of the prog-metal school.
Pieces such as
"Alternate Reality" and "Altar of Desire" increase the
intensity, via a driving feel and scorching guitars, with
the band really showing off their dexterity; playing more
demanding parts as opposed to creating the textured atmosphere
of many of the other pieces. The band brings some interesting
variants into the picture, such as on "Electronic Exotic",
with its mechanical beats and electronic fuzz sound effects
giving an industrial air to the song. The band also brings
a whole different element with the extended Gamelan percussion-inspired
"Earth Dreams". While this piece is interesting on its
own, the placement in the middle of the album is somewhat
questionable, disrupting the flow.
While
the mellow pieces provide a nice contrast, they tend to highlight
some deficiencies in the song writing and are not as interesting
overall when compared to the more exciting songs. And although
there is a heavy feeling over most of the album, I'm hard pressed
to consider Persephone's Dream prog-metal. If anything, they
excel at a Rush-like foray into progressive rock, with the added
textural benefits of a wonderful female vocalist. - Mike Prete [January 2002]
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Info
Opposition (2001)
Persephone's
Dream play a style of progressive rock that could perhaps
best be described as Pink Floyd-inspired neo-progressive
with a biting, metallic edge. Certainly, there is
a unique vibe about them, yet the music is still entrenched
around the kinds of progressive rock many of us have come
to know and love. In comparison to their prior album,
Moonspell, it is this more metallic
edge that has been distinctly emphasized here. On
Opposition, the band's sound is characterized by the
alternately swirling and crunching guitar parts and the
soaring vocals of Karin Nicely. The proceedings
are complemented by by waves of synthesizers, providing
an ethereal backdrop. Indeed, although the band
depends heavily on this sort of atmospheric feel, they
also rely on fairly conventional song structures and depend
on the lead vocals to carry the hooks and melodies.
Influences like Rush and Ozric Tentacles creep up alongside
those of Pink Floyd, making for an initially interesting mix
of styles, yet one that doesn't necessarily provide the
listener with any surprises during the course of a listen.
I guess my only problem with this album is that the band
certainly has a "poppy" element, that is, a dependence
on some kind of hook to drive home the melody. Which
is fine, except that it means that nearly every main melodic
motif has to be catchy or otherwise appealing on some
level. When the hook is strong, as on "Endymion",
the band comes off very well. When the main hook
isn't as compelling, one is left with those core elements
of the band's sound, surging guitars and sweeping keys,
sort of churning around aimlessly. Some of the songs
rule, and a lot don't. It's pretty much that simple. Tracks
like "Puppetmaster" and "Hyperspace Minefield", while catchy,
I found slightly hackneyed and redundant. Other
times, such as on the aforementioned "Endymion", the rumbling
heaviness of the oddly titled "TV Talk Show", or the exquisite
"10th Moon", things really gel very nicely. The
subtle, enchanting guitar melodies of the latter certainly
don't hurt things either.
On the whole,
I find the Moonspell album to have been generally
more successful in this regard. Indeed, the tracks
that I picked out as highlights seem to most recall the
strident melodicism and heavily atmospherics of that album.
In sum, while this is certainly a "heavier" album, I'm
not convinced that this approach suits the band as well.
To be fair, when it comes to the neo-progressive/progressive-metal
field, an album as to be exceptionally strong to really
knock my socks off. This is a good band. They're
are technically flawless, tight, have a unique sound and
a great vocalist. The music is great, and the vocals
are great. In this case, they just need to come
together in a more convincing fashion, more often.
They've shown a distinct capability to do so throughout
the two albums I've heard. Undoubtedly, there are
spots of brilliance throughout Opposition, but
I'd like to hear another album or so out of them before
I really get excited. - Greg Northrup [January 2002]
