Some Kind Of Poetic Destruction is already the fourth album for Factory Of Dreams, still the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Hugo Flores and female vocalist Jessica Lehto. Their bombastic progressive metal with a gothic edge still remains the same as on their previous record: Melotronical (see review). On this new album, the duo used two other vocalists in addition to Jessica; Magali Luyten and Raquel Schüler who both participated in one composition. Besides those two vocalists there was room for Chris Brown to play some guitar solos and several synth solos were provided by Tadashi Goto and Shawn Gordon. The violin solos on the album came from the hands of Lyris Hung. So what makes this album different from the ones before? It's not the extra hands that make a difference, because the music is so bombastic and every lost beat is filled up with layers of keyboards, vocals, drums and guitars. You hardly get time to breathe listening to the album. The concept of the album-yes the previous album also was a conceptual one-is different. This time the story is about something that is closing in on the earth and we follow Kyra, the main character through an almost seventy minute journey searching for her purpose, faith and destiny. This concept, nor the other ones really, could keep my full attention during the album. So what is different? Basically nothing I guess, I still love Jessica's voice and in a song like Seashore Dreams, she does get to me, with her high pitched angelic vocals. During The Neutron Star influences of Tarja/ Nightwish take over. I guess Jessica still can be seen as an improved version of Nightwish's lost vocalist Tarja Turunen and I would advise this band to check her out and get her as part of the new line-up. Further, the album has way too many layers of a variety of instruments. Sometimes less is more; a simple piano or guitar with her voice is all you need. The end of the aforementioned song completely loses it during an eruption of noise, which has to be recognizable as double bass drums I presume? Coming to the drums, I totally hate those impossible to reproduce double bass blasts, and to be honest it is growing on me as it takes away the fun of listening to the album. Along with the compositions sometimes there is some space for real impressive guitar stuff and I know Hugo is a great guitarist, but all the different sounds burry my favourite instrument under a layer of keyboards. I would love to hear a simple and honest album by the duo, lose the bombast and with the addition of a real drummer the stars would align again. For now, I don't see much progress since the release of the previous album and the computerized drums get on my nerves. Please simplify the music and let the real music come out, it is there, but it is hidden somewhere deep down. Seashore Dreams is-as a composition-a step in the right direction, at least the first part. Carry on from there I would advise or join Nightwish! *** Pedro Bekkers (edited by Robert James Pashman) Where to buy? |
