CoC : Odes of Ecstasy - Embossed Dream in Four Acts : Review

Odes of Ecstasy - _Embossed Dream in Four Acts_
(The End, 1998)
by: Brian Meloon (7 out of 10)

Odes of Ecstasy can be most easily compared with bands like Theatre of Tragedy. I would also draw comparisons to Katatonia and Septic Flesh. Their style is melodic, but not overly so, and features female vocals very prominently. As the title implies, this is a concept album, featuring four acts (real songs), plus an intro and an outro, and lasting slightly more than 30 minutes. The playing and production are decent, although I'm not too fond of the guitar tone, which is often a little weak. The music tends to be orchestrated and keyboard-heavy quite often, but it retains a guitar-driven, metallic base most of the time. The music is a mix of straightforward metal and classically influenced symphonic music. The vocals alternate between death growls and female operatic vocals, with some other types thrown in at times. It sounds like there are two female vocalists to me, and one of them is by far the weakest part of the album. She sounds like a trained opera singer, right down to the extremely wide vibrato that she uses. While this is appropriate for opera, it just doesn't work in a metal context. She has an excellent voice, and a few parts where she sings are excellent (such as the two-minute mark of "Garden of Temptation"), but some others just don't work. Other than that, this is competent, melodic doom/death. It's a good offering, and shows potential for better things in the future.

Contact: shrider@compulink.gr

(article published 8/7/1998)

DEMOS
16/3/1997	A Bromley	2	Odes Of Ecstasy - Atheistic Emotions