Dakrua - Shifting Realities


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Scarlet Records
Catalog Number: SC 042
Format: CD
Total Time: 42:03:00

Often, the problem with music is that when a band or a musical style becomes popular, lots of what we call "clones" will try to capitalise on other bands' successes. What does a band do to get out of this?

Firstly, it can manage to get its own sound. Dakrua does it pretty well with a mix of gothic, progressive and power metal. Secondly, the band can pay itself a good mix, which will make it sound professional and not only like a simple demo band. Once again Dakrua manage to create themselves a great production which lets their music shine as much in the acoustic passages as they do in the heavy and more uptempo guitar riffs.

As you may understand, Dakrua have matured a lot since their debut CD Inner Wastelands and in the 3 years since their debut they've managed to put out a strong new album. If you get tired of the "Beauty and the Beast" like Tristania metal - a vocal cross-section shared by an operatic female singer and a deep, predatory male singer, Dakrua may be the band for you. What makes them sound different from the other band playing the same type of music is their ability to blend gothic elements with some strong progressive and power metal sections. But at the same time, it can become a bit boring when you understand their pattern which basically turns around gothic metal for the verses followed by progressive/power breaks then on to gothic choruses and so on. At the same time it's one of their best elements but also their strongest default.

The vocal tone of Eva Rondinelli is something I had a hard time describing. The best comparison would be with Bonnie Tyler, singer of the big hit "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" - the kind of warm voice coming from the throat. She can hit high notes but she'll usually stay in the mid range section. The problem is that I can't say many good things about the male singer - William Quattrone - who is also the bassist in the band. He knows how to play his instrument but as for the vocal department, his small attempt to growl is purely ridiculous. But thankfully he uses his clean voice more than his growler one but his accent is terrible. He should try to practise more in English or give the vocal spot to Eva only.

So lets put it clear, Dakrua is a band that can go really far in the gothic metal field if they continue to work on getting their own personal sound. They can do it, I'm sure, and Shifting Realities is already there to prove it

Similar To: Tristania, Lacuna Coil, The Gathering

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]
Tracklisting:
Ephemerae / Frozen Sun / The Waiting / Deceive Me / Of Life And Will / Divine Masquerade / Dawn Over / Seas Of Silence / Not Mine / The Outer Void / Wasted Words

Musicians:
Eva Rondinelli - vocals
Alessandro Buono - guitars
William Quattrone - bass, vocals
Davide Sangiovanni - drums
Marco Lo Cascio - keyboards

Discography:
Inner Wasteland (1999)
Shifting Realities (2002)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin IT

Added: December 12th 2004
Reviewer: Mathieu Chamberland
Score:
Artist website: dakrua.tripod.com
Hits: 3209
Language: english

  

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