Band : The Dreamside
Album title : Lunar Nature
Label : LM?
Distributor : V2
Release date : 04/12/2009
Release : CD

Not exactly an unknown entity to Concrete Web (see review done by former collegue Guido Claes of their The 13th Chapter album, posted 30/01/2008), it was however my introduction to this internationally operating Dutch Gothic Rock/ Metal act, in spite of the fact that they’ve been active since 1993 (and therefore precede such internationally more successful acts as After Forever or even Within Temptation) and released a total of one mini and 7 full-length albums to date (that is, when you also count 2003’s Fairy Child, a compilation specially made for the US market but containing 2 previously unreleased tracks, issued through US label Dancing Ferret…and 2007’s The 13th Chapter, issued through same label, it was actually a collection of re-mixes and collaborations).

In my search to find a good way to describe the music on Lunar Nature, I’m helped along by the words printed in the band’s biology, as delivered by their new label Lion Music with the (download) promo of the 15-track (and 64-minute long) album : “…The music of Lunar Nature can be described as Atmospherical Gothic Rock with a good mixture of heavy guitars, electronical elements and a proper shot of Alternative Rock. All this interwoven with Kemi Vita’s remarkable voice and her unique way to express emotions in very personal lyrics…”…a description which goes down with me quite fairly, as far as the music is concerned. However, there’s a personal appreciation factor which goes with Kemi’s “remarkable voice” (for those unknown with the fact, Kemi is also active in Satyrian, alongside the Dreamside drummer Merijn Mol), in that the one remarkable aspect of it which immediately becomes noted is that, in spite of the fact that’s she’s been singing English lyrics for that long, she’s never really managed to quite completely get that typical accent out of her voice! A pity, for otherwise her voice is really nice indeed, with a clean semi-high pitch. Of course, one might argue that it’s this element of her voice which has become a trademark of the band which seperates it quite clearly from others in the genre! On the other side, I can understand why some people might have left the band on the side, just because of that vocal factor.

Pity for them, for they’re missing out on something really unique (as is proven by earlier appreciations shown the band : in early 2006 readers of US magazine Gothic Beauty pick The Dreamside as best band for 2005, and also during 2005 the town of Bakersfield in California names 2 streets in a new suburb after the band: Dreamside Way and Kemi Street…besides that, and on  demand of their US fans, Dancing Ferret re-issues the band’s old albums for the US market, adding videos and other bonuses). Hah…you may have guessed that meanwhile, I’ve sided with the camp that feels Kemi’s vocals add a unique feature to the band, eh?  Well, it’s not only that, you know! No, it’s more the band’s unique aptitude to switch from more atmospheric, almost Ambient tracks, towards their energetically heavy ones with those great electronics, which won me over…initially! To find out whether you might be won over, check out what audio and video material the band might’ve posted at either last.fm, YouTube, or at myspace.com/thedreamside…where I found 3 songs off the new album posted alongside 6 songs off other albums. Somehow, I’ve found the posted “Seeds Of Pain” (a collaboration with American act Information Society) to be somewhat remeniscent of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” in the chorus. Wonder whether anyone agrees with that. Also, it’s a pity that album closer “Vlindertje” (on which Kemi first sings in Dutch beforee switching to Latin…a language which agrees wonderfylly well with her) wasn’t posted, as it shows a different side (the far calmer one) of the band. Then again, with the restricted space available, you need to make an image of yourself which is as representative as possible, right?

End conclusion, Lunar Nature is a very good album, which is certainly gonna do great withing Gothic Metal circles! In fact, with the album already officially out on the streets for about a month by the time you read this (you won’t believe it, but this was the last in a heap of albums with a back date on it which I had to process…to date), I’m sure “habitants” of the Vampire Nation have already gone flown to their individual caves to give the new The Dreamside album turn upon turn in the cd-player!

92/100

Tony.