WITHIN THE REALM OF A DYING SUN

On Within the Realm of a Dying Sun, Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry steer Dead Can Dance more or less completely outside of the goth rock context the band originally formed in to explore esoteric blends of progressive folk, Gregorian chant, medieval compositions and world music. Lisa Gerrard's ethereal vocals are given plenty of chance to take the spotlight, particularly in the second half of the album, but Brendan Perry's vocals also show distinct signs of improvement; it sounds to me as though he is no longer trying to compete with the likes of Peter Murphy, Andrew Eldritch and other goth frontmen and is singing in a style more natural to him, allowing a bit more warmth to creep into his distinctive baritone. On the whole, this is the first true masterpiece by the band.