MASQUERADE

Holy God, who is singing?!!!

The god-like TILO WOLFF from LACRIMOSA!!! He recites the male role in "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" song (originally taken from Webber's opera surely), and this automatically gives the album 3 stars!!! Just kidding here...Really, this one is better than the previous one (mainly due to the grown amount of memorable melodies) - Tilo helped his Swiss friends not only in this song, his hand is felt through the rest of the album (it is also released through his label HALL OF SERMON). "Masquerade" is created in the same way as "Komodia" - unfrequent tempo changes,emotional female singing, lush orchestration...Imagine LACRIMOSA grown a bit more proggier but less melodical - you'll get DREAMS OF SANITY. Definetely not a Must-Have unless you're not a LACRIMOSA fan. I am (in the same time I ain't Prog Metal fan in general)...so I have this one and the other ones too. Good band after all - while Tilo went experimentating with electronical stuff, I'd rather prefer him doing things like DoS did. I'd wish them to reunite really.

Excellent second efford by this Austrian band (which, by the way, never got the recognition they deserved). their version of The Phantom Of The Opera is the best I ever heard: great vocals by Sandra Schleret and Tilo Wolf (guesting from Lacrimosa), fine arrangement and total respect for the original version. This track beats Nightwish´s version easily (and I´m a huge fan of Nightwish!). The band is in fine form and I specially love Frederic Heil´s lush keyboards. The guy is simply amazing for his prowness and tasteful symphonic arrangements. Masquerade part 1 is another highlight with all band members delivering a stunning perfomance (again I should point Heil´s outstanding keyboard work, his piano solo in the middle section is absolute amazing in its simplicity and beauty).

It is only a pity that this fine group could not hold a stable line up. If they stayed together for a few more releases I´m sure they would be as big as any other prog metal legend. Schleret is a very underrated singer, with an fantastic operatic voice that works very well in other styles. Guitars, bass and drums are all well balanced and produce a wall of sound that scapes from most power metal cliches. Masquerade is a great leap forward when compared to their first (and good) release. they simply never sounded better, original and convincing. The production could be a tad better, but it is good anyway, and there are no fillers. all songs are varied and interesting, though I think some parts are better than others, as usual. And, to wrap up it all, the cover is simply beautiful.

Masquerade is the kind of CD that will please many different kinds of listeners: metal, prog, goth, etc. It´s simply a great piece fo music, hard to label, but easy to love it. 4,5 stars.

One of the few symphonic goth metal albums worthy any attention.

I am neither a fan of overblown symphonic goth metal or it's leading band Nightwish. Actually, I cannot stand their Nightwish and their music. But Masquerade is an entirely different entity again.

The music is loosely based on the Phantom Of The Opera musical, I believe. This album's version of the well known song Phantom Of The Opera is superb and the best song on this album. But there is also a lot of other snacks here. The title track is around 30 minutes long and split into five parts. The longest being 10 minutes long. This is not a sparkling superb epic. But it is still rather good and I am not holding this song against them. This album trundles along in a mid pace with clear classical music leanings. It is still goth metal, though. But of the more light hearted sort.

Sandra Schleret's vocals is excellent throughout. Her vocals is rather understated and not as overstated and over the top as too many other female operatic vocalists. I have just learnt that she is still active in the scene (after the Dreams Of Sanity split in 2002) with her own website and even a fanclub. The rest of the instrumentation here is pretty generic goth metal and even metal. Chugging guitars and overstated synths. All the things I intensely dislike about goth metal.

But overall; this is a very good goth metal album. I am no fan of this genre. But this is an album also symphonic prog lovers will find highly enjoyable too. It is recommended.

3.25 stars

After a fairly messy and raw debut, Dreams of Sanity are back with 'Masquerade', an album where the band really refined their sound, and while the songwriting would still be lacking in places, it certainly laid the blueprint for their next album, which would go on to be their best (and sadly, final) release.

Most noticeable with this album is the much-improved production, with a crisp and clear sound that really emphasizes every instrument. The musicianship is fantastic between the band members, with heavy and interesting guitar riffs that are perfectly complimented with some intricate keyboard melodies. The interplay between everyone involved is great, while never being overbearing or detracting from the flow of the music itself.

There are a few moments where things tend to lull, but for the most part, this is a solid effort. The songs fit together well, with lots of energetic performances that makes for a good listen. Some of the highlights involve parts one and two of the five-track piece 'Masquerade', 'Within (The Dragon)' and 'Lost Paradise '99'. Of particular note is 'Masquerade Act 2', which ends with a fantastic crescendo that builds up with more and more tension over a minute and a half, but never dips in momentum.

Overall, this is a good album by Dreams of Sanity. It's far from perfect, but it's a huge improvement upon their debut, and a precursor to what will become their finest work, with their next album.