DREAMGRAVE

In this very first album of our ambitious hungarians, a wide array of emotions is delineated by contrasting ambiances. In fact, ethereal pictures ("Presentiment Il", "It's Ubiquitous") can alternate with more agressive colors ("Black Spiral"). The title of the band reflects nevertheless perfectly these "alternating currents". The menacing orchestral overture might be the perfect theme to a horror movie, bringing back to memory Bernard Herrmann or Wojciech Kilar (his score to 'Dracula').

When guitars rage and drums pound, orchestrations become less prominent, yet in a more enchanting way, adding further contrast to the music. Further about contrasts, drums can be in turn dizzying (very acrobatic chops all along), and elegant (listen to that jazz bridge on "False Sense Of Confidence", or that solemn drumming on "It's Ubiquitous"). Keyboards, with their very wide range of sounds, will be in turn joyous and reflective. On a vocal level, the lovely soprano vocals of Mária Molnár and her ethereal vocalizations can convey feelings of haunting sadness, but also of well-being, like a mother nestling her baby against her and singing at once a lullaby to help it fall asleep. Male vocals can be beasty here and there, yet on "Memento Mori" or on "Presentiment", you will be surprised by the moving accents of their clean counterpart. Guitar work is very impressive, the syncopated agressive rhythmic wall of the six strings really adds to the tension and the dynamics of the ambiances. It is at times accompanied by stunning or even stunned soloing, and interrupted by reflective guitars ("Presentiment").

The album comes with a bonus track from the days of pre-Dreamgrave rehearsals. This is a dreamy song with laidback drums and reflective guitar/keyboard interplay, backed by the sound of the sea and birds. It once again  proves that Dreamgrave's frontman, Dömötör Gyimesi, is a man of contrasts, always torn between light and darkness. But both sides are complementing each other, rather than conflicting with each other.

Overall, this is a highly enjoyable album. Progressive metal is a world that tends to repeat itself, and here Dreamgrave prove that there is more to this music than just flashy riffing and complex rhythms. Let's hope that they will get the recognition their talent and hard work deserve.