Member:
singring
(Profile)
(All Album Reviews by singring)
Date:
11/22/2009
Format:
CD (Album)
The family tree of metal sprouted a new branch called 'gothic metal' in the mid-90s that quickly grew so many new shoots it is almost impossible to catalogue them all. The main innovation in this subgenre was to combine power metal riffing with bombastic, often orchestral production, dark visuals and most importantly: a female and operatic lead singer. Uncreated Light are the new Russian challengers to the pantheon of goth metal. Bombastic sound? Check. Heavy and dark? Check. Technically competent? Check.
But everyone knows that goth metal stands and falls with the singer - this is where most newcomers to the scene fall flat on their faces. Uncreated light is fronted by Helen Musienko and frankly, she is a revelation. Her voice is both forceful and clear, easily one of the best three goth metal vocalists I have come across. She is the star of this show and proves it on every track.
With all elements in place, the first album by this outfit is a surprise - while not original in any sense of the world in its Epica meets Nightwish bombast, it does contain solid riffs, good production and some genuinely entrancing melodies. The lyrics are in Russian, so unfortunately I can't cite individual track titles, but several selections on the album are keepers - there's some folky flute playing, some keyboard flourishes and a lot of orchestral and choral underscoring that enhances the music. A thoroughly professional affair in every way that need not shirk comparison with the more recent releases by genre titans Nightwish. The opening and closing tracks in particular are captivating and among the better goth metal I have heard in recent time. In fact, all of the compositions are rich, layered and intelligently arranged which has become very unusual in this overcrowded genre.
The limited edition paper sleeve on the Mals label contains four bonus tracks which are English lyric versions of four tracks off the album - they prove that Helen can sing English lyrics beautifully - but they also revealed some very forward thematic content. The English translation of the lyrics highlights some potentially disturbing themes - the title track is a Christian fundamentalist piece ('Who shall I blame [...] those[...]who stabbed our backs/ Or were those wicked evil eyes / The eyes which crucified the Christ'). I hope those lines are not about what they seem to be about. I do not wish to accuse the band of any anti-semitism and will assume that the unfortunate wording is due to poor translation. However, the other English lyrics included do hint at more of the same outspoken subject matter.
Uncreated Light has crafted a debut album that has surprised me - and I have heard my share of sub-par Goth metal wannabes. This is a solid album by a genuinely talented band. Helen Musienko is one of the finest female operatic voices in the genre. The only drawback I could find were the dodgy lyrics, but since they are in Russian on the album proper, the troubling content can be ignored if the inclined metal fan so desires.
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