Customer Reviews

Lumo

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the many Northern European bands that follow the recent trend of combining ethereal female vocals with lightened doom metal guitar riffs. Finns As Divine Grace are on the same boat with bands like The Gathering, Lacuna Coil, (recent) Theatre of Tragedy etc. The main distinction is probably the greater presense of the etherial elements--the songs are, for the most part, down-tempo, the vocals are very emotional and expressive and guitars aren't overly loud or annoyingly edgy. It is not unusual for doom or black metal bands to add the elements of gothic/symphonic/ethereal to their music nowadays, but in my opinion As Divine Grace take it a bit further and do a pretty decent job with it. Of course Lumo is still pretty much a doom metal CD and even though I really enjoy hearing a track or two on this CD when the mood strikes, the whole thing is just too repetitive and boring, and as is the problem with most bands like ADG, too many of their tracks are way too long.

This CD is a very unknown one. To bad since it is one of the greatest pieces of melancholic rock/metal ever composed.
Even tough you can find this one listed on several catalogs of metal labels and you can find reviews on metal websites, you won't find metal here. Instead you have several layers of melodic harmony filled with sorrow and despair with a style that could be described as "rock". The lyrics will remind you every time that there is no place for sunlight here, only the cold embrace of loneliness.
Another striking feature of this CD, and this band, is her vocalist, Hanna Kalske who is gifted with a very unique awesome voice, one that make her easy to recognize. She delivers so much emotion on every song, so much sorrow that makes the lyrics quite memorable, even though they might be a little bit corny. I could say that the whole CD rests on her voice, without her this album could have less relevant.
If you like sorrowful beautiful music in the vein of Diabolique, My Dying Bride, Anathema and so on, you could find a lot here.
But don't expect something "gothic" & chessy like HIM or 69 Eyes...

I had no idea what to expect from this band when I first purchased their CD from Tower Records. This Finnish band combines soothing female vocals, relaxing rock music, and soul-twisting lyrics that will thrust sadness and pain into your body. This is one of those "unheard-of" bands that should have never been passed up.