Customer Reviews

Time of Despair

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

 

 

It seems that the mega-success of Finlands's H.I.M. has forced a lot of European metal bands to rethink their idea of success. Continue with the pummel-you-into-submission riffs mixed with growly death vocals, or start appealing to the female audience with softer, romantic, metal love songs, heavy on keyboards and atmospherics, and loaded with gothic tales of love, death and suicide. Thankfully, for many bands, the latter has been the way of choice, and this new one from Entwine (also from Finland) is one of the best I've heard. Very similar to H.I.M., but ultimately heavier, slightly darker, and often more complex. Like Paradise Lost, The Gathering, Tiamat, Lacuna Coil and Flowing Tears, yet another band very few in the States are ever gonna hear, instead being force-fed yet another Creed or rap-metal wanna-be. Too bad. I think of this genre as being a perfect combination of 80's power-pop-metal mixed with an equal dosage of Black Sabbath. How can you beat that??

First off I have to say that I have been meaning to do a review of this CD for a long, long time, and with that said lets begin.
Entwine is probobly one of the most overlooked bands in the goth-metal genre; closely compared to Sentenced, Katatonia, and Charon. I for one don't see the relation, and it's better off that way. But does that mean they stand alon absolutly not, frankly I think a more fair comparison is to the band H.I.M. ; minus the love-metal aspect. Although unlike H.I.M., Entwine brings what I believe to be a more melancholic atmosphere about a wider range of subjects. Everything from love, death, growing old, and overall lonliness.
Front to back this is a rock-solid album. Some of the absolute stand-out tracks are "The Pit", "Nothing Left To Say", "Safe in a Dream", "Until the End", and "Time of Despair". But don't count out any of the tracks not listed frankly I would list them all , but that would take the fun out of this review.
Well now it's up to you... put your ears to good use and do yourself a favor and pick up this CD.

Genius. One of the best CDs ever written. The songs Tears are Falling, Time of Despair, Learn to Let Go, Tonight, Safe in a Dream, and Nothing Left to Say are all some of the best unbelievably perfect songs ever written and they are all on the same CD. Its like Lacuna Coil mixed with The Smashing Pumpkin's Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie CDs. Buy it if you know whats good for you. How in the Hell could you not have this in stock?

Entwine brings a fabulously catchy sound to European gothic rock. Like Paradise Lost, Katatonia and Lacuna Coil, their vocals are noticeably moody. Their sound at times reminds the listener of the Finnish metal group Sentenced. All of the songs on this album are well-produced and they all sound excellent. If you like gothic metal at all, you will be very pleased having this CD. For those who appreciate good metal from overseas, particularly gothic metal, this CD is for you.

I just reviewed the new Iron Maiden album and gave it 3 stars. Now, by giving this 4 stars, I'm not saying that this album is better than "Dance of Death" but it is worthy of the rating in terms of what else is available in the gothic metal category now. I like this album because it actually has somewhat of a bright side to it. Despite the title "Time of Despair," songs like "Stream of Life" and "Learn to Let Go" are suprisingly positive lyrically. The music is awesome on those two tracks alone, and they made me buy by the CD. Only negatives are the fact that a couple of songs have a drone to it that are somewhat similar, but then again on second listen they are distinctive enough that I can overlook it. I am looking forward to a bright future with this band overseas, if they can overcome the In Flames barrier (they are another Northern European metal band that has all the attention right now).