Touch in the Dark

Asrai | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Transmission Records
• ASIN: B0002MHE00
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,057 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. In Front of Me

2. Pale Light

3. Whisper

4. Restless

5. Touch in the Dark

6. Tower

7. Dream

8. Child

9. Garden

10. Shadows

Editorial Reviews

Second album from melodic dark goth metallers. Transmission. 2004. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Singer, Good Band, Good Music = Good Album, June 7, 2005

By 

Mr D. "Artist/Designer/Kibitzer" (Cave Creek, Az United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Touch in the Dark (Audio CD)

Some of you already know this but I seem to gravitate to female vocals. Oh, I like male vocalists just fine but given the choice between a good song with a female or male vocalist, assuming the songs have equal appeal, I tend to choose the female. That is why I try to get a listen to every new Fem-fronted band I hear about from New Age to Symphonic Melodic Metal.

Asrai is neither as they fall into a category that I would have to say is Melodic Hard Rock, with a touch of Punk. I had never heard of this band before and I certainly wasn't going to be able so to hear a sample by downloading it, so I bought it. Another good thing about this album, beside just being good, is that it won't break the piggy bank. I stole this baby for about the price of a supersized quarter pounder w/cheese combo and it's a lot healthier.

Asrai is a Dutch Band consisting of three gals and two guys, that have been around since 1989. Yeah that's right, the girls outnumber the boys. They consist of Margriet Mol (vocals), Twin Karin Mol (drums), Manon van der Hidde (synths and violin), Rik Janssen (Guitar), Martin Kooy (Bass and backing vocals). Margriet has a powerful midrange voice. Asrai are small, fragile, female sprite type beings who turn to a puddle of water when they are captured or exposed to sunlight but let me tell you the is nothing small or diminutive about their music.

Touch In the Dark

I believe Touch In the Dark is the bands second album. The bad news is that only half the songs are five star. The good news is that the other half run between four and five stars. Oddly on the first song, "In Front of Me" Margariet, the singer, sounds like Cindy Lauper. It has a medium tempo and is quite accessible and would be right at home on a top forty or alternative station, except it's almost five minutes long. (41/2 stars) "Pale Light" is a medium slow, strong power ballad with powerful vocals As with most of the songs there are some strong drums, courtesy of sister Karin. The melody is catchy, especially the chorus. (5 stars) The next song "Whisper" reminds me of Garbage. It is a medium to medium slow paced number with a slight industrial sound. (4 stars) "Restless" is a medium speed rock number with double bass drums and a catchy arrangement. There is also some interesting guitar work on this song as well.(5 stars) At the half way mark we have the title track, "Touch in the Dark" another pleasant power ballad with lots of background singing and lots of emotion from Margariet. (41/2 stars)

"Tower" is a true ballad and a beautiful one it is too. This has an inspirational melody and the delivery by Margariet is sublime. At six plus minutes, it`s also the longest song on the album. (5 stars) Hard rock is back with a vengeance with "Dream", a variable paced but mostly medium fast piece with powerful reverberated vocals by Margariet. (41/2 stars) Another song I like a lot is "Child". It is a song that is sometimes a ballad and sometimes rock but always with the constant of Margariet`s exceptional vocals. (5 stars) It is followed by "Garden", a slow to medium slow power ballad, that has what it takes to stay in your mind for a long time. (5 stars) "Shadows" at only 3:22 is the shortest song on the CD. It is a straight forward medium paced number with a distinct beat and some unusual sound effects. All in all it's fairly catchy (4 stars)

CONCLUSION

I am very impressed by singer Margriet Mol. She adds another dimension to the songs, which seem good, even great but would surely not be as good with another singer. She carries the mood of the songs and really belts them out. As far as belters go she's in the class of Canada's Ann Wilson of Heart fame and Poland's Paulina Maslanka and Medeah of Delight and Artrosis fame respectively. And let's not forget Amy Lee either. As far as the song writing and lyrics go, are in my opinion, superb. All songs were written by the sisters and the arrangements are excellent as well.

If You think I sound excited about this album, You are right. It's got just the right mix of what I like Gothic and Pop/mainstream. If I was to make a comparison I would have to think Evanescence, Garbage and Lacuna Coil come to mind. Now Asrai doesn't really sound like any of them but more like a mixture of the three.

There is some big talent here folks, so don't miss out for a quarter pounder and fries.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Touch in the dark, April 6, 2006

By 

Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Touch in the Dark (Audio CD)

It's amazing what a simple cd cover can do. Awhile back I came upon the gorgeous art work for Asrai's "Touch in the Dark" cd. I had never heard of the band but I liked the cover art. I eventually got a copy of "Touch in the Dark". The first thing that came to my mind when I started listening to the cd was how much I was reminded of The Dreamside, especially Margriet Mol's powerful vocals. Margriet has a distinct voice that is rarely heard in the gothic metal genre. I could also hear slight touches of Siouxsie & Sioux. Asrai may not offer anything new to the genre of gothic metal but they certainly have made a good solid rock album which mixes both goth and metal. The first five tracks on "Touch in the Dark" are excellent but unfortunately after the fifth track, the band loses its momentum and the songs starts to sound the same. Production is a step above The Dreamside's current cd but not by much. It could use some improvement or the band could use a better producer. The sound isn't that clear or pristine as say Nightwish's immaculate "Once" cd. All in all though, "Touch in the Dark" will satisfy any goth metal fan.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful..., November 22, 2004

By 

Red.White.Brainwashed. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Touch in the Dark (Audio CD)

Asrai is a great band. They have been making music before there were Within Temptation, After Forever or Epica. However this is just their second album.

This is one of my favorite albums already. Their music sounds awesome, with Margriet's clear voice and the melancholy..

The best songs on the album are: Pale Light and Shadows.

Yeah, Asrai definitely deserves a place next to The Gathering and After Forever.