Forget Me Not

I like melodic death metal. I really do. The idea of fusing the intensity of death metal with power metal esque melodies is a really good one. I also like the random Italian music played in the background of mob films, The Godfather being a very notable example. This kind of music is very commonly played in scenes where the 'humble beginnings' of the mob boss are being shown. The mixture of violins and cellos is very effective in conveying the emotion these films try to get across. But what happens when you mix melodic death metal and this distinct style of Italian music? You get this album. But is it interesting? Is it good? Or is it just plain stupid? Let's try to find out.

First, let's analyze the instruments that are not too traditional in metal i.e the violin family and the piano. The cellos, violins and violas are constantly used throughout the album. They might complement the vocals, they might accompany the guitar melodies, or they might just fly solo. But the question is, do they sound good? Well, they do flow very nicely sometimes, especially when there's a softer than usual riff along side them, and also when female vocals take their queue. However, they do sound pretty awkward when they try to force in the violin family with a very intense riff. In these instances, it sounds as if two completely different tracks are playing simultaneously. As for the piano, it's not nearly used as much as the violin family, but it is used rather well on the rare occassions it is played. For example, the piano intro in Serenity is very well done and provides the basis for the rest of the song's melodic side.

The more metal side of things, it's generally pretty standard stuff. If you've heard any popular Swedish melodeath band, you'll know what I mean. The usual deep, screamed vocals, the downtuned guitars and the blastbeat and double bass filled drumming. The bass, however, is very strong in the mix. But unfortunately, the bassist fails to provide anything too interesting. The songs definitely try to be complex and layered. The structures are definitely interesting. Random acoustic riffs after a full throttle session, the female vocalist showing up out of nowhere, replacing the vocal melodies with the violin family are just some examples. But just because they're interesting doesn't necessarily mean they're good. I mean, sure the trade off between Mark and the female vocalist sounds very good in Fragile Caress, but much of the time the female vocalist is placed in the weirdest of places. For example, sometimes she starts singing before Mark has even finished his part and it almost sounds like she's interrupting him. Many other attempts at complexity don't fare too well either. Defaced has a guitar riff that gives the exact same sound you'd expect when you'd connect to your internet modem back in the day. Another example is the out of place use of choirs in the title track. It's as if the choir just randomly wandered into the studio while band was recording the song. The ending of the album, 2 minutes after the last song has concluded, plays the same melody as the beginning, just with a weirder production. And then plays it agin incompletely, but this time on piano with a carnival-ish feel. What's the point of this? I really don't know. And as the songs try to be complex, they are rather long. And to be honest, because of this the album gets tiring to listen to towards the end.

In conclusion, this album has a lot of faults in it. It's not something I could sit down and listen to too many times. If it was shorter and more concise, I would've liked it much better. However, it is good for what it is and I do listen to one or 2 songs from the album regularly. Not highly recommended unless you're a big melodeath buff but I definitely recommend at least listening to Through The Non-Time, which is the shortest (excluding the intro and obligatory soft ballad) and also the best tune on this recording. It siginifies everything that is good about the album. It gives us the subtle, soft and catchy melodies while also retaining the aggression and dark nature the album showcases a lot.