Conflict of Interest

Comprised of four new songs, a cover, and two live tracks, Darkwell's Conflict of Interest is a short follow up to their deliciously dark and subdued debut Suspiria. And though it's easy to overlook an in-between-albums release like this in a band's discography, this little EP is significant for this Austrian gothic metal outfit for a few reasons. For one, it was the band's only new studio work in two years (and though nobody knew it at the time, it would be Darkwell's only studio work for another two years), and Alexandra Pittracher's last outing as the band's singer until 2016's Moloch. But musically speaking, Conflict of Interest marks a change in style that the band will pursue for the rest of their career.

Though a lot of the parts remain the same: the sound is primarily made up of rumbling guitar riffs and keyboard melodies that cast a wave that the vocals pick up on and drive even more forward -- really the fixings of the gothic metal genre rarely differ -- but the mood is completely different. If Suspiria was smooth curves and languid movements, Conflict of Interest is all jagged edges; jerky and mechanical. The guitar parts, though more (for wont for a better word) technical are very cold and unfeeling, and at times err on the side of clunky. The keyboard parts are cool and dark, I just don't like how they're produced and mixed in. The keyboards aren't overbearing, they're just made to stick out like a sore thumb due to how electronic they sound -- especially the faux choirs, whiny organ, and the sharp pecking of electric harpsichord.

Honestly, the biggest problem I have with the release is how it's produced, because the songwriting is strong. Even though the band made a turn towards modernity, that doesn't change the fact that they are a very charming group of musicians. This EP is pretty much one great song after another, keeping the material on the shorter side (typically between four and four and a half minutes), each song is a compact, yet fully actualized piece of music that leaves maximum impact. The exception here being the weakest of the bunch "Elisabetha", coming in at just over seven minutes. Its major flaw being that it feels a bit more stagnant than the rest, the band tries to remedy this by giving it a spooky, spoken preamble, but it prolongs getting into the actual meat of the song and falls flat for being a little too on the nose. Based on the subject matter, the dark theatricality of this song, and the spliced in dialogue, I get the feeling that the band were trying to give their take on Cruelty and the Beast, but they don't have the same lyrical capability as Cradle of Filth.

Alexandra's vocals are crystal clear, and though she isn't the most technical singer, she can definitely carry a tune. Though she pretty much uses the same high pitched, speech level style she used on Susperia, she sounds a lot better here. She's not singing into her nose as much and she has a quiet confidence about her that is very soothing. That being said, "Thy Curse" and the Tanita Tikaram cover "Twist in My Sobriety" are songs that have a more rocking swagger, and she still sounds like she shouldn't be able to pull this kind of delivery off. And if I'm being honest she kind of can't, and yet oddly enough it works for me. It's almost like failing upwards.

That's how I'd describe a fair portion of this release, "failing upwards". For all the grievances I have with this EP -- the overly synthesized sound, the unnaturally cold guitar tone, the snareless drumming that feels very nu metal, and the general lack of fluidity of the music -- it still comes together as a complete and complimentary product that greatly surpasses its parts. Whether or not Darkwell has been able to pick up the creative thread of this EP and recreate its success later down the line, I am unsure. But their deviation of style plays in their favor on Conflict of Interest.