Suspiria

Darkwell was not always an uninspired clone of other metal bands with a female lead vocalist. There was a time when Darkwell had the potential to become something great in the gothic metal scene, and it was at the time of their debut album Suspiria.

Suspiria employs all the elements of gloomy, gothic metal: slow, chugging guitars, death-inspired lyrics, steady drum beats, and atmospheric keyboards, but despite following the tried and true style of many previous bands in the genre, Darkwell's Suspiria is surprisingly refreshing and a pleasure to listen to while in the mood for a gothic atmosphere.

The prime factor in what makes Suspiria stand out is the lead vocalist for the album, Alexandra Pittracher. Her delicate yet wonderfully pleasant voice provides a nice contrast to the dark melodies provided by the low bass and guitars as well as the low-pitched clean vocals sung by the band's keyboardist. It is such a shame that Darkwell dropped her for the highly inferior Stephanie Luzie on their latest album, Metat[r]on, because Alexandra's vocals are largely what made Darkwell so pleasant to the ears.

With that said, the vocals are not the only good aspect about the album. It is quite apparent that every musician for Darkwell's Suspiria has a strong musical ear and is highly skilled on their instrument. The drumming and keyboard work are particularly good and those who doubt Alexandra's skill as a singer need only listen to the track "Ladies' Choice". There is not a single lackluster track on this album, though particularly noteworthy songs are "Pictures of Strive", "Armageddon", "Realm of Darkness", and their adaptation of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Suspiria".

Suspiria is an album that is recommended only for the fans of the gothic metal genre as the generally slow pace (though there are some speedy intervals thrown in) and gloomy atmosphere pervades the entire album. With that said, Suspiria is without a doubt Darkwell's best work and it can contend with the best in the genre. Avoid Darkwell's second full-length, Metat[r]on, and just listen to this. After replacing Alexandra Pittracher and their keyboardist/backing vocalist, they do not resemble the same band anyway.