God's Silence, Devil's Temptation

God's Silence, Devil's Temptation is a decent but not outstanding debut for gothic metal quintet Elis from Liechtenstein that would later on release genre classics such as Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky, Griefshire and Catharsis. Despite being the band's weakest output, it shows lots of promise and talent and is definitely worth a spin for genre fans.

The band has numerous charismatic strengths. Its elegant, gloomy and longing sound serves as guiding line throughout the album. The poetic lyrics in English and German blend in perfectly and add important creative, emotive and intellectual components. The programming gives some songs an almost danceable electronic vibe but also provides some nearly cinematic soundscapes as these elements offer much diversity and entertainment. Sabine Dünser's vocals are outstanding as she has the kind of voice one would recognize among thousands. She sounds emotional without being melodramatic, she sounds grounded without sounding flat and she sounds variable without sounding unfocused. She's the type of singer any female-fronted gothic rock or metal band would like to have.

This album also has a few downsides however. The guitar play is at times generic, simple and uninspired. Don't expect any gripping riffs or stunning solos here. The guitar play simply supports the atmosphere of the different tunes without attempting to stand out. The rhythm section is serviceable instead of spectacular. The bass guitar is hardly audible and the drum play sounds slightly mechanical as if inspired by industrial rock and metal. The production is also below average and a little bit too loud and unbalanced as only the vocals and keyboards sound really great here. Especially the guitar play rushes by in a blur.

In the end, fans of female-fronted gothic metal bands from the early millennium should certainly check out Elis' God's Silence, Devil's Temptation. It's the most difficult Elis record to find these days but perhaps you could get your hands on it in a second-hand store. The song writing is decent enough to deserve a remastered version one day. The initial production is certainly the album's biggest flaw. The band's greatest strengths are however the emotional vocals, intriguing lyrics and dynamic keyboard parts.