Sham of Perfection

Despite the electronic based upbeat tempo, it takes a while for Tystnaden’s debut effort a while to sink in, but even then, the material still doesn’t strike me as the best of its kind and doesn’t do anything to rejuvenate two clichéd genres -- gothic and melodic death metal -- however once it does settle into its rhythm, it has an odd appeal making this effort, ’Sham of Perfection’ enjoyable almost entirely throughout. Italy seems to be a safe haven for gothic bands, a place that the genre can call home. I try not to generalise the entire nation, but its difficult not to when Italy has such a powerful love affair with anything gothic. I’m sure in most people’s minds one band springs to mind instantly; Lacuna Coil. Thankfully, though I don’t actually mind Lacuna Coil, this act doesn’t resemble the aforementioned gothic legends (in the eyes of many) too much at all. The first major positive then is the simple fact that we can rule out the ‘clone’ band status that every band gets whenever they even slightly resemble another. Although, as stated, it is not groundbreaking, Tystnaden inhabit their own sound, which delves deep into the realms of electronic based music, provided by the ever constant source of symphonies of Lorenzo Frascaroli. His performance, as well as the female vocalist, are the main stand out points that influence the music more than the other aspects. Of course, there are harming aspects too, which is to be expected on a debut effort. The production, for example, isn’t smooth enough to encase the subtle textures of the record well. It exposes the faults and signifies that these Italian gothic hounds need to work on improving the production that limits their creativity juices. Thankfully, on songs like the self-titled and ‘Hamlet’, Tystnaden are dynamic enough to withstand the problematic areas of the production and the less superior qualities, like the male vocals.

‘Sham of Perfection’ doesn’t really kick into gear until the self-titled song comes along. ‘Tystnaden’, the song that is, brings something new to the foreground which was previously unheard through the first two songs which were, for all intensive purposes, dull and rather forgettable. This song invites a new structure to the wore out style the band uses on the previous two songs, and for several other songs towards the end of the record. The intro establishes this fresh sound well by using emotive violin passages, which could be generated by the keys because no one is accredited for the violin performance. There are additional notes about the record, so judging it can become quite difficult when all the information cannot be pieced together successfully or without confusion. The fact that Lorenzo may possibly influence this new and exciting sound makes his performance even more noteworthy, especially since the rest of the content undergoes a face lift and this new façade creates a different sound, which is much more atmospherically pleasing because the performances of the female vocalist, who does not necessarily supply gothic fans with anything new in her voice, though I imagine the melodic death fans will be pleased with a new breed of vocals to listen to. However, she still projects a typically fashionable style that is enjoyable enough and marketable to gothic fans who typically prefer this verging-on-operatic-but-not-quite style of female vocals. I also cannot help but be overawed by the electronic influences on occasions. The base of the soundscapes is littered with abusing electronic leads which sound as if the band are trying to rejuvenate the gothic scene of old (the 80’s and 90’s in particular), but the clashing death metal influences don’t allow the band to shift genres as easy as a driver would shift from 1st to 2nd gear.

Laura De Luca, the female vocalist, has no problem hitting and controlling high notes with her voice. She doesn’t sing out of key and is dominate in her performance on songs like the self-titled piece which takes a laid back approach to the soundscapes and songs like ‘Metaphora’ which exudes a confidence previously unseen by the band, particularly in the bass department which stands out constantly where it might not have previously done so. Songs like this show Tystnaden’s ability to be able to change and vary their tempos, which adjust from slow to fast paced with lots of action packed double bass and solos flying left, right and center. Although these aspects do flow nicely, with an electronic undertone provides by the keys and synths (as well as the occasional piano passage or two), there are elements of the instrumentation which conjure more questions than answers. For instance, the melodic death influences. What exactly are they in regards to the content on this record? The male vocals? The male vocalist is definitely the weaker of the two, providing a laboured death metal growl, which boarders on a scream. His voice doesn’t particularly compliment the smoother textures of the record, provided by the emotive female vocals, piano, violin, keys and even the bass. A huge chunk, as you can see, of the instrumentation reflects badly against the male vocals which seem largely redundant and only included so the band can appeal to a larger demographic of listeners -- the melodic death fans. I wouldn’t consider this to be a clever ploy on the part of the band since it devalues their soundscapes and applies limitations on the bands talents in song writing. Although this isn’t the best example of a death/gothic collaboration, it is still enjoyable enough to listen to every now and then.