Rain Fell Within

Refuge (Dark Symphonies)
by Scott Hefflon

From Virginia, this Goth metal sextet has two female vocalists and not a male grunt or snarl to be heard. The result, obviously, is more delicate and operatic, with none of the demon roar counterpoint so common in the darker regions of the genre. Metallic New Age? Well, they aren’t screeching on about Nordic gods or flaying their enemies alive like their testosterone-fueled brethren, the songs mention, uh, hearts and eyes seeing through stuff and I could swear I saw the word flower in their lyric sheet. The musicianship (the long-haired guys) is solid but not especially noteworthy. They’re more team players than show-off soloists, it seems.

If you’re into Enya or Dead Can Dance and the guitar crunch of Goth metal, this’ll probably suit you. Not as catchy/moving as Drain STH (damn I miss those girls), perhaps like the bridges of Tiamat or Sins of Thy Beloved or a few others who allow their angelic female vocals to shine through a bit more. But it ain’t The Gathering or Sinergy anymore than it’s Tilt or No Doubt, ok? Soaring vocals and slightly prog metal guitar crunch are the sounds drifting through the woods and over glassy lakes.
(PO Box 547 Billerica, MA 01821)