Released By : Self-Released
Genre : Symponic Goth Metal
Link : http://www.terrateya.com
Line Up:
Stefan Siegl (Vocals)
Michael Cirak (Guitars)
Max Gröger(Keyboard)
Marianne Struwe (Bass, Vocals)
Rose Simpson (E-Violin)
Toni Holzbauer (Drums)
Tracklist:
01. Raven
02. Torn Sky
03. 2 Minutes
04. Memories
05. November Dream
06. Thunderbird
07. From Heaven
08. Whispers
09. Dungeon
10. Masquerade
11. Du Bist
12. Avatar
13. Ghost Ship
With listening to dozens of albums each and every week, one thing that I don’t get to experience all too often is originality. It may sound silly, but most bands these days can be directly compare to other bands and while that doesn’t stop some great music from being created, there’s still nothing like putting an album in the stereo and hearing something a little different…it’s refreshing, it’s enjoyable and it’s something you definitely notice each time it happens.
At its core, WHISPERS FROM A RAVEN’S DREAM would best be classed as a symphonic metal album, especially considering the band’s free-fall use of Synth Keyboard work, but vocally and lyrically this album is closer to a gothic rock feel than anything else, imagine if you can a half-way point between KAMELOT and THE DAMNED, erstwhile adding in some BAUHAS by way of PARADISE LOST. With this description you may be tempted to think of bands like AFTER FOREVER and WITHIN TEMPTATION, and I guess those comparisons are fair enough, but TERRATEYA do sound quite different from those guys as well.
The typically gothic lyrics, which tread around familiar topics like ravens, dust, clouds, cobwebs and ghosts occasionally sparked my interest but for the most part fail to excite, but on the same note they do their job just fine. The keyboard can be a little overwhelming at times and there were a few occasions that I just wished it would take a back seat and let the guitar go off a little bit, but overall it does give the entire album an almost cinematic and full feel.
One gripe I did have was with the overall presentation of the physical product… The actual artwork front and back look like a cheap black and white photocopy of a bit of scribble, complete with hand-written band name and album title. This sort of approach works okay for Black Metal releases, or even the more sombre gothic metal releases, but when you have a full symphonic sound, a striking album cover is a necessity.
Overall, I quite enjoyed WHISPERS TORN FROM A RAVEN’S DREAM, and I would be more than happy to recommend the album to anybody that enjoys music with contrasting shades and plenty of symphonic keyboard work.
Written by Zeezee
Ratings Zeezee 7/10
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