seven

after last album and following "epitah" I was not as anxious about upcoming l'ame immortelle album. don't get me wrong, I still do like most of the material they put out, but it just seems to revolve around the same themes and never really go anywhere. it is catchy, well-done, polished and yet very predictable and straightforward. for one, this album doesn't really have any breakthrough hits like previous disk, although this might be the result using the same formula again and again.

it appears that this album fits somewhere in between "wenn der letzte schatten fallt" and "zukunft aus traenen und stahl". a few tracks on this album pay the tribute to heaviness and aggression of first album. the style is pretty much the same, although seems like experience with siechtum resulted in a few abrasive elements. addition of guitars on one of the songs made it sound like early drunkness, the analogy that started haunting me more and more once I stumbled upon it.

as far as female vocals goes, the band tried a few different approaches. some vocal treatment resulted in few interesting variations, that for the most part were successful. still, clean untreated vocals is one of the most powerful features of the band, that shows clearly on slower ballads. those tracks are incredibly catchy and romantic. their simplicity and emotion is what makes them so memorable.

the tracks that strike me as most memorable were two gorgeous instrumentals. first one, erinnerung," builds up as an epic instrumental with dramatic drum rolls, deep soaring strings and sparse abrasive crashes. clean piano passages contrast abrasive hisses on the background. this instrumental seems to possess all the feelings that the band stands for - noble purity, romanticism, epic splendor. all those shine on this track, not being bound by lyrics, language or vocal styles. similar instrumental, "umsonst gelebt?" follows the same path. its heaviness is built on militant beats and abrasive textures aligned with clean strings.

starting with "epitah" single, the trend to simpler, less orchestrated sound was apparent. it might have been a conscious decision, or simply an attempt to escape repetition, but the result is something that still leaves the impression that the band is going in circles, looking for something new, using remaining variations of the same old style. it was nice to hear some new elements, possibly brought to life by siechtum, as well as hearing good ol' l'ame immortelle style. at the same time I did not know where the band could go after their last album, and this is the result I was dreading.

since so many people initially compared flesh field and l'ame immortelle, I have to say that soon-to-be-released "belief control" by flesh field is the next step forward for the duo; "dann habe ich umsonst gelebt" is simply a well-executed variation of existing and familiar style. still, while my mind is trying to pick this album apart and point out all its shortcomings, I often lose myself in its catchy addictive melodies.