Aesma Daeva – “The Thalassa Mixes” EP (2008)

Label : Root of All Evil Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Aesma Daeva are a female fronted symphonic metal band from Minnesota. They have actually been around for a number of years with their debut album being released in 1999. Ex-Visions Of Atlantis singer Melissa Ferlaak even passed through their ranks at one time. The latest release from Aesma Daeva is a 4 song, 26 minute EP titled “The Thalassa Mixes”. The band is currently fronted by strong operatic vocalist Lori Lewis. She is joined by the following musicians: John Prassas (guitar/composer) and Chris Quinn (bass). The CD begins with 8-minute “Tisza’s Child – Sunken Cathedral”.The opening of the song combines some cool sounding orchestration combined with Lori Lewis‘s operatic vocal delivery and some other sound effects – giving it a movie soundtrack-like feel to it. The track moves along at a very deliberate pace, but it is still a powerful number. This is a big sounding track that really weaves a majestic sound-scape. Next is “The Garden I Long For”, a melancholic instrumental that is quite peaceful and serene. A bit of a change of pace and sets a definite mood. Next up we have “The Loon – Thalassa Mix”. Lori Lewis definitely takes center stage here. This is another slower track that features some more orchestration. This leads us into the final track “The Loon – The Swamp“. This track is a fine way to end things as the band utilize more orchestra arrangements, this time in conjunction with a heavy guitar riff that just keeps building and building. The two styles gel nicely together and give the track an epic feel. Lori Lewis has also worked with the Swedish band Therion on a couple of their previous releases and tours. After listening to her work with Aesma Daeva, it’s easy to see why she got the job. After listening to “The Thalassa Mixes” and going back and revisiting the previous works from Aesma Daeva, it is beyond me why worldwide success have eluded this band. It’s true that this style of music may be an acquired taste for some, but there is no denying the musicianship and talent that are on display here. This is operatic, symphonic metal at its best.