Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella & Vard Aman
From the Ukraine, the band Delia was formed in 2005 and has previously released one full-length and two singles. Now, they return with their new EP “Fire”. Like with their previous full-length “Recollection” (or “Spogad”), the band has issued two different versions, one sung in English and the other in their native Ukrainian. “Fire” features a playing time of only about 13-minutes and shows a Symphonic Metal band brimming with confidence. Of course, “Fire” is the English version and from the opening strains of the title song, Delia are on fire (sorry, bad pun), but from the outset the band seems comfortable in singing in the English language. Some nice bits of melody, combined with heaviness and some strong vocals by Anastasia highlight this excellent opener. “Try” is up next and continues in pretty much the same vein as the previous song; perhaps the vocals are a little more dramatic. I really like Anastasia’s vocals throughout “Fire”. They are very strong and authoritative, and also very straight-forward vocals sung in a very metal style. She reminds me a bit of Heike from the German band BackSlash (whatever happened to them?). The final song “Limit” starts of a little different than the previous two, with some nice piano as Anastasia joins in with a sort of distorted effect on her vocals, which caught me a bit off guard, before the song settles into a more familiar Delia groove, bringing “Fire” to a close after, seemingly it had just begun. At only 13-minutes, “Fire” is a good way to introduce you to the metal world. Now, we can only hope that Delia has another full-length in them and soon.
Rating – 85/100
Delia are from Kiev in Ukraine and have been around since 2005, yet this EP was my first proper introduction to them. This EP is their second offering – the first being, and I’m not going to hold back here, the work of genius that was their debut album “Spogad”. Had I heard “Spogad” first, I would have been left wondering how on Earth a band could top anything of the quality of such a debut! Well, the answer would have been that they didn’t; but they have made something that is just as good (albeit quite a bit shorter). The atmosphere they create on their EP is slightly different to that on their debut, but still with the unmistakable elements that make Delia what they are. “Fire” (“Vogon” is the separate Ukrainian version of the EP) is made up of 3 songs: “Try” (“Sprobuy”) creates the kind of deep introspective moody, almost melancholic atmosphere that can be heard on some of the songs on their debut and is a very powerful track; while “Fire” (“Vogon”) and “Limit” (“Predel”) are generally more energetic and upbeat. Just like on “Spogad”, the professionalism, musicianship, songwriting and production are superb; but what really stands out, just like on “Spogad” are the immense vocals of Anastasia Sverkunova. She is amazingly versatile and has a huge range – as can be fully appreciated on “Fire” and on “Limit”; and she can sing with an almost wrenching emotion – as can be fully appreciated on “Try”. The cumulative result of it all is that Delia‘s music, both on “Fire” / “Vogon” and on “Spogad” is something that can be (quite deeply) felt as much as it can be listened to – and that is something that puts Delia well above most other bands, including some of the biggest names in world of Female Fronted Metal, or any kind of Metal, or the music industry as a whole for that matter. It is hard to put Delia into any specific genre or sub-genre. I have seen the labels “Symphonic Metal”, “Gothic Metal”, and “Symphonic Gothic Metal” (to merge the two) being applied to Delia, and I suppose it is fair enough to say that if such labels are going to be used in general terms then that is where Delia belong, but only in so far as applying it to a broad generalization of their sound. The influences they draw from are many and it is reflected in the sound they create. I will admit that the first time I heard the opening chords of “Fire” I was reminded a bit of Lacuna Coil, but that is where the comparison ended. Oh, and should I say here that I think Delia are better than Lacuna Coil? Yes, because I really do think they are! The difference is that Lacuna Coil, and yes they are very talented, are signed to a major record label and through promotion have become a household name in the Metal world; while Delia are 4 equally talented musicians who have 9-5 jobs in Kiev (and one who drives very fast around dirt tracks sometimes… and doesn’t pick up hitchhikers…) and so they are not so well known to the world. But on merit alone, they should be and deserve to be every bit as much as any big-name act out there! Delia were a massive discovery for me! Now they are a discovery that you can make too – and there is no reason for you not to as they have made both versions of their EP available for free download from their official website. This is something that should not be missed out on! Seriously!
Rating – 98/100
Tracklist
- Fire / Vogon
- Try / Sprobuy
- Limit / Predel
Line Up
- Anastasia Sverkunova – Vocals
- Sergey Sirko – Guitars
- Michael Gudzenko – Bass
- Vitaliy Tolkachev – Drums
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Site