Label : Amarus Cantus Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Fans that are missing Tarja-era Nightwish may have another band to rally around. They are France’s Die After Day. Of course they have a long way to go before they reach the greatness of that classic Nightwish line-up, but on their first “Ad Illuc Memoria”, Die After Day is off to a pretty good start. Die After Day is fronted by the ultra-operatic style of Rose (she also plays violin) and her style may be considered a bit over-the-top by some, while others will find it beautiful and passionate. Me? I find it somewhere in the middle, but definitely more on the good side as this lady proves that she has a powerful vocal delivery. The 10-song disc features a playing time of over an hour with most of the songs in the 6-8 minute range. A heavy guitar riff drives the opener “Thunderstone”. In addition to the vocal gymnastics provided by Rose, the musicians in Die After Day prove that they are more than capable in providing a good, solid musical base to keep the album moving along at a brisk pace. The melancholic “99 Nights” is next and has a slow, grinding feel to it. Other highlights include: “In the Shade of You”, “Angels Must Die” and the phenomenal 8-minute closing number “Moonlights Wound”. While “Ad Illuc Memoria” is not the perfect album, there is still plenty here to appeal to fans of operatic, symphonic metal.
Rating – 70/100
Tracklist
- Thunderstone
- 99 Nights
- In the Shade of You
- Angels Must Die
- Misery Lady
- Ad Illuc Memoria
- Behind the Wall
- Lost in Paradise
- Dark Forever
- Moonlight’s Wound
Line Up
- Rose – Vocals & Violin
- Chris – Guitar
- Francois – Keyboards
- Bérenger – Bass
- Sylvie – Drums
Links