Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
The Croatian symphonic metal band Downcast Art unleashed their debut demo in 2009. Now they are back with a new singer (Jelena Muzar) and a full-length debut called “Forbidden Memories”. The three songs that appeared on the 2009 demo have been re-recorded and now are on this full-length. They are: “Miris Proslosti”, “Chants From the Deep” and “Whisper of a Dying Rose”. New vocalist Jelena does not sound all that different than their previous one, perhaps a little more operatic but her presence does not change the band dynamic one bit. After a 4-minute instrumental intro piece (“Everlasting”), Downcast Art launches into the dramatic “Bloodred Ink”. This song features some great orchestration and choir-like background vocals. The next song “Miris Proslosti” opens with sounds of crashing thunder and an eerie keyboard intro. This is a mid-tempo number and Jelena sings in a lower range on this one. She shows that she capable of more than just the over-the-top operatic stuff. “Home of Silence” is another mid-tempo song, but Jelena’s style is much more operatic on this one. Musically, the songs have plenty of atmosphere and Downcast Art definitely comparable to Tarja era Nightwish. Other highlights include: “Face Without a Name”, “Innocence Never Dies With Desire” and “Downlight”. “Forbidden Memories” is a good debut and Downcast Art has certainly grown since their demo. Hopefully “Forbidden Memories” will be a springboard for bigger and better things; Downcast Art appears to be headed that way.
Rating – 75/100
Tracklist
- Everlasting
- Bloodred Ink
- Miris Proslosti
- Home of Silence
- Forbidden Memories
- Face Without a Name
- Whisper of a Dying Rose
- Innocence Never Dies With Desire
- Chants From the Deep
- Downlight
- Home of Silence (Piano version)
Line Up
- Jelena Mužar – Vocals
- Kristijan Radeka – Guitars & Vocal
- Zdravko Smenderovac – Keyboards
- Davor Grdic – Bass
- Lukas Šomek – Drums
Links
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