Review Summary: Beautiful but "safe".
Die Verbannten Kinder Evas (Meaning "The Exiled Children of Eve" in German) is a neoclassical/darkwave/ambient group formed by members of the black metal band Summoning of which only Richard Lederer (Protector) has remained, every time working with a female vocalist (This time Christina Kroustali from Greece).
The music found here is based around keyboard melodies resembling chamber music, ethereal vocals -both male and female- and the occasional piano/percussion. The synthesizers which are the basis of the sound are for the most part chilling and calm tunes, layered in a way as to provide a dark and melancholic atmosphere (Towards which every element of the band is moving anyway). Lederer's skill at creating simple and pretty melodic soundscapes, often on top of each other, is unquestionable.
The vocals being the other main ingredient for the sound are very well performed from both members and create a very nice contrast between them without ever being overwhelming.
The piano here definitely creates the most memorable melodies although it does not appear on every song. As with everything else on the album it is often a victim of repetition but avoids sounding rehashed. The percussion using more complex rhythms than those found on earlier albums manages to give the album a much needed sense of movement and excite the listener.
The atmosphere that DVKE are trying to create here is obvious from the first moment. Dark and mysterious, always reminiscent of older times, the mood of the album carries a bittersweet tone, hiding it's melancholic vibes behind the beautiful melodies.
However pretty all this may sound, the album is plighted by the lack of excitement to be found here. It seems to be moving towards nothing for most of it's duration, without ever providing some particularly strong moments that can grab the listener's attention, instead opting to remain laid back. There doesn't seem to be any movement or actual variety as all tracks tend to blend into each other and create a unified whole. In fact too unified for it's own good.
In sort, this album is ideal to have in the background or aim for a very certain mood before listening to, but has hardly anything importand details to discover. In any case, being as nicely written and performed as it is, it makes for a very enjoyable listen and can easily be appreciated by anyone seeing as it achieves it's purpose.
Pros:
- Beautiful melodies, very nicely composed and performed
- Great atmosphere throughout the whole record
- Easy to listen to
Cons:
- Not much variation
- Daunting to listen to from start to end
Highlights:
From the splendid melodies of the title track, to the hooking percussion on winter'a night and the magnificent piano on Catharsis the album is full of nice little moments and tunes even if they don't always manage to rise up from the rest of the content.
