Review Summary: I’d prefer a pumpkin spice latte, but this is nice.
As these symphonic metal groups keep infinitely getting pumped out, it gets harder and harder to tell them apart. Dark Sarah’s latest hits the pop side in a manner similar to the ABBA influenced Amberian Dawn. On the other hand, they’re a mix of Within Temptation, Sirenia, and Battle Beast stylistically. They are indeed cheesy, and mix their heavy guitars, and melodies, with a thick glass of dance floor energy. With a tight bow of impeccable production as well, their package is ready for your latest consumerism indulgence. Is it worth it? Yeah, fairly.
Those that have panic stricken faces when hearing the name Amaranthe will undoubtedly hate this. It doesn’t get much poppier than this. The fact there’s a song called Goth Disco is all you need to know about this teeth rotting album. Only time will tell if ABBA influenced metal becomes the norm, but I can tell you symphonic metal is rife with pop. Whether this album is a wave of the future, or a ghost of the past though, it’s still good.
Here comes the nitpicking. The singer is great, and songwriting is solid, with riffs that have a strong kick. However, once you’ve heard one song you’ve heard them all. Stylistic changes between songs are negligible, with nary a memorable riff to lighten the load of derivativeness. It’s great if you absolutely love this stuff, but Dark Sarah don’t stand out from the crowd. Aside from the stellar singer, Dark Sarah play symphonic metal: operation normal. Solid but forgettable - catchy but forgettable - sexy production for a forgettable album.
Beyond the immediate satisfaction of the impressive production, I don’t see this becoming a legendary album on my epic, but secret Spotify playlist. It’s a fun release for a time, but I wasn’t blown away. I can get the same kind of stuff from plenty of other bands, and I happen to be subscribed to them already. For diehard symphonic metal nerds, this is the next best thing, but only until the next album from the next band comes out. Take that how you will and run with it or don’t, I am but a vessel of musical propaganda.
