One of the weirdest CDs I ever had to review, no doubt about that. The Australian Distant Dreams deliver a 2-cd release that seems to be a very promising effort but also a very confusing one.
Their musical diversity seems to be the biggest issue around here and although something like that is certainly a plus for any band, what really matters is the proper combination of all those elements that make music solid.
I admit I got negatively prejudiced when I saw words like love and lady appearing almost everywhere in this album (well, not to mention the title of the album...) but I'm glad I was contradicted by the content that occasionally bore interesting moments.
Now, if it was a matter of life and death to define the band's style (in any other occasion I wouldn't dare it), I could say that they show a preference to doom/heavy metal (Candlemass, Black Sabbath) but they also have crisp references to Tea Party and of course Led Zeppelin. I know it sounds bizarre but they seem to work it out...to a point. The only crystal clear thing here is the vocalist's sacred devotion to Messiah Marcolin's voice but this isn't necessarily positive. Honey Boy Jim (what a nickname...) has a fine voice but when it comes to a comparison between him and the mighty monk the results are predictable. This guy severely lacks in expressiveness and as a consequence, all the songs fall short in feeling.
The whole try is bodacious. A well looked after artwork and a fine and rich booklet are details that elevate the final outcome and have an esthetic value. They still remain details though. I think that the band should focus on writing down more coherent, concrete songs from now on because there is potential here. Instead of bringing out 2 CDs it would be preferable to suffice in one single with better compositions. All I hope for is a better comeback, I count on their abilities but the material presented here can't be rated at more than...