3 DREAMS NEVER DREAMT hails from Milan, Italy. The five piece band initially formed in 2007, but their debut album wasn't released until 2012. The melancholic Progressive Metal band has just released their sophomore effort on February 5^th 2021 and they certainly bring on the theatrics with this dark circus themed album.

 

The opening track "Interconnections" creates the scene of a circus when the show isn't going on. The human side of the performers comes out when the lights are down after all. "The Black Dressed Clown" introduces the character the title suggests. He is battling through some dark times, as portrayed by the chuggy Doom riffs along with the emotional vocals. Very theatrical, it's easy to imagine this man playing this role as a comedic clown, but what hides behind the face paint is pure sorrow. "The Ballad of A." brings in a knife thrower as the next member of the cast. It seems fear plagues this person, given their role in the circus, it only makes sense. The low bass lines in this song creates this anxiety during the performance quite well. "May" has such a solemn ambiance about it. The melody is somber, like being on the outside looking in. "The Dance" is a rather mystifying duet, portraying the intimate relationship between the two trapeze artists. This song is slower, a bit sultry in tone and melody. The way the guitars flow creates the imagery of the pair swinging above the crowd with the only thing keeping them ascending is the trapeze bar and one another. It's quite a romantic track.

 

"j. Doe" is a pretty mellow song about the juggler of the show. It seemed the main focus was on the vocals in this one, even though the guitar melody was rather quaint. "The Antipodist" is the person who juggles with their feet. (what a skill!) there's a freeing, almost invigorating feel to the guitar melody as the antipodist revels in performing for the audience. "3:46 The Moon Of The Last Day" begins with a mysterious, slightly unsettling distorted guitar melody. It creates a dark starless night over the circus tent and one of the circus members decides tonight is the night to escape the circus life. The song unfolds as the music distorts as the man flees into the wilderness surrounding the circus grounds. He's disoriented in his emotions and with the cold darkness around him but the song ultimately ends with him making it out... uncertain if he'll truly make it on his own.

 

"The Poet" brings in some heavier riffs to this song of a mystic. "Save Me From Myself" is another dark, depression ridden song. The melody feels like a dark, lonely ocean and the character in this song is seemingly trying not to drown. The album closes with the title track "Another Vivid Detail" essentially reveals the 'location' of this melancholy circus. (I won't spoil it, but it's quite a twist!) The synthy sounds in this one gave this song a cool "mystery uncovered" feeling in a way.

 

Overall, this album was not what I expected when I'd read "melancholy circus" as the main concept. Most of the time, when circuses are a story setting, there's always calliopes and trumpets, lots of commotion. "Another Vivid Detail" was an excellent change-up from that norm. They brought on some Gothic style synths, distorted guitars, and basically 50 shades of sadness. I quite enjoy hearing the dark side of things that are normally happy, so this was a fun listen for me. I was captivated by the vocals, moreso, the stories told in the lyrics he sang. I listened to a few of the songs multiple times, just to visualize it all in mind. This circus is full of sad and lonely people, but some were lucky enough to find comfort in one another. The music created this raw emotional feeling of vulnerability quite wonderfully with great lyrics, emotional guitar work, and some pulsating percussion to keep me lured in. This was an interesting twist on Melancholic Prog and I have a feeling, I'm going to be drawn back into the black tent again someday.