More like a one-man band, A DREAM OF POE is totally dedicated to American author/poet Edgar Allan Poe. Now this man has some real die-hard fans and I've had the opportunity to know a few of them. When these fans talk about Poe's mind they just don't stop.

So, the person who transformed his love for Poe into music making it all come alive is Miguel Santos along with several session musicians who have assisted him in seeing this through. The songs on "The Mirror of Deliverance" branch out into gothic music lapping up everything with a doom coating. Not really something that everyone into metal would grab to hear but the music will clutch those of you who dig gothic doom.

Looking at their music closely (which would require a lot of your attention and time) you will notice that there is this passionate melancholy running around throughtout the forty five minutes of "The Mirror of Deliverance". The first song off this album is "Neophyte" which has minor riffing, minor keyboards with more vocals which is, like I said, is more like a narration of lyrics. Occassional solos in the middle of songs help you understand the broad maturity in songwriting. The last minute solo was a must, if you ask me.

Slowening up is the next song "Os Vultos". This song is a tent of sadness and there is no way out of here. Less random, more real guitaring shakes you up on "Os Vultos". Enjoy camping. What I was expecting to happen comes now on "Lady of Shalott". Female moaning in a setup like this is like chocolate sauce over anything. Growls come in too aiding the band to off-load the gothic beings in them. "Liber XLIX" is my favorite from the album because it amazingly opens up to a chunk of slow riffing piling up all that A DREAM OF POE would want to showcase.

There is a diversion on "The Lost King of the Lyre", with guitar-cruising initially but towards the end of it the song narrows down to be what we have learnt about the band till now. Yes, you will feel that music is taking the same direction here but there is some beauty involved, give it a little thought and you will be sorted. "The Lost King of the Lyre" has the most touching one a half minutes on "The Mirror of Deliverance". Last track is "Chrysopoeia" (longest at eleven and a half minutes) has haunting background vocals which'll remain with you afterwards too.

A DREAM OF POE is not a band for each metalhead out there, take time with them to know what effect they have on you. "The Mirror of Deliverance" might get soporific if you are impatient, but if you are the opposite then it will prove to be a fruitful episode.