II: Lost
Ars Onirica
From their EPK, "This second opus "II: Lost" takes the sound of the previous album to a higher level, with more intensive melodies and slower tempos. Alessandro explores new areas of Doom and Dark Metal, paying tribute to fellow acts with a fresher and contemporary sound." The album contains seven songs.
"Lost" is the first. It's very somber and sobering. As the title suggests, feeling lost creates these delicate and desperate sound which emulate from both the guitars and vocals. The supporting symphonic elements in the background are beautifully sad. "My Heart...Your Tomb" is a very heavy offering, with deep, harsh vocals, and a riff that marches slowly, pushing footsteps into the ground. Clean vocals and a more ethereal feeling come out in the chorus, and I like the contrast. "Daydream" is another punishing offering, but not without some charming melodies in support of the harsh vocal and guitar lines. Alessandro's vocal technique is quite vast...he can produce thick death vocals and dreamy cleans, and the smooth ending does indeed sound like a daydream.
"Regret" is a slow-moving song that drips with feelings of nostalgia and heartache. The things you regret in life often weigh you down, and keep you from evolving. But try as you may, they are difficult to shake. Both the harsh vocals and the cleans perpetuate this feeling. "Forever and a Day" is a nine-minute song of pain and torture. Clean and doleful tones open the song, leading to harsh vocals and the feeling of being overwhelmed by grief and regret. It waxes and wanes several times, but even the clean elements bore right through your skin. The middle section consists of cleans that will bring out your deepest insecurities, followed by harsh tones until the end that are gut-wrenching.
"Together...Alone" is that kind of sad dichotomy that revels in your conscience. How can we feel so along when people surround us each and every day? That is one of the great questions in life. "On the Wall" closes the album. This song deepens the melancholy feelings into twisted roots of anguish, reflected both in the clean and harsh vocals. Each new twist deepens the knife in your heart, and as it rotates with barbed points, you feel every turn, reverberating in your now hollow chest. Overall, this album was put together very well. The combination of harsh and clean elements both hit you with equal heartache, it's just two different ways to drive home the same feeling, and I'm not sure which was more effective. This is just the kind of Doom that settles into your soul, and roots it out from the inside.
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"II: Lost" Track-listing:
1. Lost
2. My Heart... Your Tomb
3. Daydream
4. Regret
5. Forever and a Day
6. Together... Alone
7. On the Wall
Ars Onirica Lineup:
Alessandro Sforza - All instruments, Vocals
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