DEAD VENUS was founded in 2015 by Seraina Telli as a solo project. She soon found two musicians to round out the line-up in Gaertner and Malloth. They released their debut album, with Seraina still holding down membership in the band BURNING WITCHES. But, she soon left the band to focus solely on DEAD VENUS. Now, they are ready to release their second album, titled "Flowers & Pain." The album contains eleven tracks.

"The Cognition" leads off the album. It's a short, one-minute mood-setting instrumental. It's hard to garner much from such a short song, but the piano notes are quite alluring. "Flowers & Pain" begins with a slower groove and the smooth vocals of Seraina Telli. The music could use a little kick here, as it is a bit on the thin side. Seraina moves into the upper ranges with some very emotional outbursts. I hate to judge an album by just one song, but if this sound continues, it will be pretty evident that the band is mostly about the singer and not the overall music. "Lily of the Valley" is a darker song that begins with a closed-mouth kiss. It opens up a bit from there with her bluesy, sultry voice, but again the music is pretty secondary to the vocals.

"Plaything Doll" is a longer offering, that begins with some melancholy tones in the lead guitars and a jovial jaunt. Seraina sings her ass off but the music meanders along, too quiet to really make much of an impression. The song attacks and retreats several times, never really establishing much of a core identity. "The Haunted Palace" is a shorter piece consisting of piano and subdued, poignant vocals. "Revelation of Hate" is another longer song that begins with minimal instrumentation and just some soft vocals. The guitar solo is nicely done but this track lingers for too long. The harsh vocals really do not make a lot of sense either. "Little King" is back to another short song with piano and emotional vocals. I think these shorter songs make more sense.

"Anna Moll" begins with the steady thumping of bass guitar and some ethereal vocals. Through the over six-minute song it attacks and retreats in emotional vocal strikes, and develops a funky, bluesy rhythm evidenced by the vocal cadence after the half-way mark. "The Release" begins with piano notes and is another soft, meandering song that just overstays its presence. The piano notes are nice but the track is just too thin. You want that meaty riff to break in but it never does. "Keeps you Alive" closes the album. It's a short, closing instrumental with piano and ambiance.

Maybe it's just me, but the album really didn't resonate with me at all. There is no doubting Seraina's talent as a vocalist, but the songwriting needs some serious updating. Much of the album meandered in songs that were really unnecessarily long but didn't end up where you thought they might. I think she should continue on as a solo artist.