Indigo Child
Re-Death
5.4
Classy, lively gothic metal from Slovenia boasting a soprano comes to us courtesy of the whopping seven members of Indigo Child.
This is not your standard gothic metal affair. The male vocalist sounds just a bit huskier and the music is just a tad stranger than you’re going to find with most groups. While many gothic metal acts purposefully inject extra-strength testosterone into their sound, there’s a light, playful element at work on Re-Death, including what sounds like regional, eastern European instrumental additions. The guitar tone is “happy” at times, especially on the third of the album’s 10 songs, “Involve Synthetic.” No sweeping choruses here, but definite hooks abound in terms of the riffs, like the one opening “Bitter Fact of Conclusion.” Immediately it transitions into what sounds like a church choir with soft, solemn keys, building up what ultimately turns into a flat, standard performance of overused male vocals. That opening riff disappears for far too long. The ambience takes precedence over riffs and hook, keeping Re-Death from catching on the way Indigo Child keeps hinting it will with excellent, albeit sporadic, riffs. When the group adopts a more folk-inspired sound with strings, such as on “Roots of Eden,” they are at their best, allowing the music to develop organically rather than forcing phony ambience.
While the male vocalist contributes some much needed strength to the music, a stronger female presence with the soprano would have been appreciated. She compliments the few ambient pieces between riffs within each song well. If they want to garner more attention they’re either going to need to pick up the pace and encourage the male vocalist to utilize the same sense of urgency he conveys in “Divine Communication” in greater frequency, or keep things the way they are instrumentally and allow the soprano to take a greater role within the band. Re-Death proves these Slovenians have talent, but structural changes must be made before they can make a unique, commanding statement worth your money.
