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Hailing from Argentina and consisting of Claudia Rolano, a soprano vocalist and Juan Andres Celasco, a classically-trained pianist (who's also a dab hand with the electronics!), Lamia are certainly not your average band. Their music follows a similarly eclectic path, mixing elements of electro, goth, darkwave, medieval and classical musics, a mixture that has potentially massive appeal and one that might initially catch unsuspecting listeners on the hop.
The duo's classical background is evident as early as the opening track which is a rendition on Bach's "Prelude In Ci.Bwv 846", a sweet harpsichord tune and these moments pop up throughout, including Chopin's "Prelude Nr.20 In C", a tune which has provided much inspiration to a wide number of artists over the years, from the UK synth duo Wavestar through to Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic" (and I am fully aware of how sad it is that I know that!).
There are definate EBM touches throughout although the slow build-ups and less than forthright rhythms mean that tracks such as the sombre "You'll Die" and the superb "Dunkel Leben" are unlikely to gain much in the way of mass club acceptance, although the two remixes that close the album seem more suitable for such purposes, upping the rhythmic quotient several notches.
But to see this as a failing on the band's part is to miss the point completely as the haunting mood that pervades the album acts as an invitation to fully savour each and every moment as each track unveils it's full splendour in impressive fashion although it's only the suprise appearance of some vocodered vocals that save the up-tempo second half of "O Domino Jesu Christie" (building from it's solo operatic genesis) from sounding like The Medieval Baybes on some similar cash-in. The synth stabs and police sirens of "Der Damon" are another surprise addition that sound like they'd be more at home on a rave track although the mixture is a succesful one and is just one more facet of a band's sound, proving they're not afraid to follow their own musical path and, in doing so, have produced an dramatic, atmospheric, seductive and inviting album that is recommended to all adventurous music lovers.
RATING: 8
Artist Link: http://www.blackrain.de
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