THE DREAMSIDE

EN

Do you remember this one? Dutch The Dreamside scored some attention in the 1994 gothic scenewith their debut “Pale Blue Lights” (Deathwish Office / East West) and the sequel “Apaika” (1996, Nuclear Blast). The beautiful voice of singer Kemi Vita also struck a chord in the Heavenly Voices movement and the band was picked up by the gothic metal scene, which gained popularity a few years later.

Well, the band is now active again and the fine Belgian Je M'en Fish label is now releasing the exclusive vinyl collection "Dreams Beyond The Veil" to put these Rotterdammers in the 'goth light'. The oldest song dates from 1996 and goes by the name “Apaika” from the album of the same name, which wound its way between heavenly voices, darkwave and a textbook example of gothic metal. The first song “Open Your Eyes” on which Rogue from the once popular American band The Crüxshadows provides the vocals, illustrates this musical spectrum. A 'beautiful romance' arose between The Crüxshadows and The Dreamside: they toured live with each other and the album “Spin Moon Magic” was released on the American label Dancing Ferret Records, where The Crüxshadows were also regulars.

The melodic gothic metal of “Forsaken” comes from the same album and the title track “Spin Moon Magic” also shows a tighter gothic metal in which Kemi Vita's voice contrasts with the guitar pounding but is equally unctuous and has a heavenly rather than demonic sound in the song weaves. “Into A Frenzy” has more of a sweet rock nature. On the A side we also find an acoustic version of the dreamy and radiant “Silently Awake” which comes from the album “Lunar Nature” (2009).

Get out of the couch to turn over the thick vinyl and let the needle dance to the B-side. Vinyl is certainly better … also for your condition. On the B side, this “Dreams Beyond The Veil” opens with “Mirror Moon”, the title track of the album of the same name that was released in 2001 by Serenades Records, situating somewhere between female-driven gothic rock and goth metal. It would be around that time that this genre, gothic metal, also flourished until 2014, as evidenced by the song “Miracle Days” from the latest studio album “The Sorrow Bearing Tree” (Spin Moon Records, 2014). Although you also recognize something like symphonic metal here and a term like ethereal rock also applies nicely to a song like “Sternenkind” (from “Lunar Nature”).

We end with “Apaika”, a song that I mentioned earlier, also the oldest song on this compilation that points the noses and especially ears in the direction of The Dreamside again. The particularly atmospheric “Apaika” is probably the most experimental and even somewhat tribal and enthusiastic song from The Dreamside. Dutch people who come up with a particularly atmospheric sound somewhere between gothic, darkwave, gothic metal and ethereal (rock). The album will only be officially released from the Je M'en Fish office on September 1 to avoid delivery problems due to leave at transport services. However, if you cannot wait, you can send an email to Je M'en Fish now and it is possible to have this vinyl delivered earlier. That's called service. Oh yes, and there will be no digital release, only this one in two 'splattered vinyl' versions, strictly limited!

Kurt INGELS
04/08/2024

---

NL

U kan de Nederlanstalige versie van deze review HIER nalezen bij onze collega's van Dark Entries Magazine!

Kurt INGELS
04/08/2024

---