Diary Of Dreams - Elegies In Darkness (2014) - Review

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Published on Friday, 21 March 2014 22:02

Band: Diary Of Dreams
Album title: Elegies In Darkness
Release date: 14 March 2014
Label: Accession Records

Tracklist:
01. Malum
02. The Luxury Of Insanity
03. StummKult
04. Dogs Of War
05. A Day In December
06. A Dark Embrace
07. The Game
08. Dream Of A Ghost
09. Daemon
10. House Of Odds
11. The Battle
12. Die Gassen Der Stadt
13. Mythology Of violence [Bonus]
14. An Empty House [Bonus]
15. Remedy Mine [Bonus]

Nekrolog 43, (If) and Ego:X were actually very good albums, more accessible than their previous efforts that had paved insuperable pathways in the dark scene, both in terms of sound/expression and emotion/ambiance. Yet... Ever since Nigredo’s final lasting breath perfumed with dissonance the air during 2004, a beast had been crafting its legacy within the very entity of Diary Of Dreams. Slowly, but steadily, it was taking shape so as to appear in the 11th hour of the band, Elegies In Darkness, their 11th full-length to date. And you should know by now that we’re not talking about just a new album, we’re talking about the heartfelt epitome of everything Diary Of Dreams preserved throughout the years.

Elegies In Darkness inhales the thick air from the scorned mouth and exhales the multifaceted grandeur of internal affairs straight from the eyes with the bleakest of colors; one stare at the cover artwork will convince you. The seemingly tranquil, yet emotionally deafening, "Malum" opens the curtains in the most appropriate way, captivating your interest for the next 74 minutes that are about to unfold. As I said above, Elegies In Darkness is the epitome of Diary Of Dreams’s sound, bringing forth the past at the present and vice versa.
 
We’re talking about a leviathan of emotion dancing on the thin red line between grandeur and fragileness. Dare I say, concerning the first side of the line, Elegies In Darkness holds some of the band’s most bombastic moments. Whenever it gets more aggressive, the intensity indicator signs the alarm that you’re about to find yourself in the midst of a maelstrom infused by Gaun:A’s omnipresent guitars, the powerful beat and the surrounding synths alongside an ecstatic Adrian. Of course the excellent production makes the whole ambiance more massive and kind of merciless, in a good manner of speaking of course, but that’s the last thing you should worry about, right?
 
If you thought it would be that easy surviving inside the vast ocean of emotions you should know that Diary Of Dreams can play tricks on your mind anytime and they achieve it once again with the heart-rending "A Day In December" and "Die Glassen Der Stadt" among other songs and passages that cut your breath like a knife in the wind. And of course, I should never forget the mid-tempo compositions that flirt with fluent delicacy and measured intensity just like "Dogs Of War", "The Game", "Mythology Of Violence", etc.
 
I could write for hours about every single composition and the way each one trespasses my sanity, but that’s not my purpose. I’ll just state that "The Luxury Of Insanity" is bound to become a Diary Of Dreams classic and "Remedy Mine" possesses a liberating aura; no other song would be more fitting so as to close the curtains concealing the trauma deep inside.
   
Elegies in Darkness is one of those albums that won’t rely upon hit-songs and highlights, after all it doesn’t stand in the light. It’s a soulful testimony and should be cherished as such through its whole duration in order to treasure everything it stands for. "Mythology Of Violence", "An Empty House" and "Remedy Mine" are integral parts of Elegies In Darkness, I can’t imagine the album without them, you should definitely purchase the limited edition, you will feel rewarded in the end.
 
Dreams have been etched in the diary, another chapter is fulfilled. I don’t know what the future holds, but the promises have been given, a diary’s always sincere.

Review written by: DerRozzengarten
Rating: 9/10

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