Some average tracks interspersed with beautiful melancholy result in an impressive solo debut that had the capacity to be even better
German band End Of Green have enjoyed much success in mainland Europe over the last few years with their brand of dark and heavy gothic metal. Recently lead singer Michelle Darkness left to pursue solo work, the culmination of which created 'Brand New Drug' his first solo album, which promised more of the same gothic sound.
At first I was a little concerned at what madness this innocent-looking little CD was going to unleash. Aside from the fact that the winner of the Finnish version of Pop Idol, Hanna Pakarinen, features on one of the songs, the album also has a very strange line-up of 96 tracks – all little snippets of music each only a couple of seconds long that make up whole songs. It certainly sounds pretty strange if you accidentally leave shuffle on as I did! However, it soon becomes clear that this line-up makes the listener play the album as a whole, and in that particular order. This is how the album was intended to be heard and how it achieves its effect, as the content moves from romantic angst, through to dark and eerie gothic and then to haunting, magical abandon.
At the beginning of the album, Michelle's distinctively deep, low voice gives a strange dimension to the songs, which conjures up images of a Phantom of the Opera-style monster longing over a beautiful girl. I'm not a fan of this deep singing style but on these songs it does add something extra. 'My Sweet' and 'Brand New Drug' both paint a picture of enduring love, but this is Gothic Rock, so the romantic lyrics are layered over pounding percussion, tinkling keyboards and chunky bass-lines that drive the songs along. These then lead into 'Raging Fire'; dramatic, dark and featuring all the aforementioned elements. The songs stand up themselves, but after several listens I'm still not completely convinced and find that they are all pretty similar.
Then comes a gorgeous cover of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', by far the best song on the album, to bring the romantic content to an end. Here the song is stripped down to its bare bones and played slowly and acoustically, which allows the sadness of the lyrics to shine through. Slow and methodical drums enter in an almost funeral-march style, and the inclusion of female vocals gives the song an even softer edge, which allows them to really put their own stamp on the song.
By now I'm hoping 'Brand New Drug' can carry on this dark yet beautiful quality that was evident if slightly lacking in the first three songs and abundant in the fourth. 'Darklandcity' is well-placed to keep this impetus, as it emerges from 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' with a nice soft guitar riff that leads into driving drums, then melting into layered vocals and more tinkling keyboards that keep a restrained pace throughout the song. The album now moves into darker territory, as 'Dopecrawler' kicks in, one of the most traditionally gothic songs on the album. The tempo quickens and the guitar riffs get heavier and angrier, while lyrically the mood has changed from love to lifestyle.
All very good then, but unfortunately the album declines a little in the middle with songs like 'Shine On', which is pretty average because it sounds vaguely like a lot of things I've heard before, and 'Pet Cemetery', a terrible track that's bordering on the comical. 'The Dawn' intervenes and manages to pick up the album a little, a track with more heavy bass-lines and gruff vocals that dip and weave into a measured, uplifting chorus.
To my complete surprise, there follows Simon & Garfunkel's 'Sound of Silence', a completely left-field choice. It seems that maybe his voice is a little too deep for the song, but aside from this Michelle manages to carry it off, even introducing a heavy gothic riff and leaden drum beats resulting in a gloomy and haunting quality that suits the tone of the album.
'Angelsong' features guest vocals and is a welcome departure from the signature deep style that is starting to weigh the album down by now. It's a mellow track that follows 'Sound Of Silence' beautifully, with an uplifting guitar riff as an intro that leads into melodic verses and a smooth, rich chorus. Closing the album, 'Forgotten Sun' is a return to the darkness of the album, with a sombre riff and marching drums. I'd have preferred more guest vocals following 'Angelsong', and the track is a little lacking in any real substance, but it leads the album out nicely with a solo harmony.
On the whole, the album manages to keep its momentum, thanks to variation in pace and vocals and the use of well-chosen and surprising sit-up-and-listen cover songs. I'm still not sure about the singing style, but I like the fact that Michelle Darkness chose cover songs that were out of his comfort zone and genre, and made them his own. Some of the tracks are very good, and it's a shame that others let the album down. However, it's hard to knock someone who takes a chance like this.