"Blood Bidden Skies" starts in a similar sonorous piano-led manner. You can tell there is a full metal sonic assault on the way, but the band tease the listener as to when it will arrive. Ethereal-voiced Sally Holliday is complemented by the demonic belching of Daniel Leddy, though thankfully the emphasis remains on the former. Violin, viola and cello give the band an enjoyable symphonic edge. "Hope Springs Eternal" is dramatic and exciting, the arpeggios played on the strings are particularly emotive. Sally can perform as operatically as other singers in this genre. Hanging Doll aren't afraid to make music which could be accused of being ridiculous or over-the-top - for which they should be saluted.

"Sweet Retribution" has crunchy guitars. Its melodiousness recalls Within Temptation. It builds to a furious climax. "Echoes Of Sorrow" features proper male singing, which is a delight, making the sound closer to Lacuna Coil. Hanging Doll are a band that like to give their songs room to breathe, suggesting slight prog-rock leanings a la The Reasoning. The excellently-titled "A Formidable Mistake" shows the heavier side of the band, though there's still room for strings and piano. You can deduce the atmosphere of "Forlorn" just by knowing the title. There's a hint of Xandria, if you imagine a less romantic/fairy-tale inspired take on "Eversleeping". The way in which the song goes from quiet to loud and back again keeps this listener entranced. ,p> "Twist Of A Deity" will appeal to fans of things fast and loud, though Hanging Doll aren't a band to keep a song on the same level for its duration. "Iniquity" starts with acoustic guitar, backed by strings. It's a combination which works perfectly. The rest of the song follows the established Hanging Doll template. As this is the band's first album too much variety might lead to accusations of lack of identity. The ten-minute "Silence In Solitude" brings the album to a close. Five minutes into the song everything is stripped back, apart from Sally's voice, plucked guitar and piano. We're only halfway through the listed running time so there is plenty of time for the other instruments to return, which of course, they do. Disappointingly the song fades out nine minutes in ... to be replaced by a piano recital. The transition is handled clumsily, but by this point Hanging Doll have either won you over, or not, as the case may be.