| Artist |
| The Frozen Autumn |
| Title |
| Chirality |
| Format/Cat |
| CD TFA-03 |
| Label |
| Calembour Records |
| Style |
| Melancolic electro-goth |
| Date of review |
| 7th June 2012 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 8.5/10 |
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To listen to The Frozen Autumn is to be drawn into another mysterious world that is constantly enveloped either by an impenetrable mist or an eternal winter & yet which isn’t without its own cold melancholic beauty. The music of long time TFA stalwarts Diego Merletto & Froxeanne, who are joined here by new member The Count, has always been this cold, darkly melancholic entity &, even if they stick very closely to their own mix of 80s gothic moods & dark wave sounds on this latest release then that matters not at all as the magic shows no signs of waning. Indeed, if anything, they’re just getting better & better all the time as this is easily as good as anything they’ve released in the past & could well be their finest release yet with virtually every track proving its worth, starting with the superb opener ‘Before The Storm’ as massed melodic layers create a quite compelling sonic tapestry with each new element taking the track up to new emotive heights in a quite masterful manner. Diego’s downbeat vocals add the finishing touch on what is a quite stunning opener & while it might seem a shame to get what is probably the highlight out of the way first there is still so much to discover here, such as the darkly romantic ‘Breathtaking Beauty’ where the melancholic chorus is contrasted somewhat by the more uplifting chorus & the slow & deliberate feel that permeates ‘Rallentears’ where the resonant rhythms are embellished by some strong bass chords & finally soaring synth leads which are the icing on this particular cake. Likewise, the epic feel that resonates through ‘The Last Train’ just has to be heard to be believed as the cold but sumptuous synths & melancholic guitar work that any goth fans will love weave yet another musical spell in a manner that again demonstrates their mastery of their chosen style.
Froxeanne’s vocals have always been a major asset to the band & they are no less so here with ‘Sidereal Solitude’ benefitting from an unusually warm & very womanly performance while ‘So Brave’ sees her voice becoming more & more tortured as the piece progresses in a manner which makes it clear she’s digging deep into her soul to know such heartfelt passion, so much so that the less intense feel of ‘Victory’ comes as a much needed breather &, like ‘In The Golden Air’ feels like a rare ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds & illuminating their dark world for just a brief while.
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