Downcast Art - Forbidden Memories
CD Info
2011
Independent Release
11 Tracks
English & Croatian Lyrics
Every now and then a musical production comes down the pike and makes a more than profound impression on you. In my long life, this has happened a few times, probably titles you never heard of although a few might register, some Nightwish, some Therion, others. Well, this is one I won’t soon forget, it’s as good as it gets in this style of music. The band is Downcast Art, they’re from Croatia. And where to start?
With the music, there are a variety of components one can address: there’s the music, there’s the production, there’s the lyrics. And, of course, we can break each of these down further, especially the music, especially since this is the purest form of Symphonic, Operatic Gothic. We can consider the instrumental work, the keyboards, the guitars, the drums, other instrumental components where they exist. Obviously, on this site there is a close examination of the vocal components, especially the female vocal. And, on this release, each of those components is as good as I have heard, ever. The instrumental work, especially the keyboard symphonics done by Zdravko Smenderovac, is other worldly. And the vocal, Ms. Jelena Mužar, is as fine a soprano as I have had the pleasure of listening to, Tarja included. And each of those components is blended seamlessly by some top notch production folks, someone knows their way around the back room. And finally, there is the lyrical work. Remember, these are Croatians, I suspect English is a second or third language. But the lyrics here are right up there with the absolute best, Morten Veland, Thomas Holopainen, others in that category. In short, there is nothing I can identify as being anything less than outstanding on this release, nothing.
As is usually the case, the CD begins with the requisite classical component. However, this one may be just a little more interesting, especially when we get to the end where guitars and drums join in to make sure we understand this is going to be beauty, but with a solid metal driving it. And that metal becomes more pronounced in the second selection, Bloodred Ink. Here we almost get a glimpse of a brutal vocal before we are introduced to one of the finest sopranos you will ever hear. The music is ethereal; the symphonics take us to new heights. The lyrics, while a bit difficult to understand, are well worth the time to capture. They are dark, in a most Gothic display of our favorite remorseful interpretation of reality. And here we begin to see some of that top flight production I promised. The overlaying of the vocals is just superb, and, with a vocal like this one, there’s a lot to work with.
There’s only one non-English track. It’s Miris Prošlosti and, as is often the case, our vocalists seem to perform at the top of their game when working in their native language. Of course, I don’t expect many to be particularly up to date on their Croatian, but, for those of you who are it reads like this:
Drugi svijet u tišini vremena / Sve, sve što sanjam ja
Negdje u meni / Čuva tajnu zvijezde daleke
We return to the English lyric in the following selection Home of Silence. Here we get an even more solid performance from the vocalist, and, with this vocalist, that’s saying something. There are two versions of this title, the better one is the symphonic one, however this one is close. It uses a piano background instead of the symphonic background which, to me anyway, is less spectacular. However, with this track, it’s the vocal anyway so it’s not a big deal. The lyrics are also a bit easier to pick up on this version since there is the more limited background sound.
The title track, Forbidden Memories brings a new sound to the table. This one is a duet, not a regular part of the CD but exceedingly interesting. Both vocals are strong and we get a more metal background, less symphonic but no less excellent. And that’s one of the strengths of the CD, there’s a lot of variety, lots of different directions to enjoy, all done at a very high level.
A Face Without a Name returns us to the howling Symphonic, Operatic Gothic. You get all the metal you need, all the soprano you deserve, and with all the symphonics you can handle. This one is a highlight. And the lyrics take us to a place sufficiently dark to meet our Gothic needs in all respects:
I am master of Face / Winner of the dead race
My smiles are from grace / Without name is my face
Before tomorrow’s day / I will pray
Candle light will say /How far I am away
Without name /These words are painted
Black / Like / Night / Light
Whisper of a Dying Rose is another example of strong Symphonic Operatic Gothic. A little more metal here, some more expanded drum work. But again, beyond the obvious excellence in the performance, and it’s really hard to get past that vocal, you come to appreciate the outstanding production work. I have no idea who did this stuff, all I have is the music and the lyrics, the other material didn’t come through well so I’m a little in the dark there. But, it seems to be a constant with the Eastern European work that you get over the top production work. And, with music this good, it is certainly a requirement.
Although most of the material on the CD is vocally driven, that doesn’t include all of it. Chants from the Deep is fully instrumental and it’s not one you want to avoid just because there’s no vocal. It’s a rocker, a symphonic rocker, very tightly produced and performed to the same degree of excellence as the rest of the CD. But clearly, with a vocal like Jelena Mužar, we live for that component, and Downlight provides us with that sound. We begin with a crunching drum line over the soaring symphonics. But the vocals steal the show; the lyrics take us to the darkest of Gothic places:
From the deep, my name / Come to High
Now my poisoned dream / Lives in me until I die
I am living dead in a spotlight / So cursed in my own delight
I am the name carved into stone / Can you cry for me when I’m gone…
From the past, the path /Born by a Dreamer
Lost soul, lost pride / Lives in me until I die
Downcast Art provides everything you can ask for in this genre. And this is an early release, damn, they could get better. But, until they do, this is as good as I have heard. I’ve only given an 11 once before, to a French band, and well deserved. But, as I go back over the years, there have been few, very few, to produce the reaction in me that this one has. This one isn’t a 11, that’s only perfection. This one goes beyond that, book it. . . it’s an 11. Case closed.
11 / 10. . . and I mean it
