Emerald Mind comes from Russia, Vladivostok originally, St. Petersburg more recently, at least that’s what I understand from the limited information I have. Either way, a long ways away, especially Vladivostok which is probably a place most Japanese or Russians can’t find on a map. But somehow, the symphonic operatic brand of Gothic metal got to them, and they picked it up, and do a pretty good job with it. You won’t find a lot of good reviews, in fact, you won’t find a lot of reviews period. Most complain that the vocalist is a woman and that she sounds like Tarja. Wow, I wish we could say that about a lot of the music that clogs up the airways of the continental US these days, most of which is unfit for human listening. But then, a lot of Americans would complain if they had to listen to Roberta Peters or Leontyne Price if they caught them doing something other than rap.

Now I don’t know much about the musical preparation of our Russian vocalist, Svetlana Vysotskaya, but I do know that I can listen to her for a lot longer than anything I hear on current American radio outlets. And her background mates know their way around a metal neighborhood. The group is made up of the customary combination of base, guitar, drums and keyboards, using Russian names most of us couldn’t pronounce if given a week to practice. But, they’re pretty good, both individually and as a group serving to supplement the soaring operatic vocals of our little blond Russian singer. Interestingly enough, the music is available for free from their website as the band suggests it was done for non commercial distribution. I haven’t tried the download yet but others tell me it works. Pretty much all the CD songs are on YouTube as well as a couple live cuts where you get to see the lovely little Svetlana prancing around and tossing her hair. Does she look like Tarja, not unless your eyesight is a lot worse than mine. But there is a certain similarity in the vocal delivery. . which certainly appeals to me. And even the production is better than most, tight guitar riffs, strong fill and background by the keys and some layering of the vocals. Someone in eastern Russia sure found out how to work a mixing board.

Lyrically, I can’t fully attest to the quality of the message. Probably not lyrics that will put William Shakespeare or William Wordsworth out of business but then, how is your ability to write lyrics in Russian? From what I’ve been able to capture from the songs, they’re OK but not in a league with Morton Veland, but then, who is. And, when the vocal is presented in such a first class musical style, I’m ready to be flexible with the message. I have gotten a few lines down, this from Lyric of My Soul, one of the better sounding numbers in both vocal and instrumental terms on the CD:

This is one of those numbers where the vocals aren’t the only show in town. Guitar riffs are solid and feature both solo material and fine background fill. But, at the end of the song, you get that ultra high soprano that only the best can deliver, and you have a tendency to forget the guitars, at least until the next song.

Soveena begins with The Ripper, a solid Gothic sound, complete with a crunching guitar that begins the instrumental and leads to the keys. The Ripper rips, the guitar howls and our pert soprano takes us to the Far Eastern Russian woodlands. I didn’t get right to that Tarja thing at first listen here, Svetlana sings in a slightly higher register than the Finnish diva. The musical composition is also slightly less sophisticated than what we get from Thomas Holopainen. We have keyboards but we don’t have 20 million dollars worth of keyboards like Nightwish displays on a regular basis. And we don’t have the full use of a symphonic orchestra either. What we have is solid material, a much stronger than usual vocal, and instrumental work that is about as good as you can get without the financial background that only the top bands can afford.

The Flying Dutchman diversifies the material. There’s a little more keyboard work here, it plays off against the guitar to interesting effect. In the videos, that physical keyboard isn’t exactly destined for Carnegie Hall, but the keyboardist gets about as much as you can get from his limited musical arsenal. And after all, they’re there to showcase the vocals more than the instrumental capabilities of the band. So, he tends to play it loud, working it for all it’s worth, with the guitars doing some inspired solo work during the break. That guitar work can at times provide some truly dynamic listening. It goes in multiple directions, utilizing a variety of techniques to lead the musical score that accompanies the vocals.

Winter again leads with keys, directly into the guitars. One of the strengths of the music is its ability to musically paint a picture. On this number, we do feel the cold of the Russian winter, even before our vocalist takes us there in song. This is one of the more Gothic numbers, and one of the more musically beautiful. Svetlana spends some time in the upper registers here, where a soprano belongs. The background becomes more supportive of this lovely vocal, the keys merely support, the guitars fill, the drums provide a direction that augments rather than leads.

One of the strengths of the CD in general is the range of material. Pretty good variance across the different titles, pretty good individual interpretation to the lyrics. . . assuming you’re comfortable with that Tarja like operatic vocal. And, if you’re not, hey, there’s always Linkin Park. But, if you do appreciate a strong, very strong soprano, and aren’t concerned that there is another singer on the planet who can do metal with an operatic vocal, this music will not disappoint. And hey, it’s free. So you don’t waste any money with the experiment. And even better, you don’t have to go to Vladivostok to listen to it.

9.5 / 10