Diary of Dreams - (if)

I haven't paid so much attention to Diary of Dreams since I saw them live at Wave Gotik Treffen 2003, so I felt I needed to fresh up before this review. Generally I think that the most recent albums are the better ones and that for each year that goes by (Diary of Dreams more or less release one album every one or two years) the sound matures and the albums get better and better.

So with that said, what about their latest release called '(if)'? It sure follows the pattern of becoming more mature and better for each year, in my opinion it's the best album Diary of Dreams have released. The melodies and song structure is great and Adrian Hates voice is darker and better than ever.

It all begins with the "The Wedding" with its massive sound and if this not blows you away, the rest of the album surely will. "Odyssey Asylum", "Choir Hotel", "The Chain", "King of Nowhere", "21 Grams of Nothing", they are all a delight to listening to. All filled with so much soul and vitality in its cold and dark sensation.

Even though darkwave / gothrock rarely please me, this is one of the best albums I've heard this year. This is a must buy. Apr 15 2009