Die With Me Tonight - Die With Me Tonight

It's always nice when the owners of a label decide to put out their own music, and show they've got what it takes to keep up with the bands on their roster.

Radio-Active-Music is one such label - not content with bringing us the genius that is "Third Realm", the fantastic new act "As|Of", or the ever-popular "Reaver", "Die With Me Tonight" is an attempt for Laura (Hofford Wilder) - owner of R-A-M, to put out her own music.
With this Darkwave act, she writes the lyrics, and performs the vocals, and the instrumentation side of things is done by one David Frost.

First thing I notice, perhaps if you discard the title which might make a few of you think the project is slightly "Emo", is that Laura has a beautiful singing voice. It's so, so important when using Female vocals in Darkwave to have this - it's meant to be romantic and moving, you don't want your vocalist sound like a Bulldog chewing Glass.

"Follow" brings out the delicate side of this act, and "Fall Apart" introduces a more angst-inspired side to Laura's voice - my point remains however, she has a voice that suits Darkwave, and although not everyone will refer to her as an inspiration and pioneer, I have to say that i'm comfortable listening to this project through headphones - it's all pleasant and fitting, and at times, this sounds genuinelly like Third Realm - an act I absolutely adore, and can also be found with a CD on Radio-Active.

"Hypocrite" is a great track, with brilliant concepts from David, and more of that sound that carries Laura's voice into another dimension. If any of you have heard of American Goth act "The Shroud", you'll be aware of their fantastic singer, Lydia. At times, I find myself wondering who i'm listening to on here, as the two women have great similarities.

Unlike too many Darkwave CD's, Die With Me Tonight manages to at least sound very different on each song, as it's just too easy to have every song sound identical. I've not even heard the obligatory Violin yet.

One could be forgiven for thinking that this EP consists of 8 songs that command the listener to slip into the void - it's like the longest, most romantic Suicide Note that can be written, but just cheery and enjoyable enough to actually make you turn it into a Poem, or something equally as productive.

The Drums are decent on "A Moment of Reflection" - an ambient 73 second Instrumental piece.
"Black" and "Mass Deception" are stirring and powerful, and "Severe" and closer "Yoked Together" don't fall asleep at the wheel either.

Ultimately, this won't reach the same level as Darkwave leaders Diary of Dreams, Blutengel, and the Cruxshadows, but this is a good thing - i'm sick of clones and imitations, and this duo clearly have their own sound, ideas, and manifesto.

I can't say that every Darkwave fan will fall for this, either, and it's certainly acquired, but if you like it as I do, I'm confident you'll clutch it to your heart, and give it the love that it suggests. The album cover might as well say "your arms here", beckoning you to embrace it. Jul 12 2011