Gloomy, synth driven, and powered by heavy guitars, Lovelorn Dolls new album, "Deadtime Stories" delivers 12 songs full of dark ambience. Hailing from Brussels, the duo has honed a sound that treads into territories frequented by legendary bands like The Birthday Massacre and Lacuna Coil, but has an edge that is definitively more cinematic and grandiose. The album opens with a wonderfully creepy spoken word intro, narrated by the late, great Vincent Price, and then kicks into full gear with "A Heart Cries". Singer Kristell's voice carries a sonorous quality that is haunting like a siren's cry. "Death & Glory", featuring a guset spot by Vvitchboy, has a more urgent feel, as displayed by his frantic vocal approach. He manically spits his lyrics while Kristell lulls the listener into a sense of security that is then shattered by Vvitchboy's pained screams. "Dreamworld (Dancing Alone)" takes things down a few notches and treats us to a more synthy offering that could (and should) be heard in club nights. This track, in its catchiness, shows the Lovelorn Dolls more classic influences, like Switchblade Symphony and Strange Boutique. "The Ghost On the Hill" sees some incredible guitar work from instrumentalist, Bernard, as his riffs and leads work in tandem with Kristell's signature haunting lilt. More of dirge, this signals a shift in pace, as the album marches towards its close with "Diary of Nothing", and the cinematic closer simply titled "The End". Glossy and beautiful in its production, "Deadtime Stories" is nothing short of incredible, from beginning to end.
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