Released
Label
Eibon Records
Reviewed by
Michael C. Lund
Contact
Via Folli 5
20134 Milano
Italy
Visit
Last Edit/Update
26 august, 1998
The Frozen Autumn
FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES
Track Listing
1. The Echo Of My Lies
2. There's No Time To Recall
3. Dusk Is Like A Dagger
4. Winter (Reprise)
5. Don't Cry For Me Version
6. Chimney's Song
7. Painted Girls
8. Fragments Of Memories
9. I'm Coming From Nowhere
10. The Forgotten Frontier
Combining deeper melancholy sentiments with a propensity for writing songs that are both
melodically rich and dance-inspiring, The Frozen Autumn has created a
wonderful album of introspective synth-oriented music. Fragments Of Memories is
this Italian duo's first release on the excellent Eibon Records label,
and it has been presented in an elegant digi-pak, with cover art in rose and silver that
echoes the romantic and nostalgic qualities of The Frozen Autumn's music.
Aside from two instrumental pieces
("Winter" and "The Forgotten Frontier"), and the title track -- which
features heartfelt and fragile song by Arianna, the focal point of the CD is Diego
Merletto's vocal performance. With just the slightest hint of an accent gracing his
smooth and round voice, and a sensation of longing and absence imbued in each word, Merletto
perfectly captures the spirit of the music. Aiding his performance are of course the
lyrics of the songs, which in a number of instances are very poetic, and provide the
opportunity for a number of nice, catchy choruses -- song titles like "Dusk Is Like A
Dagger," "Don't Cry For Me" and "I'm Coming From Nowhere" in
themselves hint at this quality.
Musically, The Frozen
Autumn rely strongly on saturated and evocative fields of strings and other synth
atmospheres, which serve as a foundation for more defined guitar melodies that are at
times processed and treated, and at others crisp and untouched. Depth and volume is added
to the sound by additional keyboard themes and effects, weaving in and out of the
compositions like aural embroidery. Underpinning many of the songs, but kept at a
relatively subdued level in the mix, are of course the pulsing of programmed beats that
infuse The Frozen Autumn's music with a nice dose of energy, and make
several of the tracks excellent dance material.
Fragments Of Memories
includes at least a handful of songs that should be instant classics at darkwave and
gothic clubs. It is a CD that will delight fans of the current lighter electronic music
scene, while also bringing back fond memories for all those people, who came of age with
the new wave and synth-pop of the early 80s.
