Octavia Sperati – “Winter Enclosure”
This all-female melodic doom/goth/rock Norwegian band probably gets interest just on the fact of their sex, since there are not many all-women groups in the field of Lacuna Coil/The Gathering / Theatre of Tragedy / Nightwish music. The vocals are high and melodic, of course. Interestingly enough, I don’t find that the music is very poppy or overly sweet. Fans of melancholic rock (with metal elements) with female vocals will be very pleased with the quality of the album. The songs are played at a comfortable, middle-of-the-road tempo (not slow at all, but hardly ever truly fast). The element of melancholy is pretty strong, but not depressive. The singing of Silje is high and she is most definitely a female crooner. However, this does not mean operatic, Nightwish-like vocals. Also, the guitar tone is actually pretty low, like a softer doom metal guitar tone, but only the tone. The songs are, overall, catchy, but, again, not poppy ear candy. Plus, they are kind of dark. I honestly don’t enjoy this music that much, which is why I was not blown away, I guess. One thing is clear, regardless of my opinion, the quality of the music is undeniable. I don’t have a website for this band, sorry.