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Lethian Dreams - Bleak Silver Streams review




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Reviewer:
7.3

71 users:
7.96
Band: Lethian Dreams
Album: Bleak Silver Streams
Release date: June 2009


01. Elusive
02. In Seclusion
03. Under Her Wings
04. Requiem
05. Severance
06. For A Brighter Death

Lethian Dreams plays an atmospheric form of Doom metal in the same line as My Dying Bride, Draconian and November's Doom. To me, that means this is essentially Shape Of Despair-light, and Shape Of Despair is in essence Funeral Doom-light, which in return translates to awesome-light. And third-rate awesomeness is, well, not all that awesome.

After the initial spoken word intro, a sugary sweet woman sings of sleep and wasted beauty and darkness. Her voice is quite reminiscent of Audrey Sylvain of Alcest fame, although the vocals relish in a completely different environment. Like silver streams they flow through the gothic-y melodic and easy-going Doom. The male vocals are mostly clean and despairing, I can't help but saying "like Aaron Stainthorpe", and fortunately refrain from going into the cliché male growl / clean female duet too often. People need to stop doing that.

It's not all that bad though. If you can overcome the lack of originality and the abundance of clichés (and many metal fans are quite gifted in this department) it is surely an enjoyable release. Not on the same level of My Dying Bride or Shape Of Despair for example, but enjoyable nonetheless. In other words: it will please the fan but won't convince the outsider. They have something going for them but their ideas need to exploited much better than they are right now. My guess is that they will get there, probably two or three albums down the road.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 6
Production: 7





Written on 08.09.2009 by If you're interested in extreme, often emotional and underground music, check out my reviews. I retired from reviewing, but I really used to be into that stuff.


Comments

Comments: 15   Visited by: 173 users
08.09.2009 - 10:37
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Quote:
If you can overcome the lack of originality and the abundance of clichés (and many metal fans are quite gifted in this department)

Lol, great wording. I like it!

But man, Lucas, you really have a knack for getting albums with really great artwork.
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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08.09.2009 - 18:40
Thanntos

It's a pretty decent album, though my rating would have been a 7.
A better Death Doom album then this for the year is Wine From Tears "Through the eyes of a mad"
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I will kill you so hard you will die to death.
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08.09.2009 - 22:49
Rating: 7
InnerSelf
proofread free
Written by Thanntos on 08.09.2009 at 18:40

It's a pretty decent album, though my rating would have been a 7.
I better Death Doom album then this is Wine From Tears "Through the eyes of a mad"


even though I find it good "maybe 7 for me to"
but I find Wine From Tears more enjoyable
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He who is not bold enough
to be stared at from across the abyss
is not bold enough
to stare into it himself.
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09.09.2009 - 01:45
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
The female vocals are very good.
I almost think that the male vocalist is completely unnecessary and without him the cd will be better because the female singer is good enough

Her voice is similar to Audrey's, and since I love Aundrey's voice, this singer is good as well. Sad that the music isn't too original. But if I ever see this cd very [very] cheap in a store, I might buy it.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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09.09.2009 - 13:51
annodomini

Well, I was waiting for this for a long time, but my expectations were much bigger... A good album, but they can make much better... Just look at Remembrance... And yes Wine From Tears is the best Death/Doom this year.
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the riddle wants to be...
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10.09.2009 - 01:35
Rating: 7
InnerSelf
proofread free
Written by annodomini on 09.09.2009 at 13:51

And yes Wine From Tears is the best Death/Doom this year.


Thank you very much
----
He who is not bold enough
to be stared at from across the abyss
is not bold enough
to stare into it himself.
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14.09.2009 - 22:33
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by annodomini on 09.09.2009 at 13:51

And yes Wine From Tears is the best Death/Doom this year.


I would say Process of Guilt is the best death/doom album this year
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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14.09.2009 - 22:58
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 14.09.2009 at 22:33

Written by annodomini on 09.09.2009 at 13:51

And yes Wine From Tears is the best Death/Doom this year.


I would say Process of Guilt is the best death/doom album this year

I couldn't agree more.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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14.09.2009 - 23:15
Rating: 7
InnerSelf
proofread free
I haven't heard Process of Guilt yet

I will check it out soon
----
He who is not bold enough
to be stared at from across the abyss
is not bold enough
to stare into it himself.
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19.12.2009 - 15:00
Rating: 8
advent

They sound like draconian to me...althought lack of originality is their bigger problem out there ... i think they are promsing band as u said.
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06.03.2010 - 02:36
Rating: 6
Jason W.
Razorbliss
I didn't get a chance to hear this album until the end of 2009 (and forgot you'd reviewed it by then), but I'm kind of wishing I'd never bothered. I struggled to get through this, as it's painfully boring to me. So I guess, I like this style a lot, but even as a biased fan, I find it uninteresting... Hopefully they'll search deeper for a future release.
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"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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25.04.2010 - 22:39
Rating: 8
Vonpire

I totally agree with this last opinion. This album is really really boring. Comparing this to Draconian is a complete nonsense. Draconian is 132146217856185613224 times better than this. For me it's a average and highly boring album. 6.
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Beware the Shadows of Dusk
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21.06.2010 - 01:20
Rating: 9
ravendeath

I don't find it boring. It has a very good feeling and dreamy atmospheres. Excelent vocal performance (specialy female). The originality isn't the highlight here, but why the hell must be everything 100% original. We need good music and not originality for all costs! I hope that they'll follow this way.
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21.09.2010 - 15:48
Rating: 10
lord artan

This album is truly a masterpiece...Sadness and regret is strange in this album...Atmosphere is perfect...And I'm not able to describe
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28.04.2021 - 01:00
Rating: 8
Vonpire

I've changed a bit after another listen. Now I didn't found it that boring and in fact it's not that bad!
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Beware the Shadows of Dusk
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