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6.5
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With “The Enchanting Winds of the Dreamweaving Masquerade”, Night Of The Vampire complete the step that often truly defines the physiognomy of a project: the first full-length after an EP that had already outlined a precise aesthetic, albeit still in embryonic form. The mastermind Astral Shadow consciously chooses not to deviate from that path, preferring rather to expand it onto a broader tracklist, which systematically confirms what was mentioned in the debut, without introducing particular innovations or stylistic deviations.
The proposal revolves around an unequivocally goth and darkwave base, dominated by nocturnal synths and vicious melodies, on which black metal-inspired screaming vocal lines and a rhythmic guitar with a mosquito-like timbre are grafted. The basic idea is to seek a hybrid between sinuous settings and a barely hinted roughness, but in practice the dialogue between the two poles remains rather superficial.
Throughout the entire setlist, the synths confirm themselves to be the true fulcrum of the writing: they guide the songs, determine their progress and establish their identity, while the guitar, beyond a few solos that try to emerge from the electronic fabric, mostly plays a role of rhythmic support. The formula is constantly reiterated from track to track, with exceptions represented by “The Cosmic Darkness Calls Me Home” and the outro “Misty Illusions”, episodes without guitars in which the stratifications of keyboards entirely occupy the sound space, pushing the project towards a more ethereal and contemplative side.
All things considered, on several occasions Night Of The Vampire don't go beyond a sort of vaguely metallic The Sisters Of Mercy, without real attempts to blend the elements in play more deeply or to draw more decisively on the vast tradition of black metal. The only truly extreme element remains the voice, which simply overlaps with a darkish substratum that is now well codified, a formula that even the metal public now recognizes and decodes without difficulty.
The comparison with more imaginative realities, such as certain Nachtmystium or the recent Ponte Del Diavolo, further highlights the limits of this approach: where other projects use the dark element as one of the many ingredients of a broader songwriting, here the overlap between screams and carpets of synth essentially represents the entire creative horizon. There is no shortage of moments in which the keyboard motifs are immediate and remain imprinted, as well as passages that manage to make the foot move with a certain naturalness; in other cases, however, the impact remains more tepid.
“The Enchanting Winds of the Dreamweaving Masquerade” therefore presents itself as a smooth and coherent listen, but hardly complete or really interesting in the long term. More a confirmation of intent than a work capable of suggesting new directions or significantly expanding the language of the Texan project.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
