LUNATICA – Fables & Dreams

On the heels of what may be the great Symphonic Metal movement, Lunatica couldn’t have released their sophomoric Fables & Dreams at a more opportunistic time. With the current success of Nightwish’s Once, and Within Temptation’s The Silent Force, Lunatica are sure to have a much sought-after sound on their hands.

The follow-up album to the highly acclaimed Atlantis, Fables & Dreams has a more complete and epic sound. This is due largely in part to Producer/Engineer Sascha Paeth who has enhanced the sounds of such bands as Edguy and Kamelot. Orchestrating huge overture pieces with sharp guitar tones and drums that sometimes sound like thunder, the soundscape here has been heavily formulated. However, the intentional repetitiveness of the songs acts both as a distraction as well as a deliberate force tying the songs together. Choosing a less adventurous path than some of the other Symphonic Metal outfits, Lunatica play a simple rock format that relies heavily on the keyboards.

This Swiss sextet is obviously composed of all top-notch instrumentalists; from Andrea Datwyler’s skillful vocal ability to Ermes Di Prisco’s double bass beats, they show they are as strong a band as any out there. Unfortunately, the keyboards are a bit heavy in the mix and tend to dominate a lot of the songs, which creates a rather sterile environment. “The Never Ending Story” is one of the few shining moments, where the keyboard really fleshes the song out with a subtle wa-wa effect. Most of the other tracks fall victim to too much of the keyboard’s thematic presence. Even Andrea’s voice, as steady and in key as ever a voice was, never takes the listener up a level, leaving one with little anticipation. Another highlight track on the disk is “The Spell,” which finally feels like the band is really having a good time playing. It breaks the monotony with a less intentional, more raucous tune, breathing some of its own life.

Fables & Dreams is a solid second effort and should please most of the fans of the first disk, while garnishing Lunatica plenty of new ones. Andrea’s ethereal vocals will undoubtedly weave a web of believers who are lured into a semi-catatonic daze by her eerily hypnotic melodies. The songs are solid compositions if not a little over simplified. With such promising talent, listeners can anticipate great things in the future, so keep your ears open.