| Aenima Never Fragile |
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Portuguese Goth/Darkwave band Aenima has certainly paid its dues. Soon after the release of their first full length CD, and a critically acclaimed performance at Germany's M'era Luna Festival, their label folded. "Sentient," their superb sophomore effort, has yet to see the light of day thanks to various problems. To top things off, Aenima recently lost two of their founding band members. Despite all these setbacks, they have persevered, producing intelligent and tuneful music. Their latest EP, "Never Fragile," gives us a good picture of where Aenima has been -- and where they are going. Carmen's voice remains as impressive as ever. She opens "At The Edge of a Cliff" by showing off the throaty, sexy low end of her vocal range. As she climbs the scale, the backing instrumentation climbs behind her, until we're once again hearing the breathtaking trills which graced their earlier releases. If you're dying to hear "Sentient" (and you should be), you can whet your appetite with "The Light" and "Lilith," two tracks from those recording sessions. "Lilith" again treats us to Carmen's low range, and to swooping high notes as piercing and beautiful as starlight in winter. "The Light" is equally impressive, full of sadness and longing and melancholy grandeur. This is classic Aenima, and classic Gothic/Darkwave. Impressive as Carmen's vocals are, they are matched by Aenima's instrumental work. The opening track, "Intro to End All Intros," gives us the bleeps and blips of EBM, rising out of a classic Goth symphonic wash of sound. "Forlorn" features Rune at his tasteful best, with a soft, melancholy guitar line that supports the singer rather than overwhelming her. The percussion is also consistently good; the driving bass drum which powers "At the Edge of a Cliff" and the tight, razor-sharp drumming on "The Light" is unobtrusive, yet keeps things from sinking into Ethereal sludge. (Alas, Hugo, the drummer on these tracks, is no longer with the band: let us hope that his replacement can measure up to this high standard). The final track, "Rapture," is a departure from Aenima's previous sound. It ipens with a whooshing synthesizer, which then becomes a Goth/dance track ala Afro-Celt Soundsystem. I might pump up the mix a bit to show off Carmen's lilting soprano, but that's a minor quibble. "Rapture" is really promising: it proves Aenima isn't resting on their laurels, and that their music continues to mature. This great example of a song which is more "commercially friendly" and "modern" than previous material without selling out. Combined with the opening, it suggests that Aenima is developing despite all the obstacles which fate has thrown in their path. Let's hope that 2003 is the year when Aenima becomes a five-year overnight success story. Tracks: Official Aenima Webpage |