The new Virgin Black is no attempt to be commercially interesting at all. Except one track, all songs are at least six minutes. The longest of them all is over 17 minutes. As a deejay I can't say I'm happy with this. Musically it may be appealing. Just like on Sombre Romantic, the previous album, the band succeeds in combining elements of gothic and doom metal. The music sometimes has opera-like features (as in Adorned In Ashes and The Everlasting) that are reminiscent of Saviour Machine. Typical for Virgin Black are the frequent use of cello and piano. Also the vocals of Rowan London vary a lot. In Velvet Tongue he sounds wailing. Falsetto singing can be heard in Renaissance. At times he is whispering. Often his vocals become like an instrument rather than just a voice. But he never becomes aggressive. Elegant...And Dying is a record with a dark atmosphere. It has very beautiful moments and is played so well. Still I would have liked a few radio friendlier tunes, which make me prefer Sombre Romantic.
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