DARK SARAH
Continuation is the motto for Dark Sarah’s second album. ‘The Puzzle’ follows Sarah’s story after she embraced her darkness for her own mental safety. To start with, in ‘Breathe’, the sound leads us perfectly into a deep-ocean atmosphere that indicates straight away where Sarah is leading us to; an island where she must find a way to survive… ‘Island in the Mist’ invades us with a heavy, aggressive sound which takes us by surprise after the peaceful sound of the first track.
Balance comes as Sarah fights her demons. Symphonic and progressive rhythms are presented on what seems to be Sarah’s battle with herself softly fading – ‘Little Men’, ‘Ash Grove’ lead to a final realization of a certain brightness in ‘For the Birds’, lighter undertones with a much more positive vibe.
This album does not lack variety and, to add to that, a few heavy names are featured. JP Leppäluoto, Charlotte Wessels and Manuela Kraller; all of them, with their very different attributes bring Heidi’s voice and performance to the next level. Heidi’s versatility is definitely one of her strongest suits.
One good thing about this album is the sense of placement. Unfortunately, it is so evident at times that, upon comparing it to ‘Under the Black Veil’, it can make you want some more. The theatrical is there and so is the great sound production but, unfortunately, it lacks in storyline when compared side-by-side with the previous album.
All in all, this is a very good effort and clearly with the right thing in mind, which shows us what Dark Sarah’s world and sound will be. It is definitely an album recommended for every ‘Phantom of the Opera’ style of fan; it can, however, be a hit and miss onr for more demanding crowds as, at times, can sound too consistent. If you’re in for a chill, give it a try!
Balance comes as Sarah fights her demons. Symphonic and progressive rhythms are presented on what seems to be Sarah’s battle with herself softly fading – ‘Little Men’, ‘Ash Grove’ lead to a final realization of a certain brightness in ‘For the Birds’, lighter undertones with a much more positive vibe.
This album does not lack variety and, to add to that, a few heavy names are featured. JP Leppäluoto, Charlotte Wessels and Manuela Kraller; all of them, with their very different attributes bring Heidi’s voice and performance to the next level. Heidi’s versatility is definitely one of her strongest suits.
One good thing about this album is the sense of placement. Unfortunately, it is so evident at times that, upon comparing it to ‘Under the Black Veil’, it can make you want some more. The theatrical is there and so is the great sound production but, unfortunately, it lacks in storyline when compared side-by-side with the previous album.
All in all, this is a very good effort and clearly with the right thing in mind, which shows us what Dark Sarah’s world and sound will be. It is definitely an album recommended for every ‘Phantom of the Opera’ style of fan; it can, however, be a hit and miss onr for more demanding crowds as, at times, can sound too consistent. If you’re in for a chill, give it a try!
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Inner Wound Recordings
Album
THE PUZZLE
Review by Salomé Sequeira
RUNNING TIME:
49:48
RELEASE DATE:
18th Nov 2016
TRACK LISTING
1) Breath
2) Island in the Mist
3) Little Men
4) Ash Grove
5) For the Birds
6) Deep and Deeper
7) Dance with the Dragon
8) Cliffhanger
9) Aquarium
10) Rain
2) Island in the Mist
3) Little Men
4) Ash Grove
5) For the Birds
6) Deep and Deeper
7) Dance with the Dragon
8) Cliffhanger
9) Aquarium
10) Rain
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Finland
"One good thing about this album is the sense of placement. Unfortunately, it is so evident at times that, upon comparing it to ‘Under the Black Veil’, it can make you want some more."
