Dementra Sine Die -
A Quiet Land Of Fear


(CD2012, 53:51, BloodRock records BRRCD011)

The tracks:
  1- Red Sky Of Sorrow
  2- Black Swan
  3- A Quiet Land Of Fear
  4- 0 Kilometres To Nothing
  5- Ancestral Silence
  6- Silent Sun
  7- Distances
  8- Inanis
  9- That Day I Will Disappear Into The Sun

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One of the nicest things about music is that everyone has an opinion about a particular album or a musical style. The albums I get to review usually correspond broadly with my musical taste. Being qualified as an open minded person as far as music is concerned I sometimes get a promo CD that's tough to write about. Without doubt one of these albums is A Quiet Land Of Fear, the second album of the Italian band Dementra Sine Die consisting of Marco Paddeu (vocals, guitar), Adriano Magliocco (bass), Marcello Fattore (drums) and Matteo Orlandi (keyboards). The band's line-up remained the same since their debut Council From Kaos (2008).

Musically A Quiet Land Of Fear contains a kind of moody and dark progressive space rock, slightly reminding me of Tool, especially in the bass parts, but it never reaches the quality or intensity of this American metal band. The bass guitar in 0 Kilometres To Nothing gives me that Tool feel, but both the synthesizer and the bass sound too weak to impress. However, this song is a good example of how the entire album sounds like. Most songs are similarly built up with a promising start, a middle section wherein chaos rules, singing that doesn't make any impression and a more powerful end. Besides Tool, there are some hidden Radiohead and Porcupine Tree influences. To be honest, this band really do the best they can, but the only instrumentalist that has some impact on me is drummer Marcello Fattore, who probably would be better off playing in a more talented band.

As I said before, the second album of Dementra Sine Die is a tough one to review. I think it will hardly find its way to fans of progressive rock. The mixture of doomy space rock, chaotic electronics and even some jazzy elements lacks quality and the musical level of the individual band members is just mediocre. Occasionally some nice fills or riffs can be heard and during Distances the bass sounds pretty good, but that's not enough to call it a great composition. This album only suits people that have an open mind for moody space rock, drenched in electronics, and played on top of a Toolish background.

**+ Pedro Bekkers (edited by Peter Willemsen)

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