The Universe Expands

What an interested debut this is. Trance metal? Electronica metal? Symphonic trance electronica metal? God knows what to call this but its certainly very interesting and I can imagine it will appeal to a number of people worldwide as its such a wide ranging record, from a varied band who like to incorporate just about everything into their music. Greece has never been my first port of call when considering metal. As a huge black metal fan, even the Hellenic scene never caught my eye. Blasphemy, I know. This Greek band however, have clearly caught my attention with their intriguing description. Apparently, this falls into the progressive genre, whilst becoming a hybrid since it also incorporates symphonic metal into it, with an electronic twist. Does this sound like your type of thing? It didn’t sound like mine but I’m beginning to see the appeal. As a reviewer of well over a hundred reviews it becomes tiresome reviewing the same types of bands, who produce music similar to one another. Of course, there are exceptions, but in a general sense, I got bored with following a number of scenes. I think its precisely why I decided to drop the elitism and branch out in to the progressive field. Things are so much more varied over here, so come and join me.

The black metal field was full of dead flowers and barren landscapes where nothing dared grow due to the lack of sun. This field, the one which is home to many budding flowers and exotic plants is home to progressive and symphonic bands who try to pioneer new sounds. Whilst not every band is successful, Dol Theeta have something going for them but I’m finding it difficult to state exactly what that is and why its so appealing. This record, ‘The Universe Expands’ is almost a metaphor for the content. The metal genre is expanding with the use of the internet and social networking sites. Bands in obscure sub-genres and sounds which were previously unheard of are becoming the norm in society. Even if you’ve never listened to metal before, you know it exists beyond the tainted horizon. Dol Theeta seem to carry influence from elsewhere, perhaps the electronic scene, maybe areas like trance and brands of music that most metal fans try to avoid. Dol Theeta are, perhaps, the band who will bridge the gap between the two contrasting societies. Their gothic inspired sound is one which I can foresee becoming a hit with the vast majority of people who actually discover it. Since I myself are new to the band, I don’t know much about their musical history, or information surrounding how successful they have been in their own country, and on a wider scale. Their fan base and knowledge surrounding it is unknown to me so I can only assume they have a loyal following at home and are beginning to expand their sound into the universe.

This Greek band bring a “ethnic” vibe to the metal scene and along with it, innovation. This dynamic sound, though exciting, is probably going to be considered too out there for a small number of fans. Different areas of the instrumentation sound like they’ve been influenced by different areas of the music world. The synthesizer, for example, are definitely shown the way in the metal world by outside forces. Each song has its own unique electronic influence, whether the symphonies are subtle or not doesn’t matter as each song contains its own varied take on the electronic world fused with metal like water colours blending together seamlessly. ‘Something Called Tomorrow’ is a perfect example of the multi-dimensional sound of Dol Theeta. With its dual vocal battle, with both male and female vocals, the band show that they’re more than just a astute progressive band by signifying subtle gothic influences, particularly in the female vocals which are clean, emotive and lead throughout. The male vocals, whilst also clean, aren’t as imperative until songs like ‘Something Called Tomorrow’ comes along and tramples on our pre-conceived notions of the band. We thought this was a primarily female based band, in terms of vocals, but no, they can expand upon the sound they have and add a tremendous male section which compliments the harmonious female vocals well.

The vocals are important to the band and are varied too, from simple clean vocals that don’t look to overpower the listener like a lot of progressive vocalists do, to the operatic vocals that make me believe the ties between this band and gothic music are strong. This unique outfit take influence from a number of directions, all important as one another. ‘Afterlife Crescendo’ shows the significance of the synthesizer on proceedings by leading from the beginning until the moving bass lines draw the listener in once again. These electronic sections, though short and sparse, are the best present on the record. Its subtle sound all over makes the record fragile from the outside, but it definitely has a hard base to it, which makes it even more worthwhile taking apart, piece by electrifying piece. There are so many levels to this industrial based band that makes the record so accessible and worthy of many listens, not just the one. This is a record I will most certainly have to come back to, in order to truly and fully dissect it in order to judge it justifiably. The lyrical themes are suggestive and symbolise well what the record is primarily about and what it conjures - space, themes of the inner self, meditation and social issues between people. This confronting and honest portrayal is both exciting and dynamic in its multi-functional state.