• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

A lot of talk has surrounded this release from Mind's Eye drummer/band leader Daniel Flores (a man who has had his hand in more pots than Winnie The Pooh), and while it is a far cry from most of projects he contributes to, this will, without a doubt, be the most successful and memorable. You see, kiddies, Mr. Flores has jumped on the femme metal bandwagon with The Murder Of My Sweet, named after the film noir of the same name (well, Murder, My Sweet, actually), a band featuring the drumming, songwriting, and keyboard playing of the aforementioned Mr. Flores, as well as the slick, almost slutty vocals of buxom frontwoman Angelica Rylin.

As you might have expected, the band's debut album Divanity sits very close to the modern endeavors from bands such as Delain and Within Temptation, with a touch of Lullacry and Xandria in there too, creating a heavy mix of jagged riffing, filmic orchestration, soaring, almost poppy vocal lines, and very (and I mean very) catchy choruses that are some of the best the genre has ever spawned. That's what sets this lot apart from the mire; the songs are expertly crafted, and with Flores's exception production, sound new and articulate. Any of these songs could be hits, from the pumping "One Bullet", to the melodic opener "No Evil", and even later on the album doesn't disappoint, with tracks such as the gloomy "Storms of the Sea" and the angst-driven "Revolution" packing a punch as mighty as the opening manifestos. Rylin and Flores rule the roost here, with Flores also providing tuneful backing vocals that are a welcome change from the barking growls typical of their ilk, giving the listener something a little more pleasant (not dissimilar to Visions Of Atlantis, as it happens).

It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I get that. But as far as the genre goes, they don't come slicker than The Murder Of My Sweet, and if you're in the market for some catchy melodic metal, you won't miss a trick with this bad boy (or girl, it would seem).