GRACE SOLERO'S second album has one of those covers that defies you not to pick the CD or vinyl up and look at it. Grace lies on top of a seated, naked man covered by what looks like a newly shorn sheep's wool dress in a stone room while a dangerous looking bloke walks towards them in a black tie suit and another guy cowers at the back. you want to know what this tableau is all about and, as you open the CD the back cover becomes an extension of the scene as more of the room is revealed.
Likewise, with the album itself, on each listen a little more is revealed, as you discover the album is more of a grand gothic opera, though it isn't being played by an orchestra but more of a grandiose progressive metal band capable of melding Muse with Dream Theatre as Grace's vocals fluctuate from Skin (from Skunk Anansie) to Natasha Moledina from Little Hell over to Sharon Van Adel territory.
The band's backgrounds in dance and theatre is stamped all over the music in the structures and in how episodic most of the songs sound, but then they did meet while working on a production of Oscar Wilde's Salome and Grace has also worked with, er, Noddy Holder.
However, if you don't sit and listen to the words Grace is singing, her voice quickly takes on the qualities of a musical instrument floating through the music and adding textures to the band's soaring flights of extravagance, even if the song I keep coming back to is almost at the end of the album. The Woman By The River is just an incredible song which journeys over some very beautiful music. The fact they never go totally over the top and appreciate restraint only adds to the drama.
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The other song that has elegant restraint is a heavy take on Jeff Buckley's Yard Of Blonde Girls. Although it's much heavier than the original, it's paced perfectly to bring something new to the song.
Circles, in the middle of the album, is like a musical Inferno with seven levels. It throws the listener through, it is also most like Dream Theatre inasmuch as it sounds like it should have some dramatic staging to go with it. Like most of this album, it sounds like it's made for playing in theatres and arenas with good staging and wind-blown videos that will probably be missing on the bands up-coming UK Tour.
Full details at: Grace Solero online
I'm sure this album needs to be heard a good few times by anyone who likes very grandiose pomp metal. It's definitely worth the effort for anyone with staying power, however.
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