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I am leery of any new bands claiming to be "gothic" as too often that just means "shitty metalcore with synths and a girl singer", but Anemonia surprised me with a lot of energy and verve. This is much more reminiscent of older Nightwish material – not so much for the specific sound as for the slightly messy enthusiasm the band brings to their music. Yes, Anemonia feature big synths and a female singer, but there is nothing stale or restrained about their sound. Vocalist Cassiope really goes for it, and even though she is operatic, her delivery is not the coolly disconnected and emotionless type of operatic. She injects a huge amount of dynamic and emotion into her vocals, sounding miles away from what has become the typical operatic performance. Listening closely, I am really impressed by her control and dexterity. Check out the opening of "The Beginning" – that shit she does there is fucking hard to do.

This is an ambitious album with a lot of unapologetic bombast, nothing emo or mopey in sight. The performances are lively and vigorous, and if the songwriting is not always as solid as it could be, it is always energetic. This is definitely a band to watch.