• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Unlike many metal writers, I'll never criticize a band for not sounding ballsy. I won't lambaste a decent band for being wimpy if their music is too happy. Most importantly, I will never level the idiotic insult of "gay" on a band's music that lacks a definitive punch. But then there are bands like Dotma, who which I listen to and can only think of how lame and wimpy their sound is. Their fault isn't that they lack a punch, like dozens of good metal bands do. It's that they're painfully generic, making it so that all that really stands out about their sound is how wimpy it is.

Dotma just lack the certain x-factors that have made other "soft power metal" bands unique and successful. They don't have the quirkiness of Stratovarius or the epic grandeur of mid-period Nightwish and Kamelot. They strive for all these qualities, but cannot attain them. Added to that, vocalist Johanna Lesonen frustrating does what countless other female metal singers do: attempt to ape Tarja Turunen. Like most of the imitators, Lesonen simply doesn't have the necessary range to do so. You can hear her trying to recreate Tarja's trademark majestic and sorrowful soprano, but she can't. What's left is the bare basics and aesthetics of the "soft power metal" sound, and frankly it's just damn boring.

There's nothing offensive sounding on Sleep Paralyses. Honestly, the band has some good solos and riffs interspersed on the record. But overall, it's lifeless and hackneyed. They're not a Nightwish clone, but I'm sure many critics will label them as such. Even so, there isn't much to listen to here. Dotma need to further separate themselves from the pack and distinguish their sound. Hell, maybe they should even add punch or two.