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First off, I am not big fan of Gothic Metal (well, not anymore) but from time to time this particular genre deserves to be checked out when something new and exciting happens.

Diathra (formerly Destiny), a 6-piece act from Mogilev, Belarus, has been around since 1995 and released two full-length studio albums (in 2002 and 2008) prior to the newest addition to their catalog, titled Fascinating Impulses. Fortunately, this isn't the 100% pure Gothic some purists demand of their daily dose of Gothic Metal. Diathra mixes Gothic Metal with twists of Death and Doom Metal effortlessly and sound heavy enough to even win over some Gothic haters. Marina (Volovik), who is behind all the clean and beautifully sung vocal lines on this album, brings in welcome lightness and tenderness to the songs, while Dmitriy (Shiyka), whose role is to keep things on the heavier side, has succeeded in creating some tiny monsters within the band's overall dramatic musical playground with his strongly Tomi Koivusaari-tinged (of Amorphis fame) deep grunts. Diathra's recipe of Gothic, Death and Doom has some nice flavors to it and they put them to full use.

Fascinating Impulses is a powerful and atmospheric album that should reach some listeners outside the Gothic Metal box due to the other Metal genres they successfully incorporate. Hats off for the excellent production on the album, too.