Angel: A Woman’s Diary - Chapter 1 (Black Lotus records)

The well-known "belle" has always been quite good in making her innermost thoughts and feelings public and she continues that very thing on this platter filled with beautiful gothic pop-rock. Some of these songs were already written when this gorgeous singer was only 12 years old, so the talent was obvious present, even at that age.

And luckily (especially for me, that is) she doesn’t sing with that irritant high soprano voice omnipresent in all those other goth-metal bands. Those voices make the hair on my arms and in my neck stand up and not in a positive way.

But not so with this lady, because here we are treated to the more fragile side of things. The music is a combination of pop, rock, dance, a few drops of metal and then sauced up with some gothic orchestration and a choir here and there.

Overall the record sounds more like a hard rockin’ Kate Bush or Tori Amos than for example Nightwish (the horror!), and this boy is happy for that. And if you consider that the musicians are those of Imperia that’s quite a feat, I would say.

Highlights are the titelsong & “Flames Of Desire” which both contain blazing refrains, ready to be sung by thousands of youngsters. On the softer side I can recommend “Butterfly”, the highly sensitive “Mother” & a very romantic “Love Of My Life”. But the album should be heard as a whole, so why don’t you do just that?

On an endnote, don’t forget to check out the Greek edition of the Penthouse this month since it features this very lady spreading more glory than most could ever imagine. If someone could only save me a copy… please…

(KVK)