(professionally translated from French)

Having released their first EP (Eternally) in ‘04, BY BLOOD ALONE resurfaced a few years later from their native Portland (Maine) with Seas Of Blood (a nice image of breaking red waves). It is an 8 track CD in the vein of Nightwish, Kamelot or Within Temptation, but with an overall sound which is more gothic-tinged symphonic rock than real metal. From Serpentarius, which opens the album with a robust guitar riff (John Graveside), Jenny Williamson’s sweeping keyboards set the tone for the whole record. The frenzied riots of Wants Me Dead and Nidhogg continue the work backed by a rhythm section (Runt on drums and Jack Doran on bass) mixed with an irritating lack of contrast – production, Reader, (Steve La Cerra) is the major (although not unbearable) flaw of the album. Cruella’s voice (more rocker than opera singer) reveals its seductive side in Undead Friend, naturally backed by a melancholy electric piano and some effective violins in an overwhelmingly melodic track. Lovely Lies’ industrious riff, interwoven with a keyboard arpeggio, plays an energetic and petulant role in an at times undecided piece – but it is this hesitation that reinforces its originality. The title track underlines the group’s maturity: on it Cruella (ah, that compelling surname!) displays her skill – here her intonation is reminiscent of Mariska Veres, the singer of… er… Shocking Blue – while the musicians show their cohesion. Deny Yourself, in a more epic vein, confirms this trend and Lady Lillit – to which I am partial – ends the album with a pleasant nursery rhyme which, led by a piano and beating vocals, tells the story of Lillit, a maiden blessed with an unfortunate tendency to confuse teasing with torture. The verdict? A promising CD – which comes with a digipack befitting the group’s interest in the visual arts – whose careful composition would have benefitted from some catchier production work.

-Bernard Vincken-”