Sarah Jezebel Deva : vocals/lyrics
Chris Rehn : Guitars/Keyboards/Programming/Composer
Tommy Rehn : Guitars/Keyboards/Programming/Composer
Dave Pybus : Bass
John Henriksson : Drums

angtoria    listenable

distributed in Switzerland by    

review  by Marco "Norman Knight" Signore____              

Angtoria is a new band formed up last year but whose roots lie back in 2002 into an idea of Sarah Jezebel Deva (vocals) and Chris Rehn (guitars, keyboards). Strong with their previous musical experiences, the duo decided to invest in this project and created a band with the addition of Tommy Rehn (guitars, keyboards), Dave Pybus (bass) and John Henriksson (drums). Their debut album, “God has a plan for us all”, reveals gloomy atmospheres, extremely well rendered with the enchanting vocal talents of Sarah, and well played by the whole band. Let’s see what Angtoria is cooking for us.

As many (too many...) albums nowadays, even this one begins with an intro. Fortunately enough, we have here a good piece of symphonic music that naturally blends with the following track. Violins relentlessly march over a carpet of drums, cymbals and keyboards, creating a sort of staircase that carries us (with male bass voices) towards an almost epic climax and a thunder – but a moment of brief peace, then “I’m Calling” begins, with synth arpeggios, a never too present guitar, and good rhythmic section. The voice of Sarah of course is master of the scene here, enchanting the listener with her spellbinding presence. The song itself is a piece about the fantasies of a young person, and her world of dreams.

The title-track of this album is instead more upsetting, opening with bass piano and ominous choral voices. The lyrics merciless denounce the hypocrisy of “holy” people abusing children (in this way recalling that 80’s masterpiece by Alphaville, “Big in Japan”) and the hapless religious reply to any accident of life which is always the same...”God has a Plan for us all”. This track is evil to the bones, with the bass often doubled by the piano, easy but evocative arpeggios, and vocals and choirs – beautiful in its nightmarish presence.

In a way even sadder is the following “Suicide on my mind”. Here the music contrasts with the lyrics that tell us of the suicide plans of a girl. Again the piano and the keyboards are the main elements of the song, together with the beautiful voice of Sarah, and they spin the final tale of a person who lost her will to live.

We move then to “Deity of Disgust”, which somehow talks about that kind of feelings someone feels for two persons at one time – that is almost invariably considered betrayal, a sort of crime you cannot confess because your “indecision” (actually your passion) will not allow you to decide a single choice. Maybe the most “metal” song in the album, acid, sharp, cutting, drilling in our ears with an Eastern-like riff, and the openings for the vocals remembering prog metal bands such as Symphony X, with the refrain almost a cry of anguish for what you feel inside and cannot confess. Beautiful indeed.

Sarah comments about the following track, “The Addiction”, concern the fact that the lyrics were written for a person for which she fell in love several years ago; thus they reflect the sadness and the feeling of impotence everyone who has been in a similar situation has experienced. Here the music begins with something that almost recalls the soundtracks of some fantasy videogames (such as Heroes of Might and Magic V) and contrasts a lot with the lyrics, being epic and letting you imagining a fantasy landscape (or is it me? It may be...), but then it evolves in a sweet love song. Very well conceived, very well played.

Evil, remorseless and ferocious are the lyrics for the next song, whose title is almost self-explanatory: “Six fett under’s not deep enough”. A song written against a person (Sarah does not reveals who he/she may be). “I’ll dance on your grave until my feet bleed” will tell you everything about this song. Again the music is epic, soundtrack-style, and the guitar this time marks the tempo with heavy riffs counterpointed by evanescent violin inserts. The tune changes in the vocals, especially the bridge, again recall us a prog metal song, and the beautiful voice (I’ll never say it enough) of Sarah almost make us forget the lyrics of the refrain as it enthralls us, charming as never before.

“Do you see me now” follows in the album, a song about persons who are not accepted for what they are, and thus feel themselves out of place and become able to harm themselves. Chorused piano and synth intro the song with a very well played drums track and nervous violins hitting octaves over maybe too modern-sounding percussions. This song manages to convey the message of anguish expressed in the lyrics indeed.

“Original sin” opens with another soundtrack-like intro (which is VERY reminiscent of the opening titles score from Chocolate Factory of last winter). But them the similarities end as the vocals of Sarah and of the guest Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride) tell the tale of the Original Sin viewed from the female point of view – the lust of Adam caused the fall of Eve from Heaven (guess about the snake...). Cruel and powerful is this song, exceptional in its orchestral progression with piano arpeggios creating a carpet for the vocals inserts.

“Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned” is the next track, again with that kind of sound that seems to be the mark of this Angtoria band: soundtrack. Sarah writes about the lyrics here that they have been written with her birthmother in mind, and a lot of things seem to be unspoken in both the music and lyrics of this song. Again the evoking voice of Sarah takes the spotlights in this track, while the musical work create a good framework for the Voice (with a capital V...).

A note of optimistic and happy ending is in the following piece “Confide in me”. And very sweet and moving is the music that carries us on its wings the lyrics – although the guitar is a bit too “heavy” in this song. But the lead instrument here is again the voice of Sarah, especially in the chorus.

Another piece of the past life of our beloved Jezebel Deva appears in the last track of the album, “that’s what the wise lady said”, a song about Sara’s godmother who raised her and made her becoming the splendid singer who’s now (and we all thank her for this!). Moving to the tears is the sound of piano, flowing caressing every word sung by Sarah, a song heavily on the melancholic side but well... beautiful to tears, indeed.

What could I say about this album? First the bad things * and I must warn you: this is my very personal idea! *

The music and the lyrics are not well matched. What do I mean? That the music is too epic and soundtrack-style and the lyrics contrast too much. I expected dark tales of norse epic, or gothic legends of great men fallen, of great women saving themselves from a terrible fate. Epic, legends, this is what the music communicates.

Lyrics are instead very personal and very different from what the music lets you expect.

This however is the only flaw in the debut album of Angtoria.

rating: 8,8/10   

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