The second album by the Iberian band Evadne finds in Solitude a label able to finally value and distribute it as it deserves, after its initial release as a self-production at the end of last year. To evaluate the progress of the band from Valencia may be useful to make a comparison with the previous The 13th Condition, dating back to 2007, a work that, while denoting excellent ideas and placing itself at a more than decent level, denoted several imperfections on the side of the production as well as a sound oriented to the more canonical gothic with the inflated use of female voice, violin and keyboards. Four years have not passed in vain and The Shortest Way fully proves it: in the meantime, the sound of the album has been entrusted to the care of Dan Swanö, a name that under this aspect is synonymous with quality, while the typical gothic clichés have almost disappeared, leaving room for a death doom that combines in an exemplary manner the sense of inescapable ruin of My Dying Bride with the mournful harmonies of Swallow The Sun. In addition to a musical aspect of the highest quality should also be highlighted the lyrics full of drama that make the album, in fact, a concept related to the death of a loved one and the subsequent inability to survive the loss suffered by those who remain. Never as in this case we can affirm that the themes dealt with are in perfect harmony with the band’s moniker, inspired by a character from Greek mythology: Evadne, in fact, after the murder of her husband Capaneo by Zeus, threw herself on his funeral pyre deciding to die with him. This tragic and extreme demonstration of love is adequately described both lyrically and musically: Albert’s growl, exponentially improved in recent years, is effective in standing on the dark melodies full of despair of his fellow adventurers. It’s hard to find a song that stands out from the others in this splendid album: If I had to make a choice, I could cite Dreams In Monochrome, for the magnificent guitar line that perfectly represents the feeling of bewilderment and turmoil evoked in the lyrics, and All I Will Leave Behind, a really moving and poetic song, in which the desperation of the protagonist reaches its climax with the decision, communicated to family and friends, to take his own life in order to reach his loved one; with what results, I leave it to you to discover, but it’s easy to guess that there will be no happy ending. With this work Evadne confirm the vitality of the Spanish scene, demonstrating, if there was any need, that death doom is not only a prerogative of the cold northern lands, but also finds fertile ground in the sunny Mediterranean latitudes. An authentic jewel that fans of the genre should not miss for any reason.
2012 – Solitude Productions
Mournful Sounds 