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dispel lore
Artist: Dispel
Title: Lore
Genre: Darkwave / Electronic / Neoclassical / Gothic Rock
Release Date: 24th January 2020
Label: Self-released


Album Review

DISPEL hail from the US of A, Cleveland, Ohio to be more precise. The seeds of DISPEL were planted in the late 1990s when on a tour to Berlin with hardcore punk band FACE VALUE, the progenitor of DISPEL, Scot Dispel, was exposed to electronic music at an underground Goth / Industrial club and this experience set him on a new path to music creation. Between then and now he got a degree in music, DJed at nightclubs and worked as an engineer in Lava Studios. Feeling that the local underground scene was lacking in that something, that je ne sais quoi, DISPEL came into being last year after a chance meeting with a mezzo soprano called Ravensea, an obsession with fantasy gaming, mythology and mysticism helping to set the foundations for what was to come.

The album’s themes, spread over 9 tracks, are about a hero and his journeys, his trials and tribulations and it draws upon Medieval themes to achieve its goals. Scott says: “The songs on ‘Lore’ represent the different stages of the ‘Hero’s Journey’. The fantasy driven lyrics draw on our love of mythology, mysticism and fantasy gaming. We intuitively felt there was an audience that would resonate to such Medieval themes and our hope is to inspire our fans, to ‘Attack their destinies’.”

On the whole I like the album, the latter part of it is better than the former in my view. The first track, ‘Spiritual Warrior’, male vocals and dark in tone, the lyrics are pretty straight forward, they’re about conquering fears, finding meaning in life and being your own master. The second track, ‘The Call (To Adventure)’ takes on a Eurovision tone and waxes lyrical about building walls around yourself and not cultivating the oasis within, basically an ode to the break out of isolation. The whole album is pretty much in the same vein, about the betterment of oneself, obtaining courage and belief and a positive outlook. Some lyrics are more obliquely mystical than others but I find that many are literal. I enjoyed the track ‘Temptation’ with its interesting vocal phrasing sung by Ravensea and which trails off at the end of lines like metallic silken thread blowing in the breeze.

The vocals also take on the feel of JARBOE towards the end, a femininely cavernous sound that I like! Gregorian chant like track ‘Atonement, Adagio in Bb’ I like too. The lyrics are indecipherable but they are written down in English on the lyric sheet for your perusal. This is one of two sacred choral pieces inspired by Infelix Ego, a Latin meditation written by Girolamo Savonarola in 1498 before he was burned at the stake. The other one is called ‘Gift Of The Goddess’ which comprises more Latin text recited over a simple drum pattern and electronic textures. The final track is again male sung and dark in tone. ‘Depth of Transformation’, to me it’s like a long stream of word consciousness that does not take a break for a breath but carries on elevating until it’s end… and then when it does end you feel the relief of taking a breath and then anticipate the next track. But there is no next track, it is the end! “Oh, ok!” I exclaim! That was abrupt! But on quick reflection the journey I just went on was an interesting one.

To sum up, this is not the best album I have heard but it’s constructed well, the production is interesting and airy with some new ideas and new twists on old ideas. Effects are not overdone and the vocals are clear. I didn’t have to alter my EQ settings or strain my ears to hear what was being sung. On the whole the album is easy to listen to, and it has the added bonus of being cheaper than forking out on a therapy session if you are in need of a positivity boost


Tracklist

01. Spiritual Warrior (The Hero)
02. The Call (To Adventure)
03. Model Consequence (The Threshold)
04. Abyssal Hammer (Chaos)
05. Gift Of The Goddess (Andante in Bb)
06. Temptation (The Last Trial)
07. Atonement, Adagio in Bb
08. The Depth Of Transformation (The Return)


Line-up

Ravensea – Vocals
Scot Dispel – Drums & Keyboards
Sean Gallows – Vocals


Website

https://www.facebook.com/DispelMusicdotcom/


Cover Picture

dispel lore


Rating

Music: 7
Sound:7
Total: 7 / 10

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