I have listened to the Thessalonikian (Greek) band Dark Souls Day`s debut album X-Lives for a while having really been enjoying it. On the first place, because of being stilistically categorized as gothic/dark rock its topics and characteristics are inevitably common to the abovementioned genres consisting of dark-sided lyrics, low-key guitar chords and extended riffs, exhilarating combinations of post-punk-esque rigid bass and full-packed drum cadences, and dark-shrouded synth figures. Besides it, Nikos`s lead vocal (reminiscent of Peter Steele) is thoroughly resignated but not only driving on monotonous gears and wheels though, offering enough key changes and dark-spirited variations. Secondly, when the roles will be inverted for the sake of Pepi`s singing times then the accents will be getting up otherwise, finding out closeness to hardcore-alike indie/alternative rock (The Breeders, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr etc). No doubt, you can hear a watershed having drawn alongside the borders of post-punk and alternative rock, the 70`s ending/80`s beginning and the 80`s second half/90`s beginning. Yet, it has no disturbing effects. Outspoken in advance, the album is fulfilled with great numbers, though, the special favorite of mine is epic Electrify, one of the best songs of 2010 on an album being one of the finest examples in the gothic/post-punk area during last years.
Listen to it here
9.3
