Lethian Dreams – Bleak Silver Streams (2009)

I have always been an extreme fan of Death/Doom Metal bands and all of the variants of the genre, so I’m usually very harsh when reviewing newer bands. So this being said “Bleak Silver Streams” is a brilliant album that I will start to praise greatly in the next few paragraphs.

This French band features members of several other brilliant Doom Metal bands like Remembrance and Before The Rain. Having only released two brilliant albums this band shows great promise to keep releasing amazing albums.

Recently signed to Orcynia Records the band released “Bleak Silver Streams” which features 6 epic hymns of sorrowful and depressive brilliance. I can’t even start to describe the band’s amazing sound but I will do my best effort.

Featuring the traditional combination of clean vocals and Death growls the band also uses female vocals without sounding too Gothic/Doom Metal. The band keeps the basic atmosphere and fundamentals of Death/Doom Metal while using plenty of keyboards, a feat that is not easy to achieve since most bands end up sounding too Gothic in my opinion.

The music’s atmosphere created by the slow riffs is extremely good and each track is a masterpiece in my opinion, since their mix the overall heavy guitar atmosphere with lush keyboard passages makes this release one if the best of this year.

While the balance between clean male vocals and growls is pretty good, in my opinion I needed some more growls, but this is not a problem in this album at all. The album’s production is very crisp, something that is indeed very important to be able to appreciate the band’s music.

Overall the best Atmospheric Death/Doom Metal of the year (so far), and one that will go into my list of favorite albums of the genre, a feat that is not simple to achieve, but Lethian Dreams does with great skill and an amazing album.

Release: June 8th, 2009

Country: France