Believe (Believe - Crematory)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Believe - Crematory
Date:	13/06/08 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Catchy, easily approachable gothic metal.

Disadvantages: Growled vocals seem inappropriate, and elements are out of balance.

2000's 'Believe' has a little too much self-confidence about it, as if German gothic metal band Crematory intended it to be their defining album when it's actually more of a step backwards. The electronic elements are still present from 'Act Seven,' even more prominent now, but a lighter style results in the album's few heavier moments sounding severely stilted, such as the guitar riffs in 'Endless.'

This is undoubtedly catchy, but there's not much to it beyond that superficial level. Songs like 'Take' and 'Act Seven' retain the electronic elements to a greater degree, 'Time for Tears' is predictably more melodic, and 'Perils of the Wind' is the compulsory synthesiser ballad, but apart from that, the album holds no surprises. This would be a much more successful album if the instruments balanced each other out to a greater degree, and the songs emoted rather than crawled along at a bland pace.

1. Redemption of Faith
2. Endless
3. The Fallen
4. Take
5. Act Seven
6. Time for Tears
7. Eternal
8. Unspoken
9. Caroline
10. The Curse
11. Why
12. Perils of the Wind

Summary: Crematory's seventh album (2000).