Behind Your Fear
„Ophelia“
Gothic-Rock/Metal

• LP/EP. Black Vinyl 2018
• first pressing
• Not on Label
• new

Around former Flowing Tears singer Stefanie Duchêne, Michael Stein (drums), Scorpios (bass), and T. (guitar) came together to form the gothic rock/metal band Behind Your Fear. I was delighted to hear that Stefanie's beautiful voice would be released on vinyl again, but somehow ByF faded from my radar. Not because I disliked Ophelia - quite the opposite. It was simply too quiet for a newcomer band, which is a shame. Dark ambient and gothic rock/metal are a dime a dozen, so standing out from the crowd isn't easy. Their distinguishing feature is Stefanie's voice. Not too bright. Melodic. Expressive and clean. Perfect for gothic, in my opinion. A matter of taste, I know.

What does this debut album have to offer? At only 20:23 minutes, it's rather short for seven songs; for me, it's more of an EP than an LP. But it definitely whets the appetite for more. "Violence" begins with piano, a quiet start that kicks into a metallic blast at 1:50. And it's already over by 2:51. Because here, her voice is beautifully captured. She breathes. We can practically see her lips moving. My first highlight is "Wintersu,," at 4:12 the longest track, driving and melodic. "Deep Blue" begins atmospherically and transitions into a pleasing song, which is then dominated by electric guitar, drums, and bass. My second highlight. What's with "Phi"? Is it just filler? Pure promo? Does it connect the previous song with the next? That's my prog-like idea, but unfortunately, it doesn't. So, let's move on to "From the North". Highlight number three. Perhaps too shallow? Too melodic? Maybe, but I like it. I can really immerse myself in the vocals without being pulled out again. That speaks to the quality. Vocals and piano then in the terribly short "Tine's Walk". The closing track, "Polaroid" is even shorter at 2:16. Stefanie's voice is front and center - it works.

And that's about it. Ophelia sets the tone for the band. Flowing Tears resonate in the background, thanks to Stefanie's vocals. Is there anything special about it? Gothic music is a dime a dozen. It's this voice, though, that's not a dime a dozen. This voice creates atmosphere and expression. Add to that good musicians, and it sounds like a cohesive whole. I'm never thrown out. I'm not concerned with artistic quirks and rough edges; those are fine. I'm concerned with inappropriate quirks and rough edges. And those don't exist.

Stefanie Duchêne – Piano, Vocals
Michael Stein – Drums
Scorpios – Bass
T. – Guitar

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all designs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

TheProgThief
©04.05.2024
Mk 2