Album Review: Dreamshade – Vibrant

Ryan December 6, 2016 177 Comments 342 views 0 likes

Whether it’s within their own subconscious or a concentrated effort, it’s almost intertwined into the nature of humankind that everyone pursues some sort of idea in regards to perfection. The outstanding difference lies within the person themselves as each individual on this planet has an idea of what perfection actually looks like or requires to get there. After all, the famous saying goes “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” right? When it comes to artists, their idea of perfection comes to the forefront on whatever it is that they’re working – from multiple sketches, rough drafts, demos and so on until the final outcome is fully realized and completed. This is essentially the curse of an artist and can ultimately lead to a downfall of pursuing perfection. Fortunately, many artists have learned when to accept their current output and move on to the next and generally, these moments of release lead to great reception. This is where Swiss melodic metalcore outfit Dreamshade have found themselves over the past year with their new album Vibrant, which is the result of the band striking the right balance between tight deadlines and new ideas that once again improve upon their sound crafted on The Gift of Life.

[tw-toggle title=”About Dreamshade”]
Genre: Melodic Metalcore
Label: Artery Recordings
Release: December 9, 2016
Connect: Facebook | Twitter
Purchase: iTunes | Google Play
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As a record, Vibrant lives up to its name admirably in every which way, including definition. With the near overnight success of The Gift of Life and its differing approach their debut, it was merely a formality to expect the band to once again craft a meticulously detailed and composed follow up album. This should help die-hard fans feel at ease with any potential fears that Vibrant and it’s longer-than-expected release window has resulted in either a washed out, unapproachable sound or style that conforms to today’s desire to constantly progress and innovate, they can be tossed out the window. With this record, Dreamshade have once again delivered a remarkable display of musicianship with their ability to create lush and melodic soundscapes that live in a certain “box” so to speak, while still delivering the edginess and heavier aspects expected out of a metal band. It’s within these confines that these guys have found a style they excel at while refining and perfecting the intricacies within that sound, leading to a beautifully composed collection of songs.

Dreamshade – Vibrant (Album Sampler)

‘Vibrant’ Available now: Physical: http://smarturl.it/o5g52p iTunes: http://smarturl.it/2rgycf Play: http://smarturl.it/ojli3l DREAMSHADE Facebook: www.facebook.com/dreamshadeband Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dreamshade Instagram: http://instagram.com/dreamshade_band Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqydHNZrfCTROhuIVfLsitA Shop: shop.dreamshade.ch

While it’s easy to indicate that the record is refined within its boundaries and understands what it wants to be, many people want to know what it truly sounds like. In that respect, the sound delivered compares better to tracks like “Photographs”, “Sincere” and “Consumed Future” with melodies and swooning choruses taking center stage over fast paced, toe-tapping instrumentation. This is noticeable from the start of the record where even the somber-sounding title of “Autumn Leaves” opens up with a flurry of hard hitting drumming and guitar leads or the heartbreak inspired “It’s Over” delivers with melodic ferocity, bouncy bass and memorable guitar riffs. Even with Vibrant living fully in the melodic metalcore realm, the diversity between tracks due to the incredible instrumentation, the vocal range and delivery or the subtle, yet well utilized sections of programming shines vividly, helping the album maintain a level of freshness and replayability that would otherwise dissipate.

It’s easy to say that this is a purely a result of the emphasis on the melodic side, but as they’ve previously showcased, Dreamshade have once again crafted an album that is catchy and intelligible, all the while maintaining the edginess expected out of a metal band. Through and through, these guys have delivered on exceedingly high expectations and the end result is a record that presents an established sound backed by incredible musicianship and accompanied by crystal clear production. This leads to Vibrant being a record that demands to be listened to loudly with its huge choruses, heartfelt lyricism and lush soundscapes and one that offers that longing feeling of “perfection” even though there’s always a chance to do better.