Adiant – Killing Dreams

Adiant

Killing Dreams

by Thomas Kumke at 22 November 2021, 10:18 PM

ADIANT hailing from Styria, Austria were formed in 2019. The band name is Celtic meaning desire. According to their website, they are a melodic Death Metal band with symphonic elements and “Killing Dreams” is their debut album. It was produced and recorded by Thomas Reinisch at Redhead Studios and it was mastered by Philipp Wilfinger. The album was released via German label Black Sunset, a subdivision of MDD Records which has a number of Thrash, Death, and Power Metal bands among their current roster. It has a length of more than 36 minutes.

ADIANT were formed just before the pandemic started. It must be the worst possible time for getting the career started, especially since there is stiff competition in the melodic Death Metal and the symphonic Metal markets. However, ADIANT made it and delivered an interesting debut album, since it does not follow the classical Melodic Death or symphonic Metal paths. As someone who is into classical melodic Death Metal and also into symphonic Metal, I did have different expectations when I started listening to “Coronation”. It is a song which has powerful guitar riffing at mid-tempo and the lead guitars contribute with harmonic melodies especially during the chorus part. The sound section is dominated by the double vocals. The main vocalist Patricia Gschier provides the classical soprano voice while brother Felix Gschier has the growling vocal duties. The growls cover a wide range of the gutturals. Most of the time, the vocals come as a duet, sometimes, the growls serve more as a background. Either way, it is a very interesting approach and gives the sound an extra dimension. “Coronation” was uploaded by the label on YouTube and the link is given below.

“Killing Dreams” is one of the heavier songs on the album. It is fast and straight-forward with catchy riffing and melodies. The vocals are split for most of the time with Patricia Gschier clearly dominating the track and she fully uses her impressing vocal range. “Hiding Place” is more of a melodic Metal song with melancholic melodies, especially during the chorus section and the growling vocals intensify the dark atmosphere pretty well. “Give Us A Voice” cannot quite keep up with the first three songs, even though I liked the lead guitar solo near the end of the track. “Beloved Distance” is a ballad with beautiful melodies of the guitars. The sound of the track plays towards the strengths of Patricia Gschier who has an outstanding performance here and it looks like that those kind of songs really suit her.

 “Burning Bridges” has more complex textures with a few more tempo changes and it provides a glimpse of Death Metal with some more aggressive riffing and a double-bass drum section during the middle part of the song. “Lighthearted” and “Insatiable” are two of the heavier songs on the album. They are slightly faster and more direct than most of the other tracks, and the guitar riffing and melodies are catchy. Especially “Insatiable” has a few Death Metal vibes and the lead guitar melodies reminded me a bit on early material of PARADISE LOST. While “Psychosis” might not be a highlight of the album, the final song “Witches Dance” has surely its moments during the chorus sections and towards the end with a brilliantly contributing lead guitar solo.

“Killing Dreams” is a very interesting album which does not fit into the traditional genre categories and it is a very good start for ADIANT. The sound on the album is tailored towards both vocalists and in particular towards the strengths of the ever-present classical vocals of Patricia Gschier who gives “Killing Dreams” something extra. Also, the growling vocals of Felix Gschier add an extra layer to the album. The guitars provide a solid melodic basis, but they are too often in the background only. The album is well produced. With “Killing Dreams”, ADIANT set a promising mark and fans of symphonic and melodic Metal will surely like what they hear.

Songwriting:  8
Musicianship:  8
Memorability:  8
Production:  8