Vervain - Gothic Doom skirt

In making of their new album explains Liv, they draw their inspiration mainly from Gothic and Doom Metal, and it was their goal to return with "Vervain" back to its roots: Gothic, Doom, rock and metal. Regarding the mixing ratio, the album is more rock than metal and - bearing in mind the guitar carpets that have almost all the songs - a little more than Gothic Doom, but all four influences are clearly recognizable. Especially those who appreciate the "old" Theatre of Tragedy and / or Leaves' Eyes like should be "Vervain" not be so missed!

With "Love Decay" Liv has chosen the probably most-sounding gothic metal song to at Burg Blankenheim turn it into a video. The duet with Michelle Darkness (End of Green) and I like it very well in his gloom, with Michelle's deep voice beautifully harmonizes with Liv's soprano. The same applies to the voice of Doro Pesch in the second duet, "Stronghold of Angels", in which outweigh the Doom-elements. On the Limited First Edition both songs are again included only with Liv's voice, and I must say that I liked it a little better than duets.

The opener "My Wilderness" is a classic Gothic Metal; with his combat-theme he made me think of Vikings and thus especially to the second Leaves' Eyes album "Vinland Saga". The rocking title track "Vervain" is my secret favorite: The content is at the fantasy level about vampires and verbenas (plants burn the vampires when they come into contact with them), once more thought about a love between opposites / enemies. Very nice text! In "Hunters" it goes to birds - either to large birds of prey like hawks, which can capture even ravens, or crows themselves (especially ravens also feed on insects or small vertebrates and could be used as "hunters" pass) because I'm not quite sure. Catchy quality has "Elucidation" with its synthesizer beats that I loved it here, because they are not commonly used on the whole album and provide variety to the otherwise dominating Doom. In addition, I also like the text here: a troubled relationship ("We do not have much love to share", "I'm drowning in your tide of darkness, of your damnation"), but which is nevertheless preserved upright, because the ultimately probably both so wish: From "This feels so wrong" end up "This feels so good." "Creeper" used synths, but here predominates, as well as on "Two and a Heart" and "Oblivious", the doom element. Comparing with ToT, which my Vorrezensent Funeral Doom pulls, I find very appropriate.

Two ballads round off the album: While "Lotus" a nice, fairly typical metal-ballad, "Unbreakable" is mainly worn by Liv's voice, a piano and a cello. I had to think involuntarily of "A Distance There Is" by ToT (minus the thunderstorm noise); a passage of the piano part in "Unbreakable" even sounded a bit like this song. Really nice!

Overall, the album is very rocky, but took with me a couple of runs, I knew to appreciate it properly. After I also know Liv's other solo albums, which were my total bit too pop, I had a "Gothic Doom Rock" album like this did not expect and was pleasantly surprised. Meanwhile, I am very confident of "Vervain" as a Gesamtkunstwerk: A good album needs to "grow", the more you hear it!