The way I stumbled across Elis is odd. I was on a mission to find Epica's Consign To Oblivion, and while feverishly fumbling through the terribly unorganized shelves of the CD shop, that pretty butterfly on the cover of Dark Clouds In A Perfect Sky caught my eye. Other than a vague recollection of an Elis mention on what may or may not have been the Evanescence boards, I knew virtually nothing about the band. Of course this only made my purchase all the more interesting, so even when my conscience cried "Don't waste your money on something you're unfamiliar with," I blatantly ignored it.

And I'm glad I did. Elis is a goth-metal band from Germany, and their sound is a mix of Leaves' Eyes, Midnattsol, Nightwish and Lacuna Coil (though I wouldn't say they're quite as good as those bands -- and in the case of Lacuna Coil, they don't even come close). Elis vocalist Sabine Dünser has a sweet voice that occasionally bears a resemblance to that of Liv Kristine (of course she's no Liv, but work with me here). Fans of blasting double-bass drums and monstrous guitars will surely give their seal of approval to Dark Clouds In A Perfect Sky, because generally, the music on this album is quite heavy. There are a few "ballads" sprinkled throughout, but even those have their fair share of squealing riffs and moments of dark aggression.

Through all the heaviness, these songs manage to be extremely catchy and memorable. Sabine's pretty voice contributes so much to the album's adventurous nature, and one of her most shining moments comes in "Der Ietzte Tag," the first track on Dark Clouds In A Perfect Sky. This is sung in the band's native tongue, and although I'll readily admit to not comprehending a single word of it, the chorus still works its way into my head. "Anger" sounds like a hit waiting to happen. It's equal parts romance and fury, with gentle verses, one seriously violent bridge, and a beautifully operatic chorus.

"Lost Soul" marks the first appearance of bassist Tom Saxer's death-metal growls, and he keeps things to a minimum for maximum effect. This song's introduction bears a strong resemblance to something that may be on Nightwish's Once, especially with those chunky, frantic guitars. More beauty/beast vocals pop up on the crushing "Heart In Chains". Tom gets a little bit more of the spotlight here. His voice is raw, deep and rumbly, and yes, beast vox can be predictable sometimes -- but I must give Elis credit here, because I'm LOVING the contrast. Somehow, they make the beauty/beast thing sound unique. They did a great job with it.

After a few listens, though, the album's chief problem becomes painfully evident. As pleasant as Sabine's voice most definitely is, she doesn't switch things up. Yes, each song has a distinct melody, but she constantly uses the exact same tone: slightly operatic, yet breathtakingly airy, half sugary and lovable, half sinister and devilish. Giving her credit where credit's due, that isn't a mix you see every day, but it'd be nice if she let us see a bit more vocal flexibility.

The band makes up for it though. I really have to hand it to the guitarists Pete Streit and Jürgen Broger. Each song on Dark Clouds In A Perfect Sky is explosive due to their outstanding talents and abilities to create riffs that can ooze melody one second and snap necks the next. Perhaps this is talent shines through the most in songs like "Devil Inside You" and "Are You Missing Me?". The former uses somber male choirs and mystical keyboards to create a bloodcurdingly eerie introduction which freefalls into some of the album's most appealing, catchiest guitar rhythms, while the latter alternates frivolously from one romping riff to the next. I haven't heard such effective incorporation of "groove" into songs that are out-and-out heavy like this since Lacuna Coil.

Dark Clouds In A Perfect Sky is well worth any goth-metal fan's hard earned cash. The combination of a soft female voice, haunting melodies, fiery dual guitars, and utterly volatile drumming gets me every time. This is no exception to the rule. Given that Elis is similar in several small ways to other bands of its genre (the catchiness of Scabbia & Co., the heaviness of Midnattsol, etc.), I'm sure the future that lies ahead of them is a bright one. Now my only problem will be finding their previous works, Twilight and God's Silence, Devil's Temptation.

And that damn Epica CD.






Recommended: Yes