Sometimes I hear an album which attacks my senses, sends shivers up my spine and completely stops me. “Portrait of a Porcelain Doll” is such an album.
I’d not come across Mely before even though this is their fourth album. They are Austrian and have accompanied the likes of Anathema and Opeth. I make specific mention of these bands because I can detect a musical affinity. The band I would most associate them with, courtesy of their progressive style and emotional power, is Genesis. In some ways it’s a 2009 version of Bowie and Neil Young. The melodic quality is that of REM. There’s the creativity of Atrox and Tiamat without the insanity. But such comparisons could never tell the story, and it doesn’t here.
“Portrait of a Porcelain Doll” is not heavy. In fact for large parts it’s acoustic, which undoubtedly helps it to be a work of refinement and delicacy. At the same time it’s hypnotic and intensely dark. The pace is steady, often it’s doomy, then it’s as smooth as silk while remaining fluid, hard-edged and tight. What I really appreciated was the way in which the band take their time to develop musical themes, resulting in a feast of cohesive musicianship which generates moods and captures the listener with a full-flavoured experience which only top Prog bands can provide. That’s not to say that we have 20 minute “epics”. On the contrary, the band just say what they need to on a series of individual mini-stories. “Don’t Wake the Sleeping Dog” is quiet and reflective but most tracks develop in their own way from calm beginnings to major passages of sublimely crafted beats and rhythmic guitarmanship. Typical is the anthemic and memorable “Hell Low”. Here penetrative sadness runs into an addictive chorus, a powerful beat and skilful guitar work. The melody and the emotive nature of the vocals invite us in. Then there’s the amazing “Sweet Six Feet”. Classic as the core structures are, the band are not frightened to strike out into heavy doom, avant-garde or psychedelic territory. “Sweet Six Feet” takes us into another sphere. After a bouncy and uplifting beginning, it slows down and blends into a sinister, doomy passage, then there’s an amazing instrumental section with the singer’s outerworldly screams haunting us in the background. It was like being in an Eastern wonderland for a while. I found myself living the experience. Reality goes out of the window with this one. By contrast, the final track “My Addiction” starts softly to the strumming of the acoustic guitar before exploding something powerful and intense. The impact is massive. The instrumental field is vast, while there’s an unstoppable air of emotional intensity and sadness in the chorus. It’s this seamless ability to mix moods which makes this album so great.
On this showing, Mely is a band with imagination. They use it to create a great range of rhythms and atmospheres. Each track has pure quality and profound impact. “Portrait of a Porcelain Doll” is the most beautifully manipulative album I’ve heard in a long time. Magnificent.
http://www.mely.at
http://www.myspace.com/melymyspace
http://www.silverwolf-productions.com
