Die Verbannten Kinder Evas
Dusk and Void Became Alive

A necessary tribute to the "Exiled Sons of Eve". This duo consists of the Viennese Richard Lederer, former leader of Summoning, and the nineteen-year-old Greek Christina Kroustali, who replaced the mezzo-soprano Tania Borsky. Seven years after the release of "In Darkness Let Me Dwell", a commendable album that includes refined compositions of classical and medieval inspiration wrapped in a dark patina, here comes the even more beautiful "Dusk and Void Came Alive". The distinctive feature and central element of this album's success is the vocal skill of the soprano. Christina's pure voice emerges from the orchestral background with the naturalness of Botticelli's Venus arising from the sea, and the slight touch of unease that pervades her singing makes it even more interesting.

A particular element is the presence of various melodic tracks that, grafting onto the musical bases, form a multifaceted structure that adds depth to the songs. One can follow this or that path each time, keeping the mind pleasantly occupied in this exercise, or simply surrender to the overall effect of poignant melancholy. The tones are never exaggerated, order and composure guide the compositions, DVKE's music is neither oppressive nor distressing, and never angry: it is simply sad to the edge of tragedy. On a first listen, this album may seem almost monotonous, and several listens are necessary to appreciate its subtleties and to realize the degree of solemnity that pervades this music. "Winters Night" is wonderful: a track of contralto voice and one of soprano are present, and the beautiful melody is accompanied by dark percussion, reminiscent of the drums that in the Middle Ages accompanied the march of soldiers to the battlefield. At certain points, they propel, advancing the melody as the wind does with sails; at other times, they become protagonists, and still, at others, they serve as a simple base for Christina's vocal evolutions. The orchestra consists of a synthesizer played by Lederer's highly skilled hands and includes piano, cymbals, trumpets, flutes, and percussion. Guitars and basses are absent. At some points, Richard's warm voice forms a perfect duo with the female voice, as in "Cease to Breath": here, Richard and Christina sing following different tracks, and the duet is alternated by beautiful piano interludes. The dreamy atmosphere is also created by the fact that the sound of the piano leaves an echo that amplifies its expressive power. As Richard explained in an interview, the use of reverb makes voices and instruments seem to come from the grand hall of a church.

In my opinion, the best piece is "Unquiet Thoughts", which, after a subdued start, surprises by offering us the duo with perfectly synchronized voices in time and style. Like those dancers or ice skaters in pairs who coordinate movements with professionalism and grace in total symbiosis, the two voices form a very harmonious whole. The cadenced melody has the breath of the waves of the sea chasing each other endlessly with the same rhythm. Then, surprisingly, there are long flute sections that give you goosebumps. Yes, with the Verbannten you can comfortably let yourself be enveloped by the voices, the grandeur of the percussion, the piano fugues, and surrender to that type of melancholy which you don't know whether it is joy or pain, the mood of someone reflecting on transience while walking in a park on an autumn afternoon, being both overwhelmed and fascinated by the splendor of the autumn colors.

Elegance and refinement bring DVKE closer to Dargaard. The orderly structure of the songs reminds one of Trobar de Morte. They share with Avrigus, Elend, and Arcana a taste for the epic, but to render it, they use a model that rather refers to Dark Sanctuary and Artesia, entirely devoid of pomposity or booming tones. Then there's Christina's voice which... oh, have I already mentioned it?