Godyva
In Good And Evil

Where innocence and perversion meet, where the essence of a gothic metal barely softened and reminiscent of the lessons of Lacuna Coil and the more modern Paradise Lost acquires new conceptual forms, drawing vital energy from the electronic severity of wave and Depeche Mode-like references. For better or worse. Here is the music of Bari-based band Godyva, captured in a debut album that dates back to last year (but appeared in our country only a few months ago) with totally garish artwork, behind which, however, lies a record that reveals an already visible stylistic maturity and a sound surpassing any scheme, defined by the band itself as "Intimate gothic metal". So don't be fooled by the stereotypical image on the cover, and don't seek an infusion of romance in this offering, or you will end up disappointed when darkness envelops every form for about sixty minutes.

As I already mentioned, they hardly conform to the established standards of the genre: the opener "Dreams of a Child" is already ready to sweep away any doubts. Electronic effects soon paired with a precise rhythm section and modern cut guitar riffs merge in a twisted and seductive dance with the singing of the beautiful frontwoman Lady Godyva, sensual and enchanting in her performance. Whispers and perverse keyboards envelop the flexible verses of a "Lovable Sin" projected into a passionate refrain and captured in a dreamlike interlude entrusted to lyrical vocalizations supported by the symphonic arrangements of an inspired Botys Beezart. The title track instead tries to loosen the reins to propose something more immediate: it becomes the anthem of the album and reveals a commercial potential in Godyva's proposition, while in "Soul Desert" the electronic influence becomes predominant. Here the first clear signs of faltering also emerge: the band's intentions seem good, but the final results disappoint expectations. A glaring sense of discomfort in the execution of the track demonstrates how all the instruments at play fail to emerge from the repetitiveness of an overly static and homogeneous structure and match the exquisite work of the keyboard. Even the subsequent "Intimate" turns out to be another misstep, a half-failure that would leave a bad memory, were it not for the beautiful piano notes and the presence of lyrical singing (admittedly a bit forced).

Things get decidedly better with "Flame Flower", the peak of the entire platter, where guitar and symphonic cues finally manage to pair up, always leaving the singer the necessary space to surpass what was already done before, with a performance that reaches heights of intense passion. "Purified" again shows a certain modesty on the part of the guitar, but it is nevertheless an appreciable episode, very similar to what the renowned Lacuna Coil offers (with some references also to Morten Veland's Sirenia), as well as the subsequent "Cold", crafted as usual by an excellent performance by Lady Godyva and Botys. Unfortunately, in the following tracks, we do not find any flashes of genius, no peaks in interpretation, but only four additional songs that are surely inspired, personal, and enriched by the excellent work of the singer and the keyboardist, but also too penalized by a rhythm section that soon gave up on impressing the listener (why not a single guitar solo, why all similar drum tempos?), and by an overall interpretation perhaps still too cold to allow the Apulian combo to emerge from anonymity.

This yet another Italian revelation, in short, does not stumble into plagiarist ambitions and easily earns a passing grade, but to reach the hearts of the audience, Godyva will surely need more doses of conviction and meticulousness.