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Rating: Here we are dealing with a historic character of gothic metal, the unstoppable Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull. For those who do not know her, we are talking about the person who, with her former band (the historic Theatre Of Tragedy, now a pathetic parody of themselves), started the so-called "Beauty and the Beast metal" movement and who subsequently, among collaborations with more or less known names in the metal scene, between one Leaves' Eyes album (a project managed in tandem with her husband Alexander Krull) and another, has also found the time to compose two solo albums. The first result of this rollercoaster career made up of moments snatched between one job and another was "Deus ex machina", a very beautiful album born in 1998 that presented a sound in line with the more ethereal, dark, and ambient gothic scene in some respects but at the same time tending towards dreampop.
In 2006 the blonde Norwegian returned to the scene with "Enter My Religion", written and produced by none other than her now omnipresent husband, within which the gothic touch has been practically removed, although a distant reminiscence persists, a particular romantic cadence that cloaks some tracks with a decidedly mainstream-oriented flavour with melancholy. Leaving one's own boundaries could also be an appreciable attempt, but from the first listen, it becomes clear the limitation of a somewhat pretentious work. If the intent of our lovely couple was to create an emulation of the various Lene Marlin, Natalie Imbruglia, and their colleagues, they might as well return to devote themselves to the stylistically heavier and more congenial material of Leaves' Eyes, because no one has ever felt the need for yet another starlet (also quite aged). If instead, the aim was to offer fans a Liv Kristine free of heavy guitars and draped in a new musical guise of sophisticated pop charm, the result is rather shaky and questionable. The points against the album are not many, to be clear, but there are also few in its favor. Furthermore, the absence of memorable episodes, which constitute the essence of a pop album, is more tangible than ever, or which ultimately determines the success or otherwise of any musical release.
To "Over the moon" falls the arduous task of introducing the listener inside "Enter my religion". Needless to say, Liv's fans will not be baffled by this track, as her vocal style is unmistakable. However, compared to songs sung at other times by the vocalist, this is an authentic ordeal, despite being composed by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain) and embellished by the performance of a rather cohesive group of instrumentalists who, for most of the album’s duration, will avoid making us fall into the stereotypes of chart hits filled with senseless electronics. Things definitely improve with "Fake a smile", breezy with a rosy acoustic candor, decidedly enjoyable when it becomes a delicate background for the angelic singing of the hostess; nothing memorable but at least decent and listenable. The following "All the time in the world", on the other hand, is full of joyous carefreeness but offers a rather weak interpretation, which could easily be surpassed by any of the ex-Spice Girls... What a shame!
In "My revelation", our Liv hints at operatic glimpses, supported by ethnic temptations and a rather monotonous guitar riff along with a rhythm practically identical to numerous songs by Leaves' Eyes (the chorus seems like a dull pop revisitation of "Legend Land")... Another disaster. "Coming home" recalls a thousand songs that have passed through the radio for a while and soon ended in oblivion (from Sixpence None The Richer to Natalie Imbruglia, through Emma Bunton and Dido): you are served another lullaby track. "Trapped in your labyrinth" seems instead to have been conceived (by the aforementioned Tägtgren) as a song by Leaves' Eyes with noticeable electric guitars and drums. At a compositional level, there is no novelty, but the romantic emotions aroused by the piece confirm a quite pleasing result compared to the standards of the previous pieces (the symphonic contours are very beautiful, the verses enchanting and engaging, and the refrain full of pathos). "Blue emptiness" also denotes a rediscovered verve, gifting us seductive piano notes and dreamy atmospheres, but above all, many emotions. This is a clear sign of how playing at home always gives the best results, even to a team quite accustomed to traveling. But what a torment, however, to be then thrown headlong into the harsh territories of "You are the night", a song worthy of the worst Britney Spears. Such ugliness is followed by the title track (which in terms of bad taste doesn’t want to be certainly inferior to the previous track) and the cover of "Streets of Philadelphia" (Bruce Springsteen), which makes a mockery of the original by mistreating it properly. Finally, there's "You take me higher" (which clearly imitates Kylie Minogue) and closing this series of highs (few) and lows (too many) is "For a moment", a pleasant parenthesis with a warm and passionate Argentine flavor.
"Enter my religion", a year after its release, shows how the fruit of the couple's labor is nothing more than a big flop. Unfortunately, the failed episodes of this project are too many, and even the few that are easy to listen to show no margin for improvement. As a fan of the beautiful Norwegian, it is a real shame to see that, with this way of working, Liv will never have the success that her extraordinary vocal abilities would deserve. There are essentially two problems: the album’s distribution entrusted to Roadrunner (a label practically devoted to heavy metal that will never be able to support a pop artist) and the production in the hands of Alexander Krull, too keen on recycling himself and what has already been done with his wife to compose something pleasant and otherwise too enslaved by mainstream temptations to result sophisticated.
It's not even about whether or not you appreciate the pop genre; pop enthusiasts will definitely look elsewhere, while those who love Liv's graceful voice, after this unfortunate episode, will probably go back to listening to the old Theatre Of Tragedy or, at most, Leaves' Eyes.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Fake a Smile (03:39)
Living souls around me
They don't see
Just staring, closed faces
Fake a smile
Shaking hands shake their heads
But they don't speak
Only demanding the right numbers
Of me
Breaking into pieces
I'm breaking into pieces
My world is turning too fast
And I can't get off this spin
I'm moving somewhere I don't want
But all I do is fake a smile
It's so cold around me
I hurry to the next stop
I'm waiting for something
For someone
To steer me back to my life
Steer me back to my life
My world is turning too fast
And I can't get off this spin
I'm moving somewhere I don't want
But all I do is fake a smile
When will I break
When does the ice break
When will I dare to press rewind and start all over
This world is turning too fast
And I can't get off this spin
I'm moving somewhere I don't want
But all I do is fake a smile
This world is turning too fast
I'm moving somewhere
And fake a smile
03 All the Time in the World (03:51)
My dreams shimmer in my sleep
Slow-burning ever-lasting fantasies
Even if you haven't found me yet I will find you
If you wonder who's knocking on your door; it's me and there's no need to worry
I shiver at your door but surely you don't have to hurry
You've got all the time in the world
All the time in the world
On the pavement of your favourite street
Dressed in white hoping you will see... me
Even if you haven't found me yet I will find you
If you wonder who's knocking on your door; it's me and there's no need to worry
I shiver at your door but surely you don't have to hurry
You've got all the time in the world
All the time in the world
If you wonder who's there
I'm not an alien girl just walking by
Just crossed your street
05 Coming Home (04:10)
I didn't know where to seek life
Spirit growing from clear conscience
Breathing within me
My life has just begun
Since you bumped into my world
I feel like I'm coming home to you
Imagine all the things we can do
I feel like I'm coming home to you
Being close to you again
I didn't know where to search for the answers
This burden of question's to heavy to carry
I climbed the mountain of freedom
And I've picked a flower of truth
I feel like I'm coming home to you
Imagine all the things we can do
I feel like I'm coming home to you
Being close to you again
You keep me down on earth when I feel I've lost my ground
You're the ground of my life when I feel like I've lost my faith
06 Trapped in Your Labyrinth (03:45)
You always thought I'd be someone
Someone to comfort you at times
When you seem to give it up
I carry, carry you away
I always have the strength to fight
To be so strong when you are weak
But no one asks me what I feel
And no one ask me what I need
Do you feel what I need?
Realise I am here
I am trapped in your labyrinth
I wish I could find my way out
I tried to unveil the truth
But you don't seem to understand
I'm showing you the best in me
And never, ever asked for more
07 Blue Emptiness (03:49)
Life is a wonder, I've entered the gate
Time can be healing if you just learn to wait
Pain makes tears flow but it tells you to pray
And the night is our fortress when we're tired of the day
Opposite thoughts make me wonder sometimes
Is there something out there I don't know
But your smile makes me wonder, did you mean what you said
And a million thoughts went through my head
Your words make me cry and laugh I guess
I am caught in an ocean of blue emptiness
Faith is stronger where weakness rules
Changes will open your eyes when it hurts
A coin has another side staring at you
And love causes freedom and prison in you
Opposite thoughts make me wonder sometimes
Is there something out there I don't know
But your smile makes me wonder, did you mean what you said
And a million thoughts went through my head
Your words make me cry and laugh I guess
I am caught in an ocean of blue emptiness
But the faith and the trust and your strength is my harbour
Faith, trust and love, I carry within me
But your smile makes me wonder, did you mean what you said
And a million thoughts went through my head
Your words make me cry and laugh I guess
I am caught in an ocean of blue emptiness
10 Streets of Philadelphia (03:19)
I was bruised and battered and I couldn't tell what I felt
I was unrecognizable to myself
Saw my reflection in a window I didn't know my own face
Oh brother are you gonna leave me wasting away
On the streets of Philadelphia
I walked the avenue till my legs felt like stone
I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone
At night I could hear the blood in my veins
Just as black and whispering as the rain
On the streets of Philadelphia
Ain't no angel gonna greet me
It's just you and I my friend
And my clothes don't fit me no more
I walked a thousand miles
just to slip this skin
The night has fallen, I'm lyin' awake
I can feel myself fading away
So receive me brother with your faithless kiss
or will we leave each other alone like this
On the streets of Philadelphia
11 You Take Me Higher (03:37)
You take my higher
Higher than I have ever been
You take me higher
I'm loaded with your energy
You take me higher
Higher than I have ever been
It's like the sunshine
I'm loaded with your energy
Everybody wants the sun to come out and everybody wears the sun in their faces
I love to be amazingly free
Everybody wants to swim in the sea and everybody loves the breeze in their faces
Flirt with me, it sets you free
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