Being a huge fan of Apoptygma Berzerk, VNV Nation, and Wumpscut, I wanted to branch off and check out some fellow Metropolis acts. I thought Diary of Dreams' new album "Freak Perfume" would be perfect for me to continue exploring the genre of EBM and anything that has goth and industrial influences in the music. This was one of those times when I just throw caution to the wind and just buy a cd on a whim.

"Freak Perfume" turned out to be a worthy investment. The music is definitely not like VNV Nation or Apoptygma Berzerk. It certainly has that EBM-influence throughout the album but the music overall is more goth than EBM. Come to think of it, Diary of Dreams (or at least "Freak Perfume") reminds me a lot of Clan of Xymox (another recent discovery). Adrian Hates' vocals has that same deep voice that Ronny of Clan of Xymox posses. All the songs on the album are really good but I really thought the slower songs like "Traum: A" and "Chrysalis" stood out for me on the album. I thoroughly love the classical melodies in "Traum: A". I am so glad that I bought this album. I really need to expand my goth/industrial/EBM collection, and "Freak Perfume" just proved to me that this type of music is highly underrated and overlooked.

This band never ceazes to amaze me. The vocals by far alone blow you off of your chair. They are deep, powerful and meaningful lyrics accompanied by a sensous and darkly intimidating voice. Many tracks to dance to and others to reflect apon. If you like to feel as well as dance, this is the CD for you. If you decide you like them, look into my yahoo group for diary of dreams. ~Yours in nightmares~

This was the first Diary of Dreams CD I bought, and it is still my favorite. The music is orchestral and expansive; Adrian's voice is like dark silk drawn across your skin. "Freak Perfume" is a masterpiece, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Diary of Dreams' Adrian Hates (AH) has a voice well suited for the Goth genre. What is here falls somewhere in the neighborhood of Andrew Eldritch (Sisters of Mercy), Johan Edlund (Tiamat) or Peter Steele (Type O Negative).

This is electronica influenced Goth music (or Darkwave if you prefer). The emphasis is on the Goth/Darkwave tag. As mentioned by a fellow reviewer, there is nothing groundbreaking here. However the way all the parts are integrated is what makes this a promising act. If you are a fan of the above mentioned groups it's easy to become ensnared within the Diary of Dreams (DoD) landscape.

One curious aspect of DoD is the way AH incorporates his voice into the proceedings. This cd includes the lyrics which translate somewhat unevenly into english giving the lyrical flow an awkward(uneven) translation. The lyrics themselves are curious (given the awkward phrasing) but AH manages to 'sing' it into the washes of electronic tweaking. The overall effect is dark, occasionally spooky, with seemingly intimate glimpses of "gothic" angst. As stand alone lyrics though they're rather limited. The slightly accented verbage is still endearing for it enhances that ever-so-present Euro Darkwave groove.

AH also plays with words. He'll combine words into 'new' ones. Take for example the track 'AMOK'. In common parlance you'd think the meaning meant something like berzerk. Not here. When you read the written lyrics you'll see he refers to " I AM OK". So, when sung the word is stretched to "I am ok", or "I OK", or "AM OK" or "AMOK". Kinda see what I mean? There are several places AH screws around like this giving the track new definitions thereby twisting the overall message. This style (if you can call it that) allows the listener to explore the song in degrees. The lasting impression is one of ever changing meaning. DoD uses this quirk to great effect.

Don't think that just because other groups (mentioned above for example) have tested a similar sound out that this is some sort of retro effort harking back to ye 'ol gothic music of the 80's and 90's. Well it is...and it is'nt. This is for people who appreciate the genre regardless of currency and trendiness.

This is a solid offering for those who (without the lyric sheet as a guide) can improvise with the occasional 'fuzzy' logic of sentence and rhyme. Perhaps you'll find yourself hearing things more sinister than they really are (as written)OR vice versa.

The overall gothic tone becomes a slow whirlpool of regret, loss, and danger which feels surprisingly good, considering its intent(?). I've listened through this cd once without the lyric guide and once with it. Well done.

total cd time: 64:37 min

I won't make a long review, I'll just say this: It's a great album. I heard 'The Curse' and got hooked.

I bought the CD.

Loved it.

The music is a sort of electronic/goth/rock with German and English.

Awesome.