Victorians - Aristocrats’ Symphony - Revival
Victorians - CD Review
Aristocrats’ Symphony - Revival 
CD Info
2012
Self-released
10 Tracks
English Lyrics
I have listened to hundreds of different albums over the past years, but it is truly rare that one emotionally moves me. There are so many female-fronted rock/metal bands out there that many are often labeled as “Nightwish clones” and are truly second-rate next to the big names. In my search for new bands to listen to, I was lucky enough to stumble across the Victorians- Aristocrats’ Symphony.
The band was founded in 2010 and since then has released their debut album titled, Revival in 2012. Hailing from Poland, the Victorians prove that good symphonic rock and metal bands need not come from Scandinavia. I was quite shocked that the band hasn’t been signed with a record label and their album was self-released, because they seem so professional, it wouldn’t have ever occurred to me. For the first time, I realized I have heard a gem of an album!
The most notable thing that appeals to me about the band is their stage presence. All four band members dress in aristocratic styled Victorian garments with a vampiric flair. Not only are listeners presented with great music, but interesting style to boot. The band members have concocted an entertaining story about being descendants of Victorian vampires and inheriting the role of becoming keepers of the V-Lodge. The story was so believable and well-played out, I almost fell for it myself (assuming vampires are real). In a recent interview, Utis (guitars) and Vi (bass) have explained that the story is symbolic of the art the band members create and it plays a vital role in their stage presence.
The first thing I suggest when listening to Revival is to keep an open mind. You are not getting another Nightwish clone or a heavy metal female-fronted group. In fact, you are getting something emotional, artistic and clearly heavily influenced by classical music. It is hard to describe the music that the Victorians create because it is a seamless blend of gothic rock, metal, folk elements and classical music. There are no headbanging or angry moments, it is purely artistic. The album is rather short, what with only 45 minutes of playtime, but it is just enough to transport you to a time when vampires wandered the streets of Victorian cities and eternal love was just within your reach.
The music and the production are both top-notch. I was thrilled to finally listen to a release where the vocalist is not overpowered by machinegun drumming and wailing guitar solos (nothing wrong with that), but it was a breath of fresh air. The vocalist, Eydis, has the voice of an angel. In just one song, she can go from belting out hard rock vocals to singing in a semi-operatic way. It is versatile and fills each song with emotion without being boring or overwhelming. The music has a strong emphasis on symphonic, but that doesn’t mean you won’t hear some great guitar work throughout the album.
Considering that the band’s native language is Polish, the lyrics are actually pretty well done. The lyrics are poetic and the subject matter is quite obvious. There are so many hints being dropped that they are singing about vampires and eternal love, it’s quite hard to miss. However, the way the band does it, it actually sounds believable and doesn’t make you roll your eyes or write them off as sounding sappy. However, I did notice that some of the word usage is off in the lyrics. It is understandable that a few mistakes are made, but in one of my favorite songs, “Who Never Loved”, it got to the point where I keep mentally correcting the mistakes. For example, listeners will hear, “I stand like adamant and cold as an ice” and to native English speakers, that will automatically raise eyebrows. I really wish European bands would start getting someone to proofread their lyrics if they insist on singing in English. It is in some ways forgivable that mistakes are made, but it also seems silly to ruin perfect songs when all the lyrics needed were a bit of tweaking. This fact right here is one of the reasons I couldn’t justify giving the band a perfect score.
One of the strongest tracks on the album would have to be, “Who Never Loved”. It is a song that combines rocking perfection, with emotion. It is this song alone that led me to fall in love with this album. The guitar is just enough without becoming overbearing and the sounds of stringed instruments prevail throughout. Eydis used both her rock and operatic vocals which made it a top-rated song for me. “In the End” is catchy and rock inspired, often reminding me of something that Within Temptation could have written. The album is riddled with clever and catchy symphonic intros made apparent in songs such as “Voice of Eternal Love” and “Prince of Night”. I made it a point not to compare them to Nightwish, but “Servants of Beauty” is very reminiscent of something they would’ve composed.
Meanwhile, most would write this band off as another Nightwish or Within Temptation imitator, they are much more than that. Their catchy symphonic elements, stage presence and unique vocalist bring something extra to the mix. The lyrics are actually better than average and focus on something other than Norse mythology. The reason that I would never rate this as a perfect album is because the word usage in the lyrics hasn’t been checked and the album is rather short. Considering that this is a debut album, I would’ve recommended it to be at least an hour in length. Lastly, as much as I love this album, it also isn’t taking any risks. It seems to play it safe and most of the tracks do sound similar after several listens, not adding too much variation for the first-time listener. This band shows a lot of promise, and I will continue to follow them and hope they release another great album soon that will appeal to Within Temptation, Nightwish and Xandria fans.
8.5 / 10
