Remember this one, you femme fanatic's? I do, very well. Another album, in a long line of 'em that got me hooked on females in rock music. I used to, and still do, play this one, very loud! With the upcoming new album by Sandra Schleret's new band, Soulslide, I thought it would be appropriate to go back to her beginnings. To give new fans a perspective on who she was and who she has become. This album, Komodia", gave me the shivers from the first listen. It was a collaboration of twin female vocals that unfortunately for us would only see the light, this one time. Artistic differences and a riff between Sandra and Martina Hornbacher, would deprive us, for all time, of more of this magnificence on disc. It deals with the story of Dante's Inferno, interpretations of "The Divine Comedy". This album not only marked the debut of Dreams of Sanity, but it became a landmark for females in the rock genre. The collaboration of Sandra and Martina singing solo and duet is something for everyone's ears to behold, although the band backing them, at the time, could not catch up to the wonder of their voices. Maybe someday, they'll redux it and get it right. That's not to say that this is a bad album, by any means. On the contrary, it is a masterpiece. If you can get beyond some of the amateurish instrumental background to these two angelic voices together, then you've just about got it licked.

Though they try, but never really do on the album, the background members of the band, never catch up to the stars, Sandra and Martina. On later albums by the band, "Masquerade" and "The Game", they began to perfect their instrumentalism and they finally got it down on the last album, "The Game", rather well. But by then, they had already begun to come apart at the seams. Although they looked as though they were lovers, on the "Komodia" booklet insert, (always appearing as they were very close and happy to be near each other) Sandra and Martina's brief duet became a memory after the release of the "Komodia" album. They sited musical differences as the reason for the parting of this tremendous union. For shame! Sandra went on to become the voice of Dreams of Sanity as she went on to record the last two albums with the band, as solo vocalist. And Martina? Well, we all know of her work with Therion, Korova, Alas, etc. etc. But when you look back, this was where it all began for the two stars to be. Although Martina Hornbacher had done some work in Therion already to this point. In my opinion, this is where she became the shining star she is today.

The style of the music performed by Chritian Marx-guitar, Andreas Wildauer-guitar, Stefan Menges-keyboards, Michael Knoflach-bass and Romed Astner-drums (who was later either married to Hornbacher or related in some way, I never made the connection on that one), is Progressive Classical Metal with Gothic overtones to added to the mix. With its many time and chord changes, (if only they had been a little more in sync with the vocals) the albums music flows like water in a stream, splicing each tune together, as they tried to keep up the pace that the two singers are laying before them. Alas though, it never really happens, to these ears. Although I keep saying this, it is a minor flaw on this masterpiece. I guess as everyone else, I'm looking for perfection on a debut album. Very rare! The girls though, are flawless. Whether their singing duet or solo, they never sound out of place and always like they were made to be together, singing.

My favorite part of the album is the midsection. "Komodia II- The Dream" to "Komodia IV-The Ending". A span of about 29 minutes that has Sandra and Martina doing quite a bit in the way of fast vocalizing, together and apart. Allot of it sounds to me like Austrian Folk or "marching to war" tunes with some side step in the choruses, quite funky. The two are very energetic throughout. They never really answer each other or trade off lines. They’re always singing harmony with each other. If only I could just listen to them, without the music. That would be beautiful. Sometimes I find myself doing that, in my head. "Komodia" is a true metal classic and an SC exclusive "in stock" item, and is not to be missed by any of you true femme fanatics. Though the status of DOS is unknown to me at present, Sandra has gone on to do other things after the release of "The Game"-2000. She is presently heard singing, (in German. or is that Austrian?) on two releases by a band called Siegfried. (I’m not really crazy about, not my style. I'm not enthralled with foreign vocals). They have two albums out presently, "Eisenwinter" being their latest release this year, 2003. I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of Sandra's new band Soulslide, debut EP release. >From what I've heard as far as MP3's, it should be very good. But how can in not be with a talent such as her in the foreground? But for now, just buy "Komodia" and sit back and enjoy!