NOVEMBER 2008

EMBELLISH

The band began their activities in Barcelona in '96 when members from Abokajarro and Las Sombras decided to join forces and found a new band, Embellish. A new project and new blood, which quickly developed a bunch of good songs and demos. The most successful demo was "Living" which was featured by Carlos Pina's "El Paraíso de Radio 3", one of the most well-known and respected Spanish National radio shows. In 2001 new members joined the band, Sathorys Elenorth (Keys) and Lady Nott (Violin, female Voices) from Narsillion / Ordo Funebris Dark Folk Oriented bands, which obviously added new ingredients to the Embellish musical roots, getting a more obscure and melancholic aproach to the tunes. With this new line up the band started an extensive touring in Catalonia. The result can be listened in "Becalmed Pain", their new demo released in 2002. New formation changes (Sathorys Elenorth y Lady Nott decided to focus in their own musical projects) and numerous shows are happening in this time. Specially important is the one being featured by Katatonia and Finntroll in Madrid 2003.
In june of 2004 the band decides to get into the studio to record the "Black tears and deep..." EP for exclusive promotional endings. The result of this was calling the attention of some recording labels and had excellent reviews.Finally the band gets to sign contract with GOI MUSIC and get to the edition in 2006 of the album "Black Tears and deep songs for lost lovers". It gets an incredible answer besides the promotional and distribution zero support of their Label. The album is recorded in AX studios
from Barcelona and is masterized by the great Mika Jussila in the Finnvox Studios.
After a tour around the country as headliners, and playing their Spanish shows with bands
like Leave's Eyes, Charon and To/Die/For, Embellish leave their last label and decides to sign to Erzsebet Records, sub-label of the well known Basque distributor Indar productions for the re-issue of their debut album. This is due to the amazing demand of this album, and being almost impossible to get a copy of it due to the disastrous work of their previous label.
Two new songs have been recorded for this new edition, a beautiful piano version of " Black Tears and Deep...." song and a "I don't believe in you" remix. There is also included their impresive "Falling" videoclip, directed by the filmmaker Tinieblas Gonzalez. Besides, the album contains a totally new design.

EMBELLISH - BLACK TEARS AND DEEP SONGS FOR LOST LOVERS

(Erzsebet Records, 2008.)

85/100

Since Lacrimas Profundere and their album "Ave End" released some year ago there weren't many bands whose CD were playing over and over again in my stereo as it is happening with Spanish band Embellish and their album "Black Tears and Deep Songs for Lost Lovers" lately. Because, although it hasn't brought innovative sound, it brings catchy refrains and very melodic and melancholic lyrics with potential to capture masses.
This album, for the first time released in 2006, experienced its re-release this year with two additional songs,  remix of the song "I Don't Believe in You" which in original version I consider as one of the commotional highlights of the album and unplugged version of header "Black Tears and Deep Songs for Lost Lovers".
So, EmbellisH are coming from Barcelona and some critics call them a new HIM. So although maybe they won't reach the throne as their Finnish colleagues, their music that fluctuate somewhere between The 69 Eyes and HIM will for sure take the grades from the fans of this sound. Even more because their melancholic and conceptually great organized album will conquer all those broken-hearted and vocalist David will, thanks to his impressive dark/metal expression and a voice that overwhelmingly reminds on Mika Tauriainen from Finnish band Entwine, for sure become a trademark of this band.
Talking of the album, "Black Tears and Deep Songs for Lost Lovers" is nice and thoughtful piece. Melancholic, impassioned and deep, exactly as the album on the border of doom and Gothic should be. The opening song "Romeo's Dead" with its perfect emotional expression announces what follows - clean melodies and lonely thoughts.
Songs that I'd like to mention are "Romeo's Dead" that adjoin with a feeling of psychedelic, "Falling" which is beside instrumental line characterized also by great melodically line and impressive female vocals,  "I Don't Believe in You" that is a bit wilder but in the same time dark, "Black Tears and..", one of the saddest and the most stratified on the album and "When My Heart is Bleeding", the song interesting in so many ways, from arrangements to impressive vocal lines what results with what EmbellisH wanna be - noticeable Gothic band.
All in all, EmbellisH and their album "Black Tears and Deep Songs for Lost Lovers" is the real representative of the genre they belong to. Songs are stratified and David's expressive vocals in combination with melancholic-depressed lyrics the whole atmosphere makes even more dark and deep.
''Black Tears and Deep Songs for Lost Lovers'' is the album for those who feels exactly like albums title but in the same time it is an album that you can easily listen to after the long day because although it isn't of those you'd listen to cheer up it will perfectly fit into dark winter days and cold nights. But still, this album misses a trace of innovation. So, before you play this album, reject all comparations and prejudice and enjoy!

www.embellishfanclub.com
www.myspace.com/embellishband

Review: Ivana Sataić - Ivy