DOWNLOAD: Dakrya - "The Charlatans" (hosted on Dakrya's website)

Dakrya’s second CD, Crime Scene, has to be one of the more unique CDs that I’ve heard in quite some time. While listening to a typical CD, I generally mentally pigeonhole the band’s sound/genre after the first few songs. Refusing to get into the ad-nauseam labeling of the micro subgenres of metal, there are only so many styles out there and most bands you can plug into one box or another. Dakrya though doesn’t fit any of the typical genres/labels – so, how’s this for a new label – “theatrical/operatic carnival of the damned metal”.

Dakrya is a seven-piece band based in Greece that features two female lead vocalists Thomais and Christina along with backing vocals from guitarist George (no one seems to have a surname in the band). Thomais and Christina’s vocals are featured prominently but there are little shared vocal harmonies. The two singers deliver their lyrics like a theatre actor’s lines while George roars in the background in a “Dracula-like” voice. In addition to the vocals, the other prominent feature is the reoccurring carnival sound-effects which range from the calliope to the “plink” of the midway. Given the carnival motif, it is hard to tell whether the reoccurring lyrical theme of evil clowns and charlatans is a political statement (there is a picture of Uncle Sam in the lyric book) or just a rock opera version of Stephen King’s “It”.

Much of the music is guitar and drum driven and there are enough style and tempo changes which keep the music from getting stale. The band expands their sound by adding saxophone on “Camouflage”, a jazzy piano-driven swing on “The Urban Tribe” and the disc wraps up with the instrumental “A Dreadful SideScene”.



Links:
Dakrya