"Under a timeless spell" is the fulfilment of a dream for Adrian Hates ... to record an album with an orchestra! Now, 35 years after starting Diary of Dreams, the time has come: 10 classic Diary of Dreams tracks can be heard in a completely new acoustic guise, realised with the Leipzig Philharmonic. Instead of keyboard or guitar, you find incredibly overwhelming orchestral soundscapes lending songs such as "Malum" and "the Valley" completely new depth and scope. Overwhelmed by this emotional journey, the album ends very personally and quietly with a piano version of “the Secret”. After the last note has faded away, the album leaves the listener touched, sheltered and embraced, quietly hoping for a continuation of this new world.
At first I wasn’t sure If I would be able to review this one. The first tracks launched gave me the impression it would be somehow hard to review them as the tracks were put in a complete different setting, however the music has always been (a bit) bombastic. Once I started listening to the album I was somehow sold and the intro was already written before I could even listen to the whole album!
I lost a bit track of all the albums after I was a fan of the first hour, saw the band many times on stage and noticed them changing and evolving. This also means I don’t know all the tracks on this album and that might maybe help me a bit whilst reviewing (as I wont think about the original). The other nice thing is that we also have songs in German and in English, giving this project a more international touch and some variation!
Malum (taken from Elegies In Darkness, sadly one of the albums that are missing in my collection). The original sounds hard, aggressive and very bombastic. What a difference with this softer symphonic version! It’s as if the song was stripped, brought back to it’s main feel and then slowly build up with the symphonic sound to give a second chance to the bombastic touch and with a more desperate and melancholic feel. I must say that both versions are very impressive! It only took me 2 times listening to it to fully hear and understand this.
She and her darkness (from Freak Perfume) stays all in all pretty close to the original, just pumping up the dramatic feel and the bombastic touch.
The Valley (from Nekrolog 43) didn’t need much work as the original was already piano driven, they just added a bit more of a bombastic touch and build it up, filled it up with a warmer and more elaborated sound (however at some point it’s not so easy to hear the difference between both versions).
Hiding rivers (from Hell in Eden) sounds like a live version of the original track, with some changes in the vocals (for the better).
The Plague (from Nekrolog 43) is reworked in a better way as somehow the original now sounds like a bit dated (weird to say, I know, but this new version is simply way better). Let the strings invade your head, let Adrian’s voice haunt you …
Hell in Eden (from Hell in Eden) is also a better version, with a more dramatic feel empowering the emotions. This version feels as if the song was simply written for it!
Butterfly:Dance! (take from one of my favourite albums: One of 18 Angels). I must be honest: it’s a bit hard forgetting about the original as it’s way stronger, but here we get a more dramatized version.
Traumtänzer (from Freak Perfume) is yet another track I really love and keep on loving after all those years (next to Tears of Laughter). I must say it’s hard not to sing along as I have been listening to the original track a lot and know the song almost by heart (despite the German lyrics and the few words in French).
The Colors of Grey taken from (if) stays pretty close to the heartbreaking original sound, so be ready to shed a tear.
The Secret (from Melancholin) is the last track and grabs back to a warm piano sound, driven by melancholia and other emotions. It’s a good ending!
I’m pretty sure a lot of fans will adore this album as the new versions are indeed worth it! Some even sound as if these are the original versions! The other ultimate fantasy will be to perform them on stage in these versions and even add some more tracks to the playlist (some older songs for example)! I’m happy this dream came true! Keep up the good work!
