XANDRIA KILL THE SUN ALBUM DRAKKAR, BMG RELEASE: MAY 5, 2003 REVIEW: JULY 1, 2003

Dreamy female vocals, melodic guitars and some heavy chords. Have we heard it before? Yes. Do we like it? Yes, if it’s good and if it's German MP3.com favourites Xandria who plays, at least.
Somewhat reminiscent of The Gathering, Xandria themselves, or at least lead guitarist Marco say, that they are more influenced by Swedish goth metal veterans Tiamat - and the album "Wildhoney" in particular. One can’t but applaud such influences, as Tiamat are one of the two best gothic metal bands today (the other being Type O Negative). At least in my world.
But Xandria isn’t just another Tiamat/Pink Floyd/Black Sabbath clone. No, this darkwave/gothic outfit has managed to create a sound of their own. "Kill the Sun" contains ten good songs that are moody, gloomy and atmospheric in just the right way. The vocalist Lisa adds a nice touch of airiness to the tightly woven guitars and keyboards punctuated by a throbbing bass.
The main drawback with Xandria is, unfortunately, that they lack truly great songs. Of course, there are a few - "Kill the Sun", "She’s Nirvana" and "So You Disappear" among others - which stand out. After several listens to the album one still searches for a few tunes to include in the next compilation for the car.
But all in all, a good debut album. I look forward to meeting the - dark - future with Xandria.
A sidenote: Did you know that Xandria also is an American manufacturer of adult toys? Strange thought…

KALLE MALMSTEDT