Lovelorn Dolls
Darker Ages

Lovelorn Dolls released their third album a little while ago and we have finally come around to write something about this album that has been in my music library for a long time now. It is a diligent band that has released a number of EPs as well as the album since their first self released EP in 2011. This band’s third album is called Darker Ages and it has pretty interesting artwork that feels kind of telling of the colour scale in which this band is operating. It looks gothic and feels gothic and as there are several great feminine gothic artists out there it feels as though this might be an interesting album. And if you do not really know Lovelorn Dolls I can tell you that they are a Belgian gothic rock duo.

On terms of the stylistic analysis of the album I would describe it as gothic rock with female vocals, they are using synths and that kind of things as well for the atmospheres, kind of dark I think. The production is good. They remind me of several of the well-known female fronted gothic rock bands, like The Gathering or Theatre of Tragedy and more. You could also describe them as a The Birthday Massacre without the colour that the Canadians have, I think this is a bit greyer. The variation through the album is quite good, and keeps you listening from the beginning to the end over ten tracks and 40 minutes playing time.

Varied, well produced, dark and fairly exciting is how I would describe this album, I think that it is a really solid gothic album. I do however also think that it could have been a little more colourful, perhaps also be a little bit more unpredictable. I think it feels a bit too cautious, it presses the buttons and all of that but it doesn’t really grab a hold of me as a listener – it isn’t an album that sticks in my mind. The only thing that really sticks in the mind is the fourth track Shining Star, a track that I really like and one that remains when the rest of the album is more or less forgotten.

Excitingly good in the best song, overall a good album and one recommended to evaluate if you like the female fronted gothic style of music. If you do like this kind of music you will like this album, it has much of what you want. And in the end I think the conclusion will have to be that the third album by Lovelorn Dolls is a good one but also that they have a way to go until they can rival the guys that inspire them.

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