Search - Asrai :: Touch in the Dark

Kenneth W. (Eyesore) from TAUNTON, MA
Reviewed on 12/4/2007...

Asrai is a female-fronted goth rock/metal band much in the same vein as other female-fronted bands in that genre, but Asrai seem to capture that gothic label many of those other bands tout a lot better. Asrai formed in 1988 by sisters Margriet (vocals) and Karin Mol (drums) and even back then their sound was very melancholic and dark, though with a more punk, new wave vibe to it (think L7 meets Bauhuas). For a band that has been around for almost 17 years you'd expect them to have released more than two full length albums. Unfortunately the band has been more of a demo band so their earlier work -- the pre-debut, "As Voices Speak," material -- is very hard to come by. Luckily, though, what is easily accessible is pretty damn good!

Admittedly this album did not do much for me on the first spin. I liked it, but wasn't blown away and the album was thus placed in shelfcore status. Fortunately I pulled it off the rack a few weeks later and gave it another spin, but this time much more to my delight. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I first listened to it, but my opinion changed drastically. All of a sudden the album was a very nice piece of work.

"Touch In The Dark" is not your typical goth rock/metal band. This is due to the extremely intelligent placement of pop and dark, moody new wave elements throughout the album. Musically the band is similar to a band like Flowing Tears who's synths and more power chord-oriented approach -- typical of the goth rock/metal genre -- gives the rhythm section a much bigger boost than a band like Sinergy who's lead guitar is much more in the forefront. Vocalist Margriet is an accomplished singer with a solid mid- to high-range vocal style (more mid than high), she will neither disappoint nor blow you away, but she does carry the songs well. There are no male vocals on this album except for the robotic-like ending to "Shadows," but you won't find anyone screaming or grunting on this album.

The album starts off with their second single "In Front Of Me," an appropriate pick for a single as is the second track, "Pale Light," the first single released. The next four tracks -- "Whisper," "Restless," "Touch In The Dark" and "Tower" -- follow suit leading into some of the slower moments of the album. It picks back up on track seven, "Dream," followed by the album's heaviest track, "Child." The album finishes in style with two more mid-tempo tracks, "Garden" and "Shadows" (an acoustic version of "Shadows" is included on some versions as a bonus track).

In conclusion I would recommend this CD to fans of the female-fronted goth rock/metal genre, or metal in general. You'll read a lot of reviews comparing Asrai to Lacuna Coil which is the "acceptable" comparison for a metal reviewer similar to how Lacuna Coil are compared to Evanescence in the mainstream reviews. Neither is true and both are simply cop-out comparisons given because the reviewer knows no other band that is similar. Asrai are a good, solid band that deserves attention. They're not groundbreaking by any means, but they are far from undeserving. Check out their website for sound samples throughout their history and hear for yourself.

Website: http://www.asrai.net
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/asraifans

Touch in the dark

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 04/06/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's amazing what a simple cd cover can do. Awhile back I came upon the gorgeous art work for Asrai's "Touch in the Dark" cd. I had never heard of the band but I liked the cover art. I eventually got a copy of "Touch in the Dark". The first thing that came to my mind when I started listening to the cd was how much I was reminded of The Dreamside, especially Margriet Mol's powerful vocals. Margriet has a distinct voice that is rarely heard in the gothic metal genre. I could also hear slight touches of Siouxsie & Sioux. Asrai may not offer anything new to the genre of gothic metal but they certainly have made a good solid rock album which mixes both goth and metal. The first five tracks on "Touch in the Dark" are excellent but unfortunately after the fifth track, the band loses its momentum and the songs starts to sound the same. Production is a step above The Dreamside's current cd but not by much. It could use some improvement or the band could use a better producer. The sound isn't that clear or pristine as say Nightwish's immaculate "Once" cd. All in all though, "Touch in the Dark" will satisfy any goth metal fan."