Finnish gothic rockers Entwine have come a long way since their inception. With their fourth studio effort Dieversity, they seem to have settled for a more commercial and radio-friendly songwriting formula which has garnered them plenty of reviews where they were likened to HIM, one of the biggest gothic pop bands from Finland. While I don't quite agree with this comparison, Entwine now definitely does opt for a catchier and more straightforward approach in their songs.
The album is littered with plenty of electronic arrangements that feature both programmed and real drum beats, catchy melodic interludes, and gothic pop vocals by Mike Tauriainen. Although Tauriainen isn't as catchy as, say the singers of HIM or Rasmus, he is certainly getting there. At the same time, he still has the trademark Finnish vocal style that evokes the melancholic band Charon on the piano ballad "Frozen by the Sun". Dense piano notes are surrounded by atmospheric guitar and keyboard sounds while the singer delivers lyrics of sorrow, as expected. Similarly, the band reminds me of later day Sentenced on "Bitter Sweet", save for its electronic keyboard sequencing. It's mostly the way the vocal melodies are sung and arranged, I suppose. Moreover, Entwine comes across as a much more layered and textured band than most other goth rock acts, as the song combines elements of pop, ambiance, and melodic metal at the same time. The focus is on the smooth keyboard lines that interact with despondent acoustic guitars which underlie Tauriainen's gripping vocal melodies. These nuances will come out after a couple of spins though. Most other songs fall into the same writing style, which emphasizes sad vocal lines and keyboard-heavy melodies. The guitars are there to add colour rather than actually drive the songs. However, what differentiates Entwine from many other Finnish goth bands is their crunch-filled guitar riffs that are ever-present in all of their songs. This has obviously resulted in a heavier album. Also, two of the songs feature great guitar solos, the one on "Refill My Soul" being one of those overtly 80's inspired rock solos. Another piece that stands out is the very depressive "Everything for You", another love song with a beautifully grey piano melody. The album closes with the atmospheric instrumental "Lost Within", which is just sparse keyboards marked by flickering guitar arpeggios. Actually I also detect some hidden violin and cello in this one.
Travis Smith's artwork and CD layout is awesome. This is one of his most different works to date. I was rather surprised to see his name in the credits, considering his trademark style on Katatonia and Opeth albums. Also, kudos goes to the amazing production and mixing job on Dieversity. This album will appeal to fans of To/Die/For, Poisonblack, Charon, and perhaps even Sentenced. I will not mention the HIM similarity because it's being overdone these days. HIM could only dream of having so much crunch in their music.
Track Listing
- 2141943
- Bitter Sweet
- Someone to Blame
- Bleeding for the Cure
- Still Remains
- Frozen by the Sun
- Six Feet Down Below
- Refill My Soul
- Everything for You
- Nothing's Forever
- Lost Within
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