This is the first release by Aflame Records, a new sublabel of Actcom Music form Finland. Actom is mostly known for goth and metal music, but Aflame aims to offer experimental, avantgarde and neo-folk sounds. Harmony Garden, their first offering, is a new project around Mato Dokovac (who composed the music) and Janoz Loki (who wrote the texts). They make traditional acoustic music, sometimes folky, sometimes with more of a ‘rock-feel’. Guitars, drums and piano form the instrumentation.
I must say most of the compositions of Dokovac are good, melancholic and well arranged. Especially the guitars sound professional. Personally though I find that the voice of Janoz Loki not always fits in with the music. I still have to get used to his peculiar out-of-tune voice. My favourite songs are ‘The Queen of May’ and ‘Goodbye, my charming world’. But there also some tracks that I don’t like at all, like the track ‘Wounded is my name’, which has an annoying refrain, and the Pink Floyd cover ‘Astronomy Domine’. I also cannot say that I find the ‘Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg’-sample at its place on the track ‘Colder than the sky above’.
All in all I find this album a nice attempt, with some good moments, but I’m not entirely convinced yet…
