Cemetery Of Scream - 'Frozen Images'

The Polish band Cemetery Of Scream has been around since the early '90s, and Frozen Images is their fifth album. They've had a few different singers over the years, and the latest is Olaf Rozanski. You should be able to guess what genre they are from previous album titles like Melancholy and Deepression.

Frozen Images is gothic metal with a touch of doom. The songs are dark and atmospheric with prominent keyboards. The intensity of the guitars varies from accessible rock to more intense metal. They are painstakingly arranged and mostly mid-tempo. The vocals are a combination of singing and screaming.

The songs are melodic, and the gothic vibe becomes more theatrical at times, especially on tracks like the instrumental "Ritual Fire Dance," which could have been taken straight from a movie soundtrack. Cemetery Of Scream is strongest when the guitars are heavy and there's a good balance between screaming and singing.

Rozanski's singing voice is a baritone in the vein of Sisters Of Mercy, Type Of Negative or even Depeche Mode. He has a good tone, and although not the most dynamic singer, is solid. The screams are also good, and sometimes laden with effects, such as on parts of "A Million As One." There are also female backing vocals, which add a nice touch.

The album wraps up with "Nights In White Satin," a cover of the 1967 Moody Blues song. Most listeners (including this one) weren't born when the original version came out, but it's a classic rock radio staple, so many people are familiar with it. Cemetery Of Scream does a faithful version of it, and doesn't add any screams or anything drastic.

(released March 10, 2009 on Metal Mind Productions)