There are countless gothic metal bands with harsh male vocals and melodic female singing, but ToT were one of the originators of the genre. They moved away from that sound toward a more electro-pop/industrial vibe with some later albums. With Forever Is The World, they combine the classic gothic style with more modern and rock elements.
“Hide And Seek” is a strong opener that’s heavy, but also has a really memorable riff. The next song “A Nine Day’s Wonder,” is much more orchestrated and not as intense, with exclusively female vocals. The middle section of the CD doesn’t have a lot of variety, and the growling vocals don’t make a major return until the fifth song, “Hollow.”
From that point on, Forever Is The World is more diverse. From the male spoken word intro on “Astray” to the doomy and somber “Frozen” to the peppy “Deadland,” the album finishes strong.
Sigland’s voice is more in the pop vein, not the classical soprano of many bands in the genre. She sings with a lot of expression, and there are some nice layered harmonies. However, the best and most memorable songs on Forever Is The World are the ones with a little more punch and the variety of both male and female vocals.
(released October 27, 2009 on AFM Records)
