Ageta - Vocal
Noizex - Guitar
Krzysiek - Guitar
MarioF - Bass

1: orbital
2: XIIX
3: Tomorrow Will Turn Into The Past
4: To The Past Shadows
5: Crucified: Act 1
6: XII: Salem
7: Void
8: The War Between Us
9: Mantra
10: s.u.p.e.rNOVA
11: Mimosa
12: Astral Drift
13: Insomnia
14: Depression

OK I will have to own up to this from the start. I love this CD! I didn't expect to, but to my pleasant surprise it remained jammed in the player for some time.

Forming in Poland in 1996 Desdemona went through a few line-up changes before settling on the above recording this their debut album for Metal Mind records in 2003.

Supernova opens with some spacey analogue synth passages before surging into "XIIX", a full on track with a nice almost middle-eastern refrain. Desdemona, then veer off into a sequenced synth keyboard outro that reminded me very much of Hawkwind's late 80's/90's style.

Ageta's vocals are a little too far in the mix to me throughout the CD, but in "Tomorrow Will Turn Into The past", distortion adds to an eerier feel that actually suits the deeper mix, again Desdemona are not afraid to nod their head towards 'dancey' sounding (read modern) keyboard parts, sampled strings and cellos, before ringing out the bells in the tracks strangest twist, with tubular bells and tack-piano. Each track segues into the next with some deft editing, and pace of arrangements that the whole CD romps along at a fast and unbroken pace.

"Crucified: act 1" has some nice keys and stutter guitar opening into another rocking piece that takes up the flow and pacing of the album, before settling into some great keyboard and bass playing before lurching headlong into heavy rifing. Headbanging? For sure! But again and again Desdemona turn-off into some almost jammed segments in which the keys and synths begin to bubble around. Ageta's vocals have a very Middle Eastern sound and add an individuality that might have otherwise easily become just another lady vocalist. Julianne Reagan of All About Eve might be a close reference point, in fact there is a strong Goth image at work here as well, "The War Between Us" carrying a strong hint of AAE circa "Scarlet and Other Stories". "Mimosa" is sung in Polish adding an otherworldly feel (at least to me, not speaking a word of Polish) to the song.

In truth there is little to choose between each of the tracks on offer here, that's not to say they all sound the same, but stylistically, whether by accident or design make for a whole that allows one to wallow throughout it's length. I actually found it a better proposition through headphones which helped the claustrophobic ambience. For me the saving grace is the intelligent and brave use of keyboards/sequencing, often lost in music this heavy but adding a great dimension to Desdemona's soundscapes.

They remind me very much of Hawkwind's onstage interludes/jamming, and indeed I suspect if Desdemona crossed the fine threshold they balance on here they could become a space rock band to reckoned with.

Reference points? Well Hawkwind apart a friend mentioned Malmsteen and Dream Theater, both would be accurate pointers. I would add Nine Inch Nails as well in there by virtue of the interplay of riffing and keys.

The playing on all tracks is solid and assured a crisp production, and great mix keep things skipping along at an impressive pace. The keyboards may not to be everyone's liking so I guess you take your chances there, but I for one look forward to their next CD with great expectation.

(I would like to thank my good friend Bart Januszewski for the Polish biography translation).

Released by Metal Mind Records (MMPCD 0182) 2003-10-15

Review by Chris Christou