Joan Avant
Dies Irae

Dies Irae, the common condition of the world and whatever, and the title of the second album by Joan Avant. It looks dramatic and fiery, but is it? I read about it incorporating classic elements and draws inspirations from 19th century France and the Victorian era. In terms of social dynamics it isn’t so bad as we are going back to such a world where the one who has the capital is the master and the rest are stuck where they are in a meaningless existence – or something like that. But what about Dies Irae then?

It is creatively interesting, the classical music elements from organs and such seems inspired by theatre and such things. A bit vaudevillian perhaps, pretty interesting from that standpoint, but I think the sound could have been a bit more dynamic as the soundscapes come out a little flat. More drama would have been beneficial to this album, and it would also added even more feel to the deep and exciting voice of Joan Avant. So, there is a bit of room for improvements, but we get good variations and good ideas.

I find Dies Irae to be a good album, the songs are good and the creative aspect is very interesting. And just such a thing as a female one-person band is pretty cool, could be worthy an interest for the curiosity of it. So, while this is a good album from many perspectives, it is lacking that little extra that makes the greatest album shine and stand out from the rest. An outstanding song would have gone a long way to make this album stand out, the lack of really memorable aspects is what lets it down slightly.

The ones into the more classically infused metal and hardrock should have a closer look at this one, there is a high likelihood that you will enjoy it. But it may be worth checking out anyway as there aren’t that many albums like it and making something a bit more creatively interesting is always good. Joan Avant certainly has many things going for her, and there is a high likelihood that she will make something excellent in the future. Dies Irae has several strong points, but it doesn’t quite reach the same levels as the best albums out there.

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