Review Summary: Still on autopilot…
Delerium began as a cross genre side project for Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber (both key members of Front Line Assembly as well as several other acts), developing from industrial ambient to a beautiful blend of new age, world music, trance, pop & downtempo. Since they broke into the mainstream with the now-classic tune, ‘Silence’, a gradual shift began to a more straightforward format, shedding the misty atmosphere as well as most of the ethnic instruments or chants. 2003 brought us
Chimera, the poppiest material yet and the one which defined every subsequent release. Looking back, the transition was understandable, but it was also a curse that led the members into a comfort zone in which they reside to this very day. The commercial success of
Karma &
Poem lay in this mix of old and new sounds, following Enigma’s early ‘90s formulas. Still, they were consistent products of very creative minds.
Ever since, we started receiving the same albums for more than a decade already, losing hope of any rejuvenation. Unfortunately,
Mythologie suffers from the same laziness. The meticulous approach is the main positive aspect here, as Leeb & Fulber have accumulated three decades of experience in the field. At this point, the two can’t go wrong no matter how disinterested in the project, however, predictability is the major downside. Again, there are 12 tracks out of which the first and sixth are mostly instrumentals, designed to introduce each side, while the rest are filled with female guest vocalists. The most prolific here, Mimi Page does the most rewarding job too. Her contributions to ‘Angels’, ‘Made to Move’, plus bookending tunes, ‘Blue Fires’ and ‘Dark Visions’ offer an eerie aspect that works really well with the compositions. ‘Angels’ takes the spotlight as it features haunting synthesizers on top of which Page’s echoed croons create a memorable, spectral atmosphere. ‘Made to Move’ falls into the same category, only the instrumental is a tad warmer.
Besides Mimi, we receive another strong entry in the Delerium catalog, courtesy of the lovely Jaël. This slow burner, ‘Keep on Dreaming’, boasts a moody foundation comprised of brooding bass lines, wavy synths as well as delayed piano touches, yet her voice lifts the tune to a whole new level. From brittle verses to lush choruses, Jaël does a wonderful job, much like she did on previous apparitions. On the other hand, what’s odd is the omission of Kristy Thirsk, another main collaborator that usually offered highlights on each album. Although she played on Fulber’s latest Conjure One album, it would’ve been nice to have her here too.
Sadly, the rest of the LP lacks that grip to maintain you immersed in its universe. Aside from the aforementioned tracks, there are only bits and pieces that work better, such as the choruses on ‘Ghost Requiem’ or ‘Zero’, however, in the end there is nothing new. Everything can already be found on any of the last decade’s efforts, raising a rather frustrating feeling. When I discovered the vast range of sounds fused on
Semantic Spaces,
Karma or even
Poem to a certain extent, I was easily drawn into each journey. You had a lot to explore even past first few listens, whereas on the post-
Chimera records, you could spot the highlights immediately with the rest of the numbers falling into the Delerium-by-the-numbers category. When I saw the artwork and title, I hoped
Mythologie was going to be a step into the right direction, but it doesn’t make any connection to the actual tracks. So, add what you enjoy to the main playlist and let the rest be.
