Review Summary: Once more into the fray.
The queen of Doom metal has returned for more indulgent escapism fantasy. Heike Langhans is a star traveling witch, an astral ghost wrapped in space clusters. Such is the idea musically speaking, and fittingly the Spotify profile reveals REMINA as, “Cosmic Doom”. It’s another ethereal journey, and though her departure from Draconian pains me, REMINA have legs to stand on. Working with Mike Lamb from Sojourner was a great call, and this debut album is an astounding victory.
STRATA is almost exactly how you’d expect a post Draconian album to sound like from Heike: contemplative, chilling, and meaningful. Her lyrics remain poetic and universe binding, and her singing is angelic whispers from beyond. No one quite sings like her though they may try. Sharon den Adel is the easiest comparison when Heike uses her high range, but Heike’s sinister, ambient tone is difficult to duplicate. Her voice is gorgeous and it’s impossible to pull away from her hypnotic presence. This is her moment to shine, and she does so within the constraints of an album that is miles less heavier than Draconian - and it works.
Call it space/doom metal, personally, the album reminds me of dream pop. The spacey, melodic landscape here is ridiculously effective, and almost makes the lack of interesting riffs not matter. This permeating, celestial vibe is not new to someone well versed in Heike’s projects, call it her signature. The atmosphere of retro sounding, distant electronics also brings to mind Blade Runner and Logan’s Run (check the song
llos). For the simplicity of the affair, it’s surprisingly evocative.
Whereas Draconian managed to perfectly capture Heike’s uniquely moody vocals, REMINA’s less crushing, and less memorable riffs do them no favours. Songs are slow crawling here, often obsessed with ambience to the point of nudging me to forget metal is included. Really, there’s just as much ambient filler as “heavy riffs”, which may be an acquired taste, especially for fans of Draconian. With all that being said, if one can separate from their expectations, STRATA is a relaxing and intriguing journey through the stars, and a fantastic return for Heike.
