Femme Metal WebZine

Review by John Davies 

I’ve been super anxious to get my hands on this latest release from Die So Fluid. In fact I ordered a copy from the U.K. because I just couldn’t wait for the North American release in late May 2008. This album brings the band to a whole new level of sophistication and production quality. They obviously set the bar very high when they were working on these songs, making the long wait between albums well worth it. There is a smorgasbord of musical styles to be found here, and somehow the band has managed to combine them all within the songs and actually make it work incredibly well. They must have used every ounce of knowledge and experience that they have gained over the years to create this metal masterpiece.

The opening track starts off with a jazzy sounding little riff that is quickly crushed by a full out metal barrage of bass and guitars. This song, along with Vorvolaka and 'Throw You Away' are actually epic in nature, with 'Throw You Away' even having a string section and being close to seven minutes in length. This is not to be construed as to mean boring by any means. There is so much excitement in these songs, with truly exhilarating shifts in mood and energy.

As usual, Vocalist/bassist Grog sweeps you away with her passionate, emotion filled voice, easily shifting from melancholic to mystic to metal. She has tons of power, and manages to deliver flawless vocals while also playing some pretty complicated bass lines. This woman is incredibly talented, and she is also responsible for all of the sharp, poignant lyrics in the songs. Really, I think that Grog’s vocal melodies are to die for.

I am really impressed with the caliber of song writing. I have to give kudos to guitarist Drew Richards and drummer Al Fletcher for their efforts as well as Grog. After each song would end, I found myself wondering what they could possibly do next to keep things going at the same level of excitement, and they would somehow pull out another trick and impress me even more. The songs on this album have a huge sound. There are complex song structures that almost border on symphonic power metal. 'Pigsy' is incredibly powerful and emotional, with guitar tones and riffs that remind me of one of my favorite bands of all time, Human Waste Project. And yet despite all of the sophistication, there is always a wonderful earthy rawness to the songs, largely due to Grog’s vocal style and Drew’s punk edge . And not all songs are written on a grand scale. The song 'Something to Say' is pure punk, albeit very high quality punk. I think 'Happy Halloween' is a standout song, perhaps because it has the catchiest melody. It’s the one song that I find keeps repeating in my head, but that could be because I’ve watched the video so many times! I think the vocals on 'Halloween' are particularly outstanding though.

The album ends with the title track 'Not Everybody gets a Happy Ending.' This is a rather melancholic number, with very powerful vocals delivered by Grog. The song makes for a very interesting epilogue to the album, and gives the album itself an 'Unhappy Ending.' I felt completely satisfied at the end of the CD, like I had just finished eating a great meal, with no room left for desert. This album is a brilliant step in the evolution of Die So Fluid. I don’t know how the heck they are going to top this on their next release, but I would be very content if they even matched the quality of this release. I have to give them a 10/10 for this CD, they really deserve it for all the effort and care they obviously put into it.

Rating: 10/10

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