Scarlet Dorn – Queen of Broken Dreams
Release Date: 30th September 2022
Label: SPV Recordings
Pre-Order
Genre: Dark Pop, Dark Rock, Symphonic Metal, Electro, Industrial.
FFO: Within Temptation, EPICA, Lords of the Lost.
Review By: Mark Waight
Scarlet Dorn don’t like to be pigeonholed into any specific music genre, and their third release Queen of Broken Dreams gives us an insight into exactly why. Scarlet Dorn’s music constantly flows between many genres, it is Symphonic Metal, it is Dark Pop/Rock, it is Electro/Industrial, it is completely unique. Scarlet Dorn are therefore not wholly part of any specific genre, yet could fit comfortably into so many. Anyway, genre arguments aside, Queen of Broken Hearts is an incredibly written album with beautiful vocals throughout.
Scarlet Dorn is Scarlet Dorn (vocals), Bengt Jaeschke (guitars, backing vocals), Benjamin Mundigler (bass, backing vocals), Gared Dinge (piano) and Henrik Petschull (drums).
Falling has the feel of a classic opener, with a harder rock and symphonic metal core to it, combined with stunning gothic, almost choral vocals. Such a great way to open the album, and perfectly transitions into Born to Suffer, which is very much leaning towards a dark pop song with haunting vocals and chorus line you’ll be singing for days.
Title track Queen of Broken Dreams is a sumptuously deep and dark gothic track full of despair, Scarlet Dorn’s vocals tempt and tease you right into the darkness and doom! Your Highness then follows up by continuing to hold you as a prisoner in the pit of gloom with its very heavy bass line and superbly ghoulish vocals. A Light that Blinds the Truth continues the haunting theme with a super horror/gothic piano rendition, creating the perfect backdrop to another fantastic vocal performance.
Meteor is a dreamy, soft and uplifting song that raises the mood completely by bringing hope and joy to the darkness – the vocals and guitar combine so well to create a single fluffy cloud moment.
Unstill Life is a gorgeous track but with a hard rock edge to it – I so wanted the very short guitar solo to last much longer! When You See Me Again is kick back, lie down and close your eyes track, it is both sad yet incredibly lovely at the same time. Love Wasn’t Made for Me delivers a heartfelt message with a master crafted and emotional ballad.
What Are We To Do is probably my favourite track on the album, the vocals are delicious, the tempo of the music changes smoothly between soft as silk to something with a deep cutting edge. An absolute home run!
Penultimate track Tonight is a super melancholy offering, the piano creates a picture of starry skies with the vocals providing the lost souls looking for inspiration and happiness in a world of hurt. The curtain then closes with A Million Miles Away, an epic track of doom and gloom that brings the album to a spectacular finale, leaving the listener in awe of the whole album.
Queen of Broken Dreams by Scarlet Dorn is a very emotional listening experience indeed. It is dark, it is disturbing, and yet it is beautiful and comforting all at the same time. Vocally, you will not hear many better albums this year, especially if you like your music on the melancholy side of things. I absolutely loved this album, connected with it and will be listening to it often in the future just to remind myself of what an awesome piece of music it is.
(4.5 / 5)
