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Dreadful Minds: Love Hate Lies
Dreadful Minds - Love Hate Lies CD Album Review

Dreadful Minds: Love Hate Lies

Melodic Metal
4.0/5.0

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Pure Steel Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 26.11.2014

Germany's Dreadful Minds is band that had a twelve year run from 1995 through 2007, with both success and troubles. They had some demos, an EP, and finally an album, before dissolving in 2007. They regrouped recently in 2010 and returned to the studio to deliver their new album, Love Hate Lies.

Dreadful Minds Love Hate Lies Band Photo

Dreadful Minds

To be fair to the reader, there's actually not a whole lot of 'new' music here. Of the fourteen tracks here, nine appeared on their last album Broken, and Caught In Illusion dates back to their very first demo in 1995. I'm suspecting that all these songs have been re-recorded for this album, but I have no confirmation of that. But it does make sense. This leaves only four new songs: Your Love Was A Lie, Breaking Circles, Left, and Reborn. If you have some small sense that you've been duped, I can understand. Alternatively, if you've never heard of Dreadful Minds, then all this is new to you, as it was for me.

Dreadful Minds basically plays a mixture of melodic hard rock and heavy metal, probably leaning more heavily to the latter. The new song, Left, for example, is melodic, heavy, quick paced and so suggest something akin to power metal. It's actually one of the best songs here. The older song Caught In Illusion is another example, drawing upon sharper riffs and a sturdy rhythm section for it's heaviness. Yet, shortly after the midpoint there's a softer breakdown for a guitar solo and vocals. And those two things are some of Dreadful Minds strengths. The guitar lines and leads give the music some edge; the vocals are strong and clean, and often wrapped in harmonious arrangements. However, what really caught my attention at the start was the strength of André Tischler's drumming. Obviously keeping the beat, rhythm, and groove, he also adds some real flurry and excitement to several songs, notably at the beginning of The Growing Fear and Lost My Heart. In the latter song, surrounded by the keyboards, his presentation has a Phil Collins feel. All in all, Love Hate Lies is solid material, strong melodic metal balanced by good songwriting, musicianship, and clean production. Hopefully, the album will help introduce the band to a new cadre of fans. Recommended.

Dreadful Minds - What you give (is what you get)


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In Short

All in all, Love Hate Lies is solid material, strong melodic metal balanced by good songwriting, musicianship, and clean production. Hopefully, the album will help introduce the band to a new cadre of fans. Recommended.

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