SELF-RELEASED
There’s a simplicity of movement on A Pale Blue Dot, balanced by sonic depth and a robust edge – all of which makes Dreamshade’s latest full-length an impressive step forward. With the follow-up to 2016’s Vibrant, the Swiss five-piece have a newfound vitality that shines through on the likes of emotionally charged single Lightbringers, Question Everything – with its tumbling mix of cursing and youthful choruses – and in Elephant’s anthemic fury. The band’s melodic metalcore roots are intact, but they’ve developed a much broader sound. Kevin Cali’s vocals scream with conviction and the shimmering guitars of Fernando Di Cicco and Luca Magri combine with purposeful virtuosity while never being ostentatious. Occasionally the band seem a little too formulaic, as on Impulse, but pop-soaked cleans and awkward rapping aside, A Pale Blue Dot is a strong return.
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