PARAGON OF BEAUTY “The Spring” /CD/

The debut full-length album by German Gothic/Doom Metal band.
Gothic and very melodic Metal, mostly with clean vocals and mid paced tempo. The music is slow, very emotional, melodic, Doomy Metal-tinged Rock, strongly reminiscent of recent Anathema. 
The vocalist, whose timbre sometimes reminds of Mansun's singer, is the band's most endearing element. His vocals are very expressive and add several layers of angst to the band's already depressive music. While he is a little annoyingly over-the-top in a couple of instances, his performance is quite remarkable overall, as his emotional range and sense of dynamics let him sound like several excellent singers and even like layered guitars ("This impossible moment"). The lyrics are very romantic and poetic.
Some of the charm of this album is that it isn’t to technical and perfect but still well done. Band has a definite potential for good songs and melodies.
Unless one is clinically depressed, this album is not really supposed to be played every day ad infinitum. But that's exactly what you'll do when you buy it). A very fine record indeed!
Prophecy Productions/Mazzar, 1998/2008 (Myst CD 345). Made in Russia. Used (cover/disc): NM/EX.


Tracklist:
1. Wundenozean 4:16
2. Oh Dear Beloved Marblequeen 6:22
3. Among Thy Midnight Kings 2:02
4. Snowfall Summerdream 10:02
5. A Cosmos For A Lovestarved Child 6:16
6. Where The Nights Still Dance 6:08
7. Godbirds 4:38
8. Sunset Funeral 8:03
Total playing time: 47:47 min.