by Stewart Mason

Die Verbannten Kinder Evas (The Exiled Children of Eve) were once a goth metal band, but the nearly eight years since the Austrian group's last album has found them in a decidedly different musical space. Despite being released by the leading Euro-metal label Napalm Records, Dusk & Void Became Alive is, at heart, a modern gloss on '70s progressive rock of the Vangelis style. Bandleader Richard Lederer's acoustic and electronic keyboards are practically the only musical element, aside from some low-mixed drums and percussion, and the ethereal vocals of Christina Kroustali owe as much to Enya as anyone. The nine epic-length songs fairly scream out for a Roger Dean album cover featuring some sci-fi landscape for the listener to space out on while the album drones placidly in the background. Dusk & Void Became Alive is quite good as far as atmospheric space rock/prog goes, but listeners expecting something more aggressive based on the label's prior history might find themselves disappointed.