Adiant is not subtle, even for a death metal band. Patricia Gschier's vocals are laid front and center in the mix, with guttural vocals from her brother Felix tamped down into the swirl of classic symphonic death metal. Very Edge of Sanity--except for the mix.

Adiant Killing Dreams (Black Sunset/MDD)

The music is solidly conceived and executed. There's nothing particularly exceptional about it, but it does the job. Patricia Gschier's vocals utilize simple melodies, and she belts them out with the slightly-restrained confidence of an opera singer. She's clearly not straining.

Indeed, this entire album becomes more and more inevitable as it rolls along. It sounds like a mid-career highlight rather than the debut that it is. Adiant is just beginning.

I have no idea where this Austrian group is headed. Maybe it will continue to wander a similar path, and that could be pretty great. My hope is that Adiant finds room to grow. This album proves it has the chops. The potential for something revolutionary is latent. Let's hope that potential develops, and soon.

Jon Worley