Illuminandi create art. This is made clear with the opening strings of "who will set me free...?" a lament over the struggle that we all face between doing good or evil. The lyrics to this song are taken from the seventh chapter in the book of Romans. The somber sounds that Illuminandi have assembled on "the beginning..." are like water to the soul. It's a blitzkrieg of emotion that does not let up for one moment. From the delicate cello and violin sections to the guttural growls of Rajmund Jelén to shimmering female vocals this band is not afraid to use contrast to drive a song home. They allow their songs to slowly build engaging the listener, making them wonder what is next? This Polish group breathes new life into the music industry with their clever arrangements and thought provoking lyrics. This album is a collection of two demo sessions and eight live versions of those demos. Amazingly the demo quality is very well; they do not sound like demos at all, and the professional production enhances them quite nicely.
The artwork that accompanies this release really adds to the depth of the music making it one solid work of art. The songs are sung in Polish but the English translations are included in the CD insert. This is a very good offering and I can't wait to see what they will do in the future. Fans of Evanescence, Saviour Machine, or Virgin Black will really be impressed with Illuminandi.
3.5 tocks
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