Originally written by Russ Wallin.
Lover of Sin is a “solo” project by Maitri , who is a female member of the goth inspired Christian Death. This “solo” project just happens to feature the other members of Christian Death. So, I’m not sure how much the term “solo” should be emphasized here. She does most the vocal work. This is certainly not a goth album. This one is aggressive. It features some blast beats, double-bass drums and fast picking on the strings. The word “mayhem” might describe the general theme pretty well. Most songs are well written and pump with adrenaline. Very, in the moment. It’s sort of like seeing a live show. You feel swept in and eager to spill your drink. Various old skool riffs and progressions on the album just plain work. There’s a good mix of logical progressions with the occasional left hook. It’s not the most technical of albums, but it’s probably interesting enough to keep the ear of the critical listener (at least in the drumming department). It’s an appealing album and unique in many regards. Considering that a female is heading this project makes it a bit more intriguing. Her voice has the same character as Udo from Accept (among others). It has a mid pitched, tight, over-driven tone. Sort of like a crazed witch, but with more lung in the voice. Occasionally she resorts to a smooth voice. Pretty wild stuff! Very interesting at the least. I enjoyed it. The drumming is very good. Many fast double-bass patterns and cymbal work. This person pretty much went for the gold here on several songs. An excellent result. The guitars have a very encapsulating sound (mainly the result of some major stereo imaging). But they sound pretty good. Not the most powerful tone ever, but they don’t need it on this album. In fact, any heavier and I think some of the signature sound found on the album would be compromised. The bass is usually siting too far back in the mix to really say much about it. It’s your standard stuff. When you do hear the bass, it sounds pretty true to how basses typically sound…fat with some string slap for definition. The overall recording sounds tight, but needs a little top end and polish to bump it up a notch. The kick drums could use a little bit of work…not much though. The whole thing is hard to sit through with a strait face. It’s kind of quirky and reeks of gimmick, but at least you know you’re having fun. It’s much the same as a quirky horror movie. You just find yourself enjoying it. If you want to make sure your heart is still pumping plasma, and with a smile to boot, pick this album up.
