Ego Likeness : "When the Wolves Return"

My primary experience with Ego Likeness has been from Dragon-con and some of the State of the Goth Scene panels, their music taps into a very dramatic and romantic vein of darkwave. One thing that gives them the edge is the use of of guitar to give the pulse of the songs more drive. "Darkness" pumps and seems like it would be a fun song live with its more industrial drive, the vocal line is a little on the repetitive side. Things tak a harder kick from the guitar with each passing song. There is almost a KMFDM feel to "En Rogue", the singers more Siouxsie side is delved into , but not exploited.   I like the Marilyn Manson like groove to "New Legion" , the lyrics to the chorus really sell this to me. Things get almost as epic as Night Wish on "Oracle".  They sultry syrup of her voice drips off the banging synths.

For some reason the more spoken vocals of  "Mercy" reminds me of "Vogue".  These guys sow you how big and adventurous dark wave can be when you don't limit you self to simple 80s casio beats. There is an ebb and flow to the dynamics of songs like " I Let You" which lets the beat bubble with cautious restraint, before unleashing a big chorus. Donna's alto is more smooth than it is powerful, but she chooses some interesting phrasing. The 90s slink to " Crossed" really works for me as it is pretty dark. "Treacherous Thing" would fit on the dance floor of any goth night, with it's trembling pulse. It builds up in an almost nu-metal fashion, that adds to the dynamics.Their is slicker Knight Rider like groove to the verses of " Persona Non Grata"which has one of the harder hooks to its chorus and you will remember them. The final couple of song balance out their more rock side with the driving form of dark wave that will be a breath of fresh air to any goths missing what made the 90s such a great era for the genre."Someday" doesn't do as much for me as some of the previous songs, but like all the other tunes here they are well produced and thoughtfully written. The title track is a brooding ballad that floats on an intangible cloud of ambiance.It feels more like a dramatic outro to me rather than a song that stands on it's own two feet. If you are into dark wave their is more to like than not on this album, I give them big props for not just ripping off Faith and the Muse or Siouxsie , but still acknowledging those influences. I'll give it a 9, if you are fan it might be their perfect album.

9