Posted on: November 2, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 2

The Dreaming has some big shoes to fill with their Puppet. The band features members of Murderdolls and Stabbing Westward, and decides not to take more than a second to introduce themselves. Puppet, the eponymous opener, immediately kicks listeners in the face. Despite coming from some of the biggest alternative rock bands of the last twenty years, The Dreaming comes to Puppet hungry. The resulting 12 tracks are full of fury, tied together through intense musicianship and a burning desire to burn down the world.

The disc’s second track, Every Trace, keeps things going in a brutal fashion – the arrangements present during this track will draw listeners in and keep them there through the end of Always and Never. End in Tears showcases the eclecticism of the band perfectly – there seems to be no lack in direction for the band to take. Stitches puts the drums up front and center and changes the dynamic of The Dreaming to a more metal-based, even tribal feeling act.

Where many acts are more than happy just to have the vocals or guitars direct the band, The Dreaming are able to shatter that expectation and keep things fresh by making a track like Stitches. Solo Crucifixion is another track that destroys preconceived notions. Late-album tracks are typically the dredges of the album, with tracks that the band either never truly got behind or just were unhappy with. However, The Dreaming keeps innovating and changing what one will expect from the band. What results in the whole of Puppet is a title that has tremendous amounts of replay value as well as being inherently catchy and more than heavy enough to keep the band running with other similar acts. Pick this up today.

Top Tracks: There Will Be Blood, Every Trace

Rating: 7.0/10

The Dreaming – Puppet (CD) / 2011 Epochal / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thedreaming

2 People reacted on this

Leave a Comment