God's Silence, Devil's Temptation
[Napalm Records]

Quick!  Name a metal band from Liechtenstein....I'm still waiting...

Ok, so there aren't too many metal bands from this tiny Germanic country. But, Elis are a top-notch female-fronted act that fall somewhere in between Nightwish and Theatre Of Tragedy, but more varied in style.

Elis' overall sound is symphonic gothic metal with female vocals, with occasional death-like male vocals and electronic elements. It isn't quite as bombastic as Nightwish can be, and at times isn't really metal at all. They manage to be both familiar yet forge their own sound.

The focal point of Elis is vocalist Sabine Duenser. She has a very pleasant and versatile voice:not too high, but with a fairly wide range. Sometimes singers in this style can come off as a bit too dramatic for my tastes, but Sabine does a fine job here of keeping that in check. The death vocals of bassist Tom Saxer that appear on a few songs deserve mention, as well. He has a deep, gruff voice that is a great contrast to the gentle soprano of Ms.Duenser. I guess you might call it a "Beauty and the Beast" sort of thing.

There is a lush, almost transparent production on God's Silence, Devil's Temptation. Everything is well recorded, especially the synths and piano, which are audible even through heavy guitars and drums. The bass could have used a little boost, but that is a minor point.

Elis should be commended for crafting an album that is both heavy and beautiful without copying the bands that they are influenced by.Anyone who enjoys female-fronted metal should check them out.