Band:	Sunterra
Album:	Graceful Tunes
Style:	Gothic metal
Release date:	April 2005

01. Confusion
02. Graceful Tunes
03. Hidden
04. Spirit Of The Light
05. Somewhere
06. Quid Est Libertas?
07. Veil Of Darkness
08. Charon's Pond

Is graceful enough?

Gothic Metal is a genre that can adopt various forms, you have the beauty n' the beast kind (Tristania, Sirenia) the highly symphonic female one (Epica, After Forever), the melancholic rock-ish one (Charon, Entwine) and the straight eighties influenced (The Wounded, Klimt 1918). Austrians Sunterra doesn't belong to any of this categories, but they don't invent a new genre either.

The formula of the band is simple, mid-paced themes with flute arrangements, female vocals and growling as back up vocals. While the album fails to impress me in the first spin, it slowly gain my attention as the days go by.

This wasn't love at first sight, but is not going to be a long romance either, there are so many things bothering me about this album, while the songs are catchy and relaxing in a way, the keyboards are totally out of place, they sound too cold and static, I don't really know if it's the keyboard or the keyboardist doing the bad job here, but the keyboard fails big time in adding the atmosphere to the music.

Sure, there are some good songs like "Confusion", "Graceful Tunes" and "Quid Est Libertas" but the average song quality is quite poor to be honest. Even if it's a short album and passes by quickly, I can't compel myself to listen it in a whole continuous spin, I always end up listening those 3 great songs.

Not a bad album? but not memorable either, although has a soothing effect on me, must be the female vocals, they sound like the siren's call, which is a good thing (unless you're a sailor). Great vocals, awful keyboards (except the piano parts, those are good), listen and make yourself an opinion, I found this completely average. Enjoyable, but average.