Entwine - Gone (2010)

Entwine's faintly gothic metal is designed for maximum crossover appeal; where most goth metal acts wallow in atmosphere, morbid lyrical obsessions, and growling, post-Andrew Eldritch vocals, Entwine stays close to the more commercial alt-rock arena, featuring conventional arrangements, songs about everyday angst and heartbreak, and a singer who sounds a bit like Alice in Chains' Lane Staley. Gone is a well-crafted record whose concise, melodic hard rock is bolstered by strong musicianship, but it lacks originality and real intensity; even Type O Negative -- who have done a great job of taking goth metal to the mainstream's front door -- deliver a more rabid bite than these Finnish sweet tooths. Down-tempo numbers like "Closer (My Love)" and "Grace" try to achieve dark elegance, employing all of goth music's stylistic affectations, but play like metal power ballads dressed up in crushed velvet and lace. Not bad stuff, but true fans of the genre will find Gone a little glossy.