'Dancing Under Glass'
(1994)
STEVEN JOHN TOVEYGUITAR & VOCALS LEE ST JAMESGUITAR SIMONBASS JAMES SOUTHGATEDRUMS
Entwined came along like a breath of fresh air - five young, unashamed metalheads who single-handedly set about putting British gothic metal back on the map. But before images of wailing female vocals and badly played violins sprang to mind, consider this: Entwined were a gothic metal band with the emphasis on metal - they played loud and proud, and they also managed to construct something credible and original in the process.
Formed in Christmas '95, Entwined set about recording the obligatory demos, the second of which, 'Her Cherised Mask' found its way to the attention of Earache, who snapped the band up immediately. Impressed by Entwined's strong songwriting, characterised by twin guitar work and inventive keyboard lines, the label was blown away by the way in which a band as young as Entwined forged ahead playing numerous gigs and writing original material.
After joining forces with Earache, the band hooked up with producer Simon Efemy (Paradise Lost/Pitchshifter), and set about recording their debut album 'Dancing Under Glass.' The resulting record made a mockery of Entwined's apparent lack of experience, putting many more established acts to shame. Wearing their metal proudly on their sleeves, tracks like 'Shed Nightward Beauty' and 'The Sacrifice of Spring' prove that emotion, power and guitars do mix. Effortlessly mutating excellent twin guitar melody backed by keyboards that never dominate but compliment the music perfectly, 'Dancing Under Glass' will appeal to lovers of quality heavy music everywhere.
Vocalist/guitarist Stephen John Tovey was obviously enthusiastic about the album and the band's future. And he certainly didn't hold back in his descriptions of Entwined's music. Talking about 'Under A Killing Moon' for instance, the singer comments: 'Imagine ruined castles, moonlit, and gleaming against the stars'...'Sublimely melodic, with some gorgeous harmonies from Lee, this one grows from the barest sound to full-on classic metal riffery. Cool.' And Entwined were not short on confidence either; ''The Sacrifice of Spring' has my favourite bit of music on the whole album on the last riff, when Lee plays a harmony that's so layered it'd put Gorham, Sykes, Lynott and Robertson to shame.' Luckily the music on 'Dancing Under Glass' easily lived up to such bold claims with some outstanding musicianship that led Entwined to headline shows over far more established acts - even before their debut album is released.
The band's confidence was infectious - explaining the instrumental album closer 'XIII', Stephen argued; 'We wanted to get back to that Maiden 'Translyvania' or Metallica 'Orion' type feel of having an instrumental that is really a song that stands up on its own, without lyrics'...'And I think we pulled it off.' In an age where most bands rely on image more than anything else, Entwined used supreme songs, unshakeable confidence and genuine talent to stand head and shoulders above the rest.