Adrian Hates is one busy man; besides being the founder and owner of Accession Records, he is also the man behind Diary of Dreams, one of the darkest bands on the Metropolis Records roster. Characterized by a blending of effective production, distorted arrangements of electronics and guitars, tortured vocals and poetic lyrics, Diary of Dreams have been climbing the goth/industrial ladder for nigh onto seven years now. Their last album, Nigredo, was a concept album that detailed mythologies partially based in reality and partially in their own nightmarish visions. Now, the sequel, MenschFeind, has been released.

Leaving alone the disturbing cover imagery (which looks like a combination of “Silence of the Lambs” and “Village of the Damned”), this music is disheartening. From the heavy beats and ominous vocals, it would seem that the purpose of this album is to leave the listener in a state of discomfort, almost to the point of being utterly frightened. Adrian’s vocals are deeply melodic one moment, turning into a whispered growl the next. A good example is the title track, in which the chorus is sung in a low guttural tone that sounds like a demon calling your name. The use of atmospheric piano melodies in songs like “Haus der Stille” and “Killers” keeps these songs grounded in some recognizable reality that the listener can hold on to, while the electronics sound otherworldly. The beats are crushing, stomping their way into your psyche, and clearing the path for Adrian’s vocals to make their way to your very core.

While the sound of Diary of Dreams is not totally original, it is effective and not usually done this well. The songs progress in such a way that makes sense to the listener, embarking on a journey from one end of the atmospheric map to the other. The only problem is that these progressions are almost too logical, making the songs too long for extended listening. They start strong but before long the need to move on becomes apparent. The only exception to this is “Treibsand,” which is the shortest song on the album (though not by much), and the closest the listener will come to a club-friendly dance track. Of course, it’s difficult to have dramatic changeups in electronic based music, so the comparison to Type O Negative would exist only in the atmosphere that is produced, as well as the vocal tones. Adrian’s baritone doesn’t demonstrate too much of a range, sounding very low on the bass almost constantly. This can get boring after a while.

Diary of Dreams is not without talent—their songs are well-constructed and well-produced. This would make a good album for a goth nightclub in need of background noise, with its effective ambience and depressive tones and oppressive beats. The lyrics may sound like they’ve been lifted from the poetry archives of “Vampire: The Masquerade,” but they serve their purpose in pulling the listener into the band’s realm of disquiet. MenschFeind is a decent album, with its melancholic melodrama being both its strength and its weakness. There is little variety between tracks, making each track sound like different movements to the same song. Some could interpret this as a virtue, like a sense of classical composition (helped by the symphonic leanings of the closing track, “Pentaphobia”). However, it also makes the album sound the same from beginning to end. Par for the course for Diary of Dreams, but perhaps a sign also that the band should start looking into stretching out into other territories for fear of falling in the pit of tedium.

Track List:
01. MenschFeind
02. Haus der Stille
03. Day-X-Relic
04. Killers
05. Treibsand
06. The Cage
07. Pentaphobia