Quicksand Dream – Aelin: A Story about Destiny (2010)

When we first started listening to this album we noticed that it sounded a bit dated and ‘older’ for some reason, little did we know that it was originally recorded in 1999 and very limitedly released back in 2000.  Taking that into consideration, we are even more amazed on what sound this band had back in those days and can’t help but wonder where it would have taken them back then.

If you are a fan of Epic Heavy Metal and you like bands like While Heaven Wept, Equinox ov the Gods, Fates Warning, etc, then Quicksand Dream will surely grab your attention. The band mixes Heavy Metal elements with some Psychedelic rock influences and the overall Epicness of the band’s sound is greatly enhanced by the vocals of Göran Jacobson.

Featuring 7 tracks and around 51 minutes of music, “Aelin” is probably one of the most intensely emotional albums we have received in quite a while. The music feels very personal, and has a nice retro feeling to it. Since the opening “Pologue” we can hear the weeping guitars paired with the intricate bass guitar line and the melancholic vocals shine to perfection.

Other songs like “House of Wisdom” feature a brighter mood and a higher intensity, making this album very diverse and interesting to listen to. “Caress of the Breeze” could have easily been a Heavy Metal anthem, and it’s probably our favorite track of this album.

In the 16 minute epic “The Lighthouse Dream” (supposedly consists of 6 parts), the band shows a more progressive side of things and reminded us of Eloy and Yes in some points. This track is very well crafted and the mood swings are extremely interesting. Closing off with “Aelin’s Oath” (another 2 parts song), the band leaves the listener with a craving for more of their very interesting music.

In general we have to say that “Aelin: A Story about Destiny’ is truly a massive release that should have gotten more attention back when it was released. As much as we enjoyed this release, we would have loved it even more if the album’s sound was cleaned up a bit to sound more up-to-date. Hopefully the band does release something else in the future, since the creativity and abilities to make such a majestic release were there at some point in time.

Release: December 7th, 2010

Country: Sweden