Album Reviews : Dream On, Dreamer – Loveless

After the recent, unforeseen break up of House Vs. Hurricane, it’s not farfetched for Dream on Dreamer to claim the position of Melbourne’s hardcore homegrown heroes after the recent release of their official sophomore effort Loveless. Yet, without anything truly new brought to the table, Loveless constantly leaves us wanting, and the album, as a whole, feels as if it may have been a missed opportunity to create a signature sound.

Within the first ten minutes of the 5-piece outfit’s new release, passionate claims throughout the generic lead single ‘The World in Front of Me’ that the band can “change it all”, unfortunately, does not relate to Dream on Dreamer’s willingness to sway or even slightly shift the band’s musical direction. By all means, this should not be an expectation of such a relatively new entrant to the upper echelons of Australia’s hardcore scene; in all fact, it seems as if the band has made a conscientious effort to stick to what already seems to be a winning formula. After tirelessly touring on the back of 2011’s Heartbound, the Dream on Dreamer outfit have meticulously fine tuned a back and forth rapport between screaming and clean vocals, heavy bass drops and impressive guitar work. Kudos must be given to newly inducted clean vocalist Zach Britt who manages to bring a fresh approach to the band’s overall dynamic, notably during the halfway point ‘Neverlove’; however, despite a solid approach, Dream on Dreamer only appear to conform to the conventions of their previous releases.

Hints of other influences can be noted during Loveless, most notably Northlane’s recent innovative effort ‘Singularity’. Djent guitar riffs characterize ‘The World in Front of Me’, with the intro perfectly suiting the aforementioned style to the tee; even towards the tail end of the album, ‘Black Maine’ still refuses to budge from imitating Northlane’s signature style. ‘Foundations’ chorus, as a stand-alone track, may even bring comparisons to hardcore heavyweights, The Amity Affliction. Unfortunately, Dream on Dreamer are unable to import these influences and make them their own; rather, they seem to be trying to fit in instead of standing out.

Despite criticism, the punishing drums and harsh vocals that blast their way throughout the intro of stand out track ‘Moving on, Moving Far’ are a seeming indicator of what Loveless could have been; Marcel Gadacz’s command of attention for the majority of the track is attentively given, whilst Zach Britt’s symphonic clean vocal solo provides a welcome break. It’s almost as if Dream on Dreamer found a new direction during the track, and decided it was suited more as an exception to the album’s overall sound, rather than a rule. Unfortunately, continuing down this path could have produced an unexpected and welcomed addition to the band’s catalogue, possibly even catapulting them higher in the industry, rather than stagnating with the same techniques used since their debut in 2010.

Loveless is in no way a bad record, especially to those who have fallen in love with Dream on Dreamer’s tireless work ethic and seeming inability to rest for the past four years. For those who have previously enjoyed the band, their sophomore effort will not disappoint. However, for the rest of us who were hoping for the band to bring innovation, or a semblance of progression, Loveless falls short.

Band: Dream On, Dreamer
Album: Loveless
Year: 2013
Genre: Hardcore
Label: UNFD
Origin: Melbourne, Australia
dreamondreamerband.com

Track list:
1. Loveless
2. The World In Front Of Me
3. Foundations
4. Infinity
5. Hear Me Out
6. Neverlove
7. Moving On Moving Far
8. Evol
9. Black Maine
10. The Tracks We Leave Behind

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