"Like the Air" by Nemesea from In Control

I have an inexplicable fondness for tragedy stories. Not full melodrama, exactly, but if you read fantasy, you've probably noticed the obligatory Character with the Tragic Past. I love reading stories that have those Tragic Pasts and reasons for them. Sometimes I even think that's the reason I like fantasy so much.

That love of Tragic Pasts might be much of why I like bands like Nemesea. The music and lyrics aren't anything astounding, but I like them enough to own 'em.

"Like the Air" is one of those Tragic Stories. A woman who must fight every day to see through her pain (be it physical or emotional). The woman will "lose it all" if she "fails" (to fight), and she refuses that which can help her, so her story probably ends in suicide or at least suicidal feelings. She thinks that the solution to her pain is to "become just like the air"—which can have whatever meaning fits for you. I'm inclined to interpret it as being invisible and unnoticed.

Nemesea's singer Manda Ophuis is Dutch, but her English doesn't suffer for it in her singing. Her diction sounds native. Her voice itself is pleasing, actually making me think of a more mature-sounding BarlowGirl. Manda Ophuis's vocals demonstrate more stability and flexibility than a lot of singers—evidently without lip syncing, because I've listened to a few different live recordings and found differences amongst them. The song's range isn't anything unusual. But it's still pretty and reminiscent of something airy, well fitting the lyrics.

The music itself is a bit hard to categorize—the Dutch band Nemesea melds symphonic gothic metal with pop and rock. Wikipedia compares the band to After Forever, which works, though my first thought was of Delain's April Rain album (though Nemesea's admittedly a few years older than Delain).

"Like the Air" has a very melodic tempo, with a "wet" (echoing) sound for the beginning, though that fades. Electric guitar melds with more synthetics, so it's pleasant if you like electronica and rock. If you don't, skip this one.

As of this writing, Nemesea allows fans to listen to this song in its entirety through their YouTube channel.

---

Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 4/5
Overall: 8/10

"Angel In The Dark" by Nemesea from Mana

More than one Dutch metal band has a strong gothic influence on the first album, a sound that wanes in following albums. Nemesea qualifies in this category, and Mana was their first album. Ergo, "Angel In The Dark" has an undeniably gothic sound.

(In other words, listeners will find this song depressing or relaxing. Or both.)

It's a rock ballad, and the singer Manda Ophius demonstrates a nice voice, managing to sound strong and delicate on all the right points. Her Dutch accent comes through faintly, but she's still comprehensible.

The music itself contains a variety of instruments, though it's heavy on piano, electric guitar, and drums each in different sections. The sections do end up working together for the divergent parts of the 6-minute song, but the transitions sometimes strike me as a measure or so too long. And the volume is inconsistent through the song—you need to turn it up to catch the delicate piano beginning, then turn it down when the rock section kicks in. And sometimes the music majorly overwhelms Manda Ophius's voice. It's unfortunate.

The lyrics themselves speak of a girl who used to be cheerful and enjoy life, but a series of hardships have broken her down, leaving her depressed. She doesn't understand the bad things that have hurt her, that keep hurting her. Will she fight through the depression before it destroys her? "She wanted to be… an angel in the dark", someone who didn't let the dark times bring her down. Will she become that or not?

Frankly, I love the lyrics. They excellently express how even an optimist can end up depressed. And Manda Ophius uses her voice to add to the emotional impact of the song. If only we could hear her better…

If you enjoy gothic songs with tempos and such that change mid-song (like some of Nightwish's offerings), you'll probably like this.

As of this writing, Nemesea does not offer this song on their YouTube channel.

---

Lyrics: 5/5
Music: 3/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 8/10