We're used to Adrian Hates playing with our feelings, but the announcement of Diary of Dreams' new album was quite an emotional rollercoaster: first the joy of being able to wallow once again in the deep sadness of his work, then panic upon reading the title, Dead End Dreams, the first chapter in a series entitled The End of Dreams. The end of dreams? Don't panic, Diary of Dreams isn't announcing its retirement yet! The only panic is actually to be found in the 2002 track PaniK? and the lyrics ‘Dead end dreams, Sore throat from all these lies’. Phew, we can breathe easy. That said, Dead End Dreams is actually ‘only’ a mini-album. When will the sequels be released? How many will there be? We'll see. In the meantime, let's turn off the lights, shut ourselves away and immerse ourselves in this new ‘dark and apocalyptic’ story about ‘a world on the brink of collective collapse’. Dreams, perhaps, but firmly rooted in reality...
We hadn't yet had time to tire of Melancholin's hymns, but it's with pleasure that we rediscover Hates' deep voice, still as devoid of happiness as ever. Kein Allein and its martial tone paint a dark, disturbing picture. Diary of Dreams takes its time, building up the pressure, with a heavy, threatening guitar lurking in the background, reserving a few contemplative interludes as if to let us take stock of the emptiness, then letting out a liberating chorus. It is with The Chemistry of Pain that the storm breaks. Hates growls, the industrial nightmare becomes reality, it is at once sinister, theatrical, desperate... and, of course, beautiful.
This shorter format is actually a good idea because it offers listeners a journey that avoids repetition, providing a glimpse into the breadth of Diary of Dreams' aesthetics, from darkwave to industrial metal, as well as their emotions (all negative, we assure you). Thus, quieter tracks such as Tomorrow's Past, with its discreet post-punk ghosts, and the twilight-tinged Iamnowhere, with its haunting brass, blend easily into the whole. The Diary of Dreams formula is not reinvented here, but that is not necessary, as the subject matter is so masterfully handled, between poetry, melancholy, irresistible effectiveness, flawless vocals charged with emotion, and always that sense of simple melody that conjures up a whole host of images.
With only six tracks, it's tempting to give it another listen. You'll find yourself playing Dead End Dreams on repeat, captivated by its sometimes cinematic scope (hurt people hurt people), its richness, variety, and power, despite its short length and the overall classic format of the songs that make it up. It's Diary of Dreams in a nutshell, distilled to its essence, condensed into the project's most beautiful and catchy elements, new reveries full of pain and anguish that we happily immerse ourselves in but find difficult to emerge from... perhaps by then, we'll be able to move on to the second chapter!
