Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Dream Or Nightmare - Light Burning Bright Til The Dawn – 2004 - Independent

Track Listing1. Lost Wish 2. Self Inflicted Gunshot Wound To The Head 3. Tomorrow Aside 4. Conflicting Addiction

Dream or Nightmare? That is the million dollar question that requires an answer.

Founded by guitarist Joe Sims in 1999, this USA based group consists of Joe Sims-Lead Guitars, Jim Arnold-Lead Guitars and Keyboards, Russ Kirk-Drums, and Dave Rhynard-Lead Vocals and 12-string. Yes guys and gals, count em, three guitars.

The Dream or Nightmare camp believes in the metal without the boundaries that place a band in the genre jail. Well, they tried. Basically, all this sounds like is the same gothic music that has become the cliché for the time. Also, don’t be fooled by the 4 track moniker on the back cover. There are actually 13 tracks on this. 4 are just blank and four are just noise. I can’t say I’d blame them though; I wouldn’t put tracks that are just full of crap on my track listing either. Yes, they have a predominate use of a downtuned piano sound, and the vocals are simply mediocre at best, musically, all is not lost on this release. The guitar arrangements do kick some major ass! Showcased on the first four tracks as well as the last hidden track, they are the only things that make this album bearable. The one and only notable track is “Self Inflicted Gunshot Wound to the Head”, the vocals finally hit dead on, and it doesn’t sound like your standard Goth. In short, for a band that tried to do something completely unique, they failed miserably. Thanks to the work of Joe Sims, the have the heaviness and thus, the necessary groundwork to be great.

My vote is Nightmare. What the band tried was a great concept and looked good on paper, but this release does a massive belly flop in the pool of heavy metal.

Personal Rating: Mama always said if I don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.



--Iced Mojo 6.13.06