I just picked this up (I usually don't listen to much gothic metal with female singers, I love Moonspell and that style more) and I have to admit, I really like it. I'll have to check out the previous album with this singer and the other stuff, I might end up picking up that too.
I definitely see what you're talking about when you said it took a few play throughs to sink in. It may just be because this is a little slower paced and the whole point of having a female singer, but the songs just sounded… strange at first. I love the talkover of whatever during the multiple songs (Pain Has Taken Over, Rain of a Thousand Years), it is reminiscent of Evergrey's
The Inner Circle. I know many bands do it, but I love progressive metal.
I was trying to figure out which is my favorite song so far, but the songs just jump around so much that it is really hard to narrow one down.