I have had this demo by Sabinas Rex for over a year now (initially reviewed for another site, updated here); I was initially—and I continue to be—very impressed with the ambitiousness of this little demo EP. The word “demo” is sort of a misnomer these days because too often the quality of the recording defies that label of a demo. Such is the case with Praise The King.

A project that began some ten years ago, Sabinas Rex is masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Vlados Kormos (keyboards, bass, guitar, programming). Joining him is Jana Steiger (female vocals), Baron Misuraca (male vocals), and Edwin Shirey (guitars). Kormos and Misuraca are also members of the highly regarded and excellent goth metal band, Vasaria, a band once signed to Century Media Records. Musically, Sabinas Rex shares similarities with the heavier Vasaria, but with more of a goth rock sound and some metal influence. If you’ve been looking for a heavier, more metal version of the goth legend Bauhuas then Sabinas Rex may be the band for you.

The songs are of the slow- to mid-paced variety, showcasing a lot of atmospheric and orchestral keyboard work and some excellent lead guitar. Most of the album is based around the keyboard work of Kormos, giving the songs vast and seemingly endless avenues to wander. Steiger’s vocals are soft and somber and come across much like a light, guiding touch through the Sabinas Rex landscape. Baron Misuraca is at times a dead-ringer for legendary vocalist Peter Murphy of Bauhaus.

The EP begins with “When” and it sets the stage: atmospheric keyboard work with symphonic/orchestral touches and the slow, lush vocals of Steiger. About halfway through it picks up the pace and the Baron lays down some deep, gruff vocals before some nice lead work courtesy of Edwin Shirey. A good track overall, very nice as an introduction to the band. This is the only song where Misuraca approaches an almost-death metal sound, though even that comparison is sort of pushing it. “Praise The King” is essentially similar in structure to “When,” but it’s the Baron that shines on this track with his deep, doom-laden vocals. Again, more great lead work accentuates the somber tone of the song with a nice, welcoming disparity between the two.

The heaviest track on Praise The King is “The Way Somewhere Else,” and it’s also the giant whitehead on the nose of this EP. It’s severely out of place and it’s all too noticeable. It’s not a bad song by any means, in fact it’s simply just an instrumental with some background vocal melodies, but the problem with the song is that it just doesn’t fit within the context of the rest of the songs on this EP. The heavy keyboard work—is that a Hammond?—is reminiscent of something we’d hear from Arjen Anthony Lucassen on an Ayreon album, or something Erik Norlander would have on one of his projects. It just doesn’t fit properly right in the middle of gothic tapestry. Next up is “I Still See You,” my personal favorite. It’s got a great Dead Can Dance vibe to it; the Baron showcases his excellent voice on this track and the quiet lead interludes once again add just the right amount of change to keep it interesting throughout the entire song, a very important element when writing slow, meandering goth music that is very susceptible to becoming tedious and boring. Steiger returns for the next track, “The March Of Misery,” with her Kormos-labeled “gothic-witch vocals,” haunting a haunting track of the same nature. “Forward Forever” closes the album and is a short and simple orchestral keyboard piece of little consequence to the rest of the album, but it is appropriate for a closer on this sort of album, like the musical companion for the closing credits of a dark, twisted Seventeenth Century period drama called Sabinas Rex.

Overall—subtracting the misstep of “The Way Somewhere Else” from the equation—this band delivers the goods with striking accuracy. If you’re into Bauhaus, Dead Can Dance or all-things goth and vampyric, you may very well find Praise The King to be a welcome addition to your collection. The band has since released their follow-up EP called The Legacy Of Saints.

AUDIO: Streaming Samples

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