Suppose that, after being frozen in ice, locked in solitary confinement, pulled through a wormhole from the past to 2007 or any number of equally improbable occurrences, you managed to make it through the past four years without hearing a note from Evanescence. Now, continue supposing you found a write-up about the band, one that tipped it as a mix of chilly electronics, big guitars, Goth overtones and a rock edge, with a front woman able enough to pull it all together. You'd probably jump to a conclusion that would sound like Walking with Strangers. The Birthday Massacre returns with its second album that combines new-wave era electronic, dark atmospheres, brooding melodies and bursts of hot and sweaty guitars on Walking with Strangers, and delivers the album Amy Lee wishes she could produce in her wildest tantrums. That's not to say The Birthday Massacre sounds like Evanescence as much as it's possibly the band's platonic ideal: What, in a perfect world where vision, talent and songwriting all perfectly align, Evanescence should sound like. If you're cringing at the thought, you'd better either bone up on The Republic or dig into Walking with Strangers to refresh your philosophy skills. We'll recommend the later, as it's a lot more fun to combine philosophizing with big beats than 2000-year old translations. For all the light Gothic overtones and blazing guitars, The Birthday Massacre is a pop band at heart, and those sensibilities serve to keep the band from floundering in hard-assed industrial noise. In fact, were it not for the grim overtones and occasional bursts of ear-splitting guitar that abound on this album, Walking with Strangers might fall easily into those same electro-Goth worlds as Heavens and Blaqk Audio. Don't worry, though, The Birthday Massacre hasn't gone soft on its sophomore effort, nor has it forgotten the sense of fun. "Looking Glass" and "Falling Down" take simple, synth-pop tunes inspired by OMD and early Depeche Mode, and tear them up with big, beefy guitars. Other cuts, like "Remember Me" and "To Die For" use the six-strings to expand their synth/dance foundation into worlds of dark, atmospheric rock. Singer Chibi swings between a coquettish coo and a throaty bellow, keeping Walking with Strangers on an even keel no matter in which direction her band moves. The Birthday Massacre could be a stunning outfit, but it lets too much kiddie-friendly, mall-Goth influence seep into Walking with Strangers. The band's pop side is just a little too prominent, a little too gooey and a little too fluffy to shake off the feeling that The Birthday Massacre is more comfortable hanging out at Hot Topic than delivering the goods at a standard-issue Black Sunday Goth night. With a few more years under its belt, a little more punch in its backfield and a lot more determination, The Birthday Massacre could be your favorite dark-rock outfit. For now, it'll barely make this year's top 20.
01. Kill The Lights 02. Goodnight 03. Falling Down 04. Unfamiliar 05. Redstars 06. Looking Glass 07. Science 08. Remember Me 09. To Die For 10. Walking With Strangers 11. Weekend 12. Movie
