ProgRock Records, 2008

Factory of Dreams is another project by Portugal’s highly creative and productive Hugo Flores. This time around he has teamed up with Jessica Lehto on vocals, while the music is performed by Flores himself.

One look at the front cover of the album doesn’t promise much. In fact this cover, designed by the otherwise good designing house Gothique-Noir, sends the signals that this is another one of those highly uninspiring prog/power metal releases, whose storyline is placed somewhere in the future and which is filled with cliché lyrics and music. Fortunately, this is not the case and already after the album opener “Transmission Fails” it is clear that this project offers much more.

Unlike some of the other projects by this young Portuguese multi-musician, Poles focuses more on a more simple song structure driven by melodies. What adds to the complexity are instrument arrangements and the very interesting production, where keyboard and other electronics dominate the picture while powerful guitar parts together with programmed drums support it effectively without standing out.

And yes, the story is actually placed in a far-away planet in the city that is by river divided in good and evil. The story is over the top and kind of cliché, but some of the storyline is something we can relate to.
In Jessica Letho, Flores has found a talented singer, who has also arranged all the vocals eminently; however, one of the biggest strengths of her vocals lies in a great mixture of gothic vocals from the present and those from the beginnings of the genre. Some of the traces of vocal styles can be traced to the likes of Within Temptation and Nightwish, but for the most part Lehto’s style draws more parallels to the bands that started and defended the genre, such as Siouxsie & the Banshees, Cocteau Twins and Switchblade Symphony. These vocals mixed with a somewhat futuristic feeling in the music creates a beautiful atmosphere throughout most of the album.The album offers some breathtaking moments such as “The Piano In The Sea” and “Crossing The Bridge To The Positive Pole”, but it also has some weak points that lack ideas and focus.

Generally speaking, Poles is a positive surprise and a very good fit for the dark and cold season that is upon us.
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