Julian’s Lullaby – “I Can Hear You Thinking” DEMO (2008)

Independent Release

Review by Tony Cannella

Julian’s Lullaby are from Greece and they feature duel male and female vocals. They play what can be described as a mix of folk, rock and metal. It is an interesting combination that can be heard on their fascinating debut demo “I Can Hear You Thinking”. The opening track “Eyes of Grey” starts off slow than get’s heavier as the vocals of Efrosyne Papamichalopoulou come through. Her vocals are very pleasant sounding and operatic. This is a good opener, that features some wicked lead violin at the end of the song. The next track, “Kiss Me Not (Tonight)” opens with a heavy riff. On this track Antonios Chanotis takes over on lead vocals. He has more of a dramatic, classic metal approach, his style may take some getting used to for some, but after a few listens I was really liking them. Efrosyne joins in on the chorus as the two vocal styles add depth and texture to the music. Again, violins are featured prominently throughout. They are used almost like a lead guitar, but it definitely adds to the music in a positive way. The next song, “Queen in Your Dream” has a great riff and is very melodic and accessible, which again sees Antonios handling the bulk of the vocals. This song also features a great guitar solo by Nigel Foxxe, who is listed only as a guest musician. Next, is “Hanging Crown” again it starts with a great riff (I’m getting redundant here) the guitar work is solid throughout. Aplonios is again the main vocalist here. Another strong track.“Ocean of Tears”, starts with an eerie intro than begins with another solid, heavy riff. The male and female vocals are about 50/50 on this song. You can’t help but love the interplay between the two vocal styles on this track, that is the strength of this song, as well as lending to it’s overall diversity. Another definite highlight. “Just for a Day” opens with a piano as some melodic guitar joins in. Here Efrosyne‘s vocals once again take center stage. This is a very melodic number that brings this collection to a satisfying conclusion. Julian’s Lullaby are an interesting band. “I Can Hear You Thinking”  features 6-songs and about 25-minutes worth of strong material. Great sound and presentation. I love the inclusion of violins as a prominent instrument, it only adds to the music. This is definitely something that needs to grow on you, but after a few listens, I wanted to hear more.