Chicago gothic grunge band Faerie Dream just delivered a potent first album titled Even In Death. This 7-track project switches back and forth between subduing and electrifying and doesn’t sacrifice an ounce of muscle while doing so.
‘Duster’ starts off the album making it clear that Ana is nowhere near an average vocalist. The first moments have an eerie sensuality to them with a vocal that floats like Dianna Lopez. Then, their voice slides to a smooth, strong, resonant grit that reminds me of Willow.
As soon as I heard ‘Dream’, I could see the pit that it was guaranteed to conjure. I get why the band says this is one of their favorites to perform.The bassist, Joy, treats this track to a tough, beefy bass line that is the song’s spine. Shoutout to drummer Jose‘s cymbal work under the hook also, so satisfying.
Kurt‘s guitar riff loops into a witchy soundscape on ‘Ouroboros’. For a bit, it feels like Faerie Dream is adding doom metal to their list of tricks, then the switch flips and it’s a speedy rage. The discreet vocal stacking and the distant background vocals give the song extra juice, and Jose’s relentlessness on the kit dropkicks it over the edge.
This band has major skill and they make it a challenge to call them by one genre. Every song goes through its own transformation it seems like, which is what inspired the album.
Transformation, the state of the world, how everything intersects within our own lives and the process of ‘becoming’.
Shedding your skin like a snake. Or like a chrysalis.
FAERIE DREAM
Even In Death goes from post-hardcore to ambient, gothic art punk to nu-metal, and shoegaze to grunge. That’s a flex when you sound this good. On top of that, Ana’s vocal chops are crazy impressive throughout the entire album. I’m excited to see them take up more and more space.
Upcoming Show Dates:
July 17, 2026
Color Club – Chicago, IL, USA
July 31, 2026
Burlington Bar – Chicago, IL, USA
August 26, 2026
Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL, USA
Find Faerie Dream on bandcamp | instagram