Dreamcatcher is Surrounded by Darkness in “Scream”
Dreamcatcher announcing a return is always an exciting time, especially considering that they’re mastering a sound no other group has maintained thus far. Queens of heavy metal influence and dark concepts, there was no doubt that “Scream” was going to embody this trope, and I couldn’t have been more excited for it. This comeback also marks the group's first full album release in Dystopia: The Tree of Language. Even though Dreamcatcher has a predictable formula with each of their comebacks, they somehow manage to add something fresh with each return that keeps the repetitive nature of their concept from falling flat.
“Scream”
There’s no subtlety in intensity here: JiU begins the song with the lyrics “My blinded eyes are covered with blood” accompanied by a heavy drum bass and electric guitar riff reminiscent of popular heavy metal songs, not unlike a melody you would find in Metallica’s or Disturbed’s discography. The song then shifts with a traditional pop beat overlayed on the staccato guitar rhythmic line, likely used to emphasize the intensity of the vocals and concept overall. It’s interesting how well the metal influences meld with the additional pop rhythms, something that isn’t easily achieved by any means given how polar opposite the two genres tend to be. In addition, there’s a quieter piano break at the bridge leading into the chorus, settling things down slightly before an eerie scream takes us to the chorus drop. Gahyeon’s and Dami’s rap verses have an extreme power behind them that fits perfectly with the more intense melody and balances out the generally smooth and less intimidating vocals. Musically, “Scream” is another brilliant release from the group that manages to blend genres that are the antithesis of each other in just about all things.
And yes, the music video is just as breathtakingly beautiful as well. As darkness is the main theme, all of the sets give off a spooky and generally abandoned vibe, with Siyeon stuck in a deep purple haze and SuA sporting a large sword in a barren forest. Any light used either comes from flashes of lightning in the background or a view as the sun sets, highlighting the darkness of their surroundings. The tree of life seems to be the main focus of the whole video, with numerous shots of light being taken from it and the girls running toward it. The choreography shots are especially gorgeous, switching back and forth from black outfits bathed in red light to white outfits in a brighter setting. It’s also notable that member Handong is not within the lineup for the music video, but her spot is filled by a dancer wearing a mask rather than creating the choreography for just the present six members, marking the significance of her spot. I think it’s safe to say that Dreamcatcher has outdone themselves once again with this comeback, as I can find no complaints for either the music or videography.
The Album
This first full album, Dystopia: The Tree of Language, features a whopping 13 new tracks, much longer than anything the group has released before. As per usual, the album begins with an intro that leads into the title track, in this case a particularly eerie melody that fades away at the end to set up a dreadful feeling as the title track takes hold.
“Tension” kicks off the album’s B-sides with a powerful electric guitar riff and a driving tempo. Because of the faster rhythm, the song has a bit more energy than the title track, but it still has a bit of a dark air that’s more subdued in comparison. “Red Sun” begins with a creepier feeling than the other tracks, almost like a haunted dollhouse melody. It’s particularly intriguing, especially when the hip-hop influences cut in and take over at Dami’s verse. It’s also the first track to introduce some different musical influences, with less focus on the intensity and more on a different creative direction while maintaining the eerie atmosphere. “Black Or White” is another track that ventures off into another direction, and it’s definitely refreshing. While maintaining a focus on the importance of the electric guitar melody, the song has many more modern day pop influences that focus on pulling in different elements of EDM and hip-hop to create something fresh. The song is catchy and also features an orchestral melody in the bridge to add on top of all the differing elements. It’s hard to explain “Black Or White” through words, but one listen and you’ll get it.
Predictably, the next track “Jazz Bar” sounds like it’s straight out of, well, a jazz bar. It brings a stark contrast to all the songs that come before it, but especially the title. The smooth and mellow atmosphere provided by this song doesn’t seem like something you’d get from such an intense group like Dreamcatcher, but that’s what makes it so perfect. The girls flawlessly execute the feeling of the smooth jazz genre, especially with their particularly delicate vocals.
“SAHARA” returns us to the Dreamcatcher we are all familiar with, this metal sound focusing a bit more on symphonic metal with a twinge of Eastern musical influence in the minor key used in the backing melody. “In The Frozen” adds in more of an EDM influence, particularly in the chorus, which is most of what differentiates it from the rest of the album. The vocals feel a bit gentler in this track as well, as if to express frigid conditions rather than the fiery intensity of the title track.
We slow back down with “Daybreak,” a softer track with a feel similar to “Jazz Bar,” a fluid melody with R&B delicacy that emphasizes the velvety nature behind traditional R&B. I particularly enjoy the different feeling of these two songs and what they bring to the whole album, even if they don’t fit as cohesively into the theme. We’re closing in on the end of the album with “Full Moon,” a sound back to traditional Dreamcatcher and highly reminiscent of their first title, “Chase Me.”
The album concludes with an instrumental outro that amps up the creepy aura encompassing the full comeback, leaving a sense of unease in the dissonance between the soft piano and driving tempo as it fades out to silence. This is followed by the traditional final track on an album, an instrumental of the title, but there is one more treat left at the very end. Earlier this year, member Siyeon released solo single “Paradise,” which is included as the final song on the album. Since the softer, more ballad focused track doesn’t quite fit into the entire motif of the album, it was probably added last. But regardless, it’s a lovely sendoff for the album.
I’ve rarely been disappointed by Dreamcatcher’s comebacks, but as of late it feels like they’re continuing to outdo themselves. Perhaps it is just because I am a huge fan of darker concepts and don’t feel they get enough continuous representation. I am impartial toward the group, but it wouldn’t matter if they did not have the talent to back it up. Dystopia: The Tree of Language maintains the concept of the comeback almost flawlessly, with just a few songs sticking out as outliers. And despite that, the outliers hold their own strong charm. This is probably my favorite album Dreamcatcher has released to date, and I’m not sure they’ll be able to top it in the future. This leads to my final conclusion: stan Dreamcatcher.