Listening to Australian cinematic rockers’ E3Project’s “Symphony Of Love” is a stirring, emotional experience. It’s also one of the best, most musically and creatively accomplished records we’ve ever heard in our time. The genre is best described as cinematic rock, owing to the symphonic instruments, synthesizers and textures masterfully employed to push forward a narrative about a love lost in a battle with a deadly disease. The 13 songs contain pop and alternative rock mottifs, characteristically benefitting from the presence of acoustic guitars and a dual male-female vocal attack.

While the compositions aren’t heavy in a sonic sense (no ear-piercing screams and metal guitars are to be found), they are notably dark and emotionally charged. The feeling of listening to a concept album is present through and through, and it’s quite impossible to gain anything from all this multi-faceted record has to offer without devoting your full attention to the layers and lyrics. “Symphony Of Love” is certainly not an easy listen, but it’s the kind of album that speaks volumes about the power of music to express one’s deepest, most sincere emotions as a form of coping and healing. It also doesn’t hurt that the songs are genuinely great, performed and produced impeccably by what’s clearly a trio of talented, competent musicians.

While it’s hard to offer critique for a record so creatively fluent and at the same time so tragically personal, we would have liked a little less restraint on the electric guitar. Its presence on track number eight, “You’re in My Dreams”, is the kind of emotional piledriver that makes us beg for more moments like this through the entirety of the record. What else is there to say – oh yes, delicate as it is, “Symphony of Love” is a powerful record. It can move one to tears. We mourned. We were impressed by the genuine musicianship and production. It’s an album that made us feel, think, reflect and choose our words for this review very carefully.

If you love cinematic soundscapes, a strong narrative, a haunting vocal performance, subdued guitars and piano, but most importantly – if you can handle raw, dark emotion – don’t ever miss E3Project’s wonderfully challenging “Symphony of Love”.