Angel

Try imagining a Disney soundtrack sympathetically written from the point of view of a classic cartoon villainess, and you’ll be well on your way to imagining the sound of the debut album from Angel. Helena Michaelsen’s deep, full voice will be familiar to Trail of Tears fans, and she’s also shown up recently with her new metal band, Imperia. This latest project, Angel, is closer to Lita Ford-ish hard rock than extreme metal, and to pop — orchestral pop, dancey pop, pop rock, popular musical theatre, etc. At times A Woman’s Diary is quite moving and it’s sometimes catchy, but the odd combination of sounds has an unfortunate tendency to see-saw between over-the-top melodrama and amusing cheesiness, and none of its more appealing moments is enough to save it.