Carach Angren
Lammendam ()
Wydane przez Maddening Media/Al!ve VertriebRok wydania Kraj HollandNapisał Wouter8
A deceptively cinematic intro with playful piano melodies - clearly inspired by composer Danny Elfman - opens this record on a note that one would expect of an After Forever or Epica album. When 'A Strange Presence Near the Woods' kicks in another facet of this band rears its head. High-speed symphonic black metal like Limbonic Art and "Anthems To the Welkin at Dusk" and "IX Equilibrium" era Emperor. The vocals of Seregor (guitars, bass) are raspy and surprisingly well enunciated despite their serpentine character. The sharp riffing is commanding and solid, slightly neo-classical in essence, with much interplay with Ardek's synthesized violin, piano - and string sections. Combining high-speed black metal sections with progressive guitar work and orchestral synthesizer work Carach Angren merge the best of the various black metal subgenres. The versatile, aggressive and technical drumming of Namtar provides the band with much of its heaviness. The record tells the legend of "de lammendam", the saga around the ghost of a lady in a white dress. Carach Angren set the eye-witnessed myth to sound in way the listener feels cold chill crawling down his back. The story is told thanks to effective use of English, German and the band's native Dutch. Recorded at TidalWave Studio in 2007-2008 and mastered at 24-96 Mastering "Lammendam" comes with a high end production job that puts emphasis on the guitars while keeping a steady base of the band's lush orchestrations and symphonic elements. The creepy artwork and high quality design and lay-out give this album a professional look that puts some of the genre's biggest names to shame. Carach Angren - whose name means "Iron Jaws" in Sindarin - debuts strong after having just cut two demos prior to this record. Fans of (early) Axamenta, Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child will find lots to like here.
www.maddening-media.de
