Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Name: Carach Angren
Album: Death Came Through A Phantom Ship (2010)
Don't listen to this alone
It's back.
Sorry for the delays. As I said, I had a lot on my plate. But it's all finished now, so expect more of these.
Now, the main business. I'll make no bones about it: Carach Angren are, by a long, long way, my favourite Black Metal band. They haven't done a huge amount: a couple of EPs and a pair of full length albums, but what they have done is astounding.
This album is certainly their best work, and I'll tell you why.
When I first heard of this band, I didn't expect much of them: the subject matter didn't seem particularly unique, their names were obviously fake, and they just seemed pretty much standard: nothing notable, but possibly worth a listen.
I set off that night, plugged in my headphones and set the album running. Electronic Voice Phenomena seeped into my ears like blood through a rotten floorboard. My heart raced and I had scarcely rounded the corner before I was checking over my shoulder for cursed daemons of the night or other beings from the netherworld and dragging my twitching hand from the skip button. My shadow had become a doppelganger, intent on devouring me. The street lights flickered as if controlled by some malevolent force. The very air had frozen, in anticipation of my impending bloody slaughter. In short, the atmospheric opener scared me more than any thoughts of a serial killer ever had, would or could. Quite a good start.
I no longer paid any attention to where I was going; my feet took over as I focused on this audible ambrosia that was filtering into my ears. I was shocked to discover myself in the park when I looked up. The Sighting Is A Portent Of Doom kept up this unsurpassed style, with brilliantly arranged orchestral movements blending seamlessly into the driving guitars and double-bass drums. The brass comes in to close it, perfectly timed, with echoes of the Wolf theme of Prokofiev.
But it only got better. The third track is practically a horror movie in itself - I never thought that I would class shotgun blasts and falling corpses as music - and there on the tale of the nautical psychopath is mirrored perfectly by the backdrop of excellent orchestration and just general musical brilliance. Themes are played that are practically perfect, and I cannot find a single bad note or undeveloped phrase in the entire thing. Not once do they resort to blast-beat drumming, nor to simplistic rhythyms for but an instant. Yes, they do sometimes base themselves, briefly, on straight 16th bass drums, but never at the expense of the song, and never with every thing else made simple: always they have something interesting, something that seizes your ear and props it open with matchsticks.
But what makes this so special is that it is, in the absolute meaning of the word, unique. No other band could come up with this, nor would be able to do it justice when covering it, and I don't say this lightly. This is most easily shown by the lyrics. During Bloodstains On The Captain's Log, they list the cargo of the ship. Now, I know that sounds dull, even on a par with The Catalogue Of Ships (if you don't get the reference, get out. Now.), but it isn't. Somehow, "ivory and opium" is exactly what you want to hear. You realise that it's a "glimpse in his eyes", not a glint, that would be different. "A vicious false dog" is the perfect description. As you can see, the lyrics are certainly different. My personal opinion is that they were written in Dutch originally, and then translated. Certainly, that would explain "Weigh the anchor and hoist the sails!
Work harder you drunken snails!
For treasury like pepper as gold.
Let this nautical voyage begin.
We are powered by strong European winds."
But if you want a true measure of their individuality is the 6th track, which acts as an interlude: Al Betekent Het Mijn Dood (Even if it means my Death). The entire song uses just one tom (or perhaps timpani). There are sound effects of the ship, and you can even hear actual singing (not shrieks) - and it's rather good singing too. It exquisitely conveys fear, without need for screams or speed, but simply with a few violins and some trombones. It show their skill at arrangements, if nothing else. It is, in short, the perfect example of why Carach Angren should be a lot more famous than they are.
Summary: The pinnacle of Black Metal. Think Abigail Williams meets Beethoven at the cinema whilst watching a Ghost Ship. Oh, and they're both on LSD.
Lyrical Themes: It's a concept album about ghost ships, possession and divine curses.
Rating:9/10
Track listing:
1. Electronic Voice Phenomena
2. The Sighting Is A Portent Of Doom
3. And The Consequence Macabre
4. Van Der Decken's Triumph
5. Bloodstains On The Captain's Log
6. Al Betekent Het Mijn Dood
7. Departure Towards A Nautical Curse
8. The Course Of A Spectral Ship
9. The Shining Was A Portent Of Gloom
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