Questo è un album particolare che sin dalla sua uscita mi intrigò molto, visto le recensioni entusiastiche presenti in ogni rivista del settore e in ogni webzine metal! La voglia di avere quest'album era tanta, un oggetto del desiderio da avere assolutamente! Spesso capita che i nostri traguardi più ambiti e i nostri oggetti (o persone) più desiderate, una volta raggiunte, non riescano a soddisfare le nostre aspettative, forse perchè la soddisfazione che si ha una volta avuto il possesso dell'oggetto desiderato, non è così grande e godibile come la ricerca stessa dell'oggetto. Il desiderare è più eccitante del soddisfacimento del desiderio? Chi lo sa, fatto sta che appena ascoltato quest'album, le enormi aspettative che avevo, andavano deluse, forse perchè su una rivista avevo letto che il suddetto album era la rivelazione gothic, l'album che gli amanti di queste sonorità aspettavano da anni. Una volta però ascoltato l'album fuori dai pregiudizi e dalle mille aspettative, ho potuto apprezzarlo maggiormente e notare le tante cose interessanti che esso contiene.
Per chi non conosce o non ha mai sentito nominare questo gruppo, come possiamo inquadrarlo? Immaginate un Peter Steel (o il cantante dei Sister of Mercy) che decide di cantare su riff che sembrano usciti dal black album dei metallica (tipo "Metropolis" ), aggiungeteci un'atmosfera teatrale, dei carillon, un immaginario tetro che richiama i film horror degli anni 30 ed avrete più o meno un quadro più chiaro del suono che ci propone questa band. Un suono non originale, ma sicuramente personale ed intrigante. Così già dal secondo brano (escludendo il primo che funziona più come intro) "The Night of the Living Dead", possiamo riuscire ad inquadrare il "climax" che si respira nell'album! Un uso delle tastiere parsimonioso che tende a creare atmosfere horrorifiche ed un uso delle chitarre molto heavy in cui si inserisce un cantato baritonale ben fatto! La seguente "Wolfmoon" ha un incedere più marziale con uso di cori femminili in sottofondo e stessa impostazione è seguita dalla seguente e coinvolgente "Metropolis". "Elizabeth Dane" è una strumentale che è inserita perfettamente nel contesto dell'album ed è una cover strumentale del tema portante del film "The Fog" di Carpenter. "Horror of Antarctica" è uno dei miei brani preferiti, molto solenne e decadente. La conclusione è affidata a "The Deathship Symphony", sinfonica, teatrale, con un uso molto azzeccato di cori femminili a chiudere un album molto intrigante! Ultima informazione: i due membri del gruppo "Schwadorf e Konstanz" provengono dagli Empyrium!
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 A Shadow Arose (02:52)
Since the beginning of time there was darkness - and with darkness came fear.
Through the slumber of aeons it could never be undone.
The dark, the wicked and sinister dwells in all of our minds and now the stars are right to welcome the grand representatives of horror in this time and age.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the portals of darkness are open and the dead hunt over the Earth... Here comes... The Vision Bleak
His breath fills the night,
the shadow arose!
No one by my side
No place to hide,
No road to flee,
the seed of the night,
sent from the sea...
03 Wolfmoon (05:29)
Deep, deep shadows cast down on earth
by the cold moon's light.
In the moorland the mists rise up,
this is the Werewolf's night.
Twelve o'clock - the churchbells strike,
I hear the Wolfman's call.
His eyes are burning deamon-like,
this night he get's you all.
Wolfmoon, Wolfmoon burning bright,
through the forests of the night,
Wolfmoon, Wolfmoon set him free,
from thy gruesome tyranny!
Oh, young fair maid, did you not see,
the moon is full tonight?
Run -don't walk- from the moorland, flee!
Before he is in sight...
To feast upon thy maiden flesh,
to eat thy heart and soul.
Wolfmoon, Wolfmoon burning bright,
through the forests of the night,
Wolfmoon, Wolfmoon set him free,
from thy gruesome tyranny!
05 Elizabeth Dane (05:07)
11:55
Almost midnight.
Enough time for one more story.
A small clipper ship drew toward land.
Suddenly, out of the night,
the fog rolled in.
They could see nothing,
not a foot ahead of them.
And then they saw a light.
My God, it was a fire burning on the shore.
Strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist.
They steered a course toward the light.
But it was a campfire, like this one.
The ship crashed against the rocks.
The hull sheared in two.
The mast snapped like a twig.
And the wreckage sank with all men aboard.
At the bottom of the sea
lay Elizabeth Dane with her crew,
their eyes open and staring into the darkness.
... lay Elizabeth Dane with her crew.
But it is told by fishermen
and their fathers and grandfathers
that when the fog return to Antonio Bay,
the men at the bottom of the sea,
out in the water by Spivey Point,
will rise up
and search for the campfire
that led them to their dark, icy death.
And above, as suddenly as it had come,
the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean
and never came again.
Twelve o'clock.
the 21st of April.
(c) "The Fog" by John Carpenter
06 Horror of Antarctica (03:31)
Within the shadow of the arctic mounts of ice,
night had veiled the pole and darkness filled the sky.
The air was so cold - cutting our skin,
Freezing voices called us and the
winter winds did sing:
"Tekeli-li, Tekeli-li" through the night...
What ghoulish creatures brought 'em forth?
What sphere had opened wide?
"Tekeli-li, Tekeli-li" sounding through the air...
Where it did lead us to, no mortal
man should dare.
Right before our eyes of monolithic size,
one labyrinth of cities - draped in moonlight - did arise
"Tekeli-li, Tekeli-li" through the night...
leading to the icy ruins
a long forbidden site...
"Tekeli-li, Tekeli-li" through the night...
Build by horror creatures
from beyond our spheres of light...
07 The Lone Night Rider (05:04)
When night has fallen dark and cold,
and mists rise up from ground of old.
When fullmoon lights the earth in fright,
the lone grim rider chills the night...
Here come's the lone night rider,
this is his melody...
His victims might not know it yet,
their head is what he's out to get!
Here come's the lone night rider,
this is his melody...
He takes away your pleasure,
this is your vision bleak!
08 The Grand Devilry (04:46)
He is the wolf
that haunts the night
and the full moon's
blasphemous light.
He is the apple
that brought us sin
and he is evil
on the murderers grin...
If you feel fear it is the devil,
the old comrade of the dark
and if you hide you will fail to see,
the grand devilry!
So if you hate it is his stage,
he plays the wicked and the wretched
and if you hide you will fail to see
the grand devilry!
He is the poison
in our heart.
The flaming word
in each poets art.
He is the weapon
that leads through war
and he is the light
of the morningstar...
If you feel fear it is the devil,
the old comrade of the dark
and if you hide you will fail to see,
the grand devilry!
So if you hate it is his stage,
he plays the wicked and the wretched
and if you hide you will fail to see
the grand devilry!
09 Deathship Symphony (05:54)
Through moorland mist and fullmoon light -
we claimed the devil-tongues!
We sailed the sea in ghoulish night,
salt water filled our lounges...
We made our way through frost and snow,
under arctic skies.
Through monuments of steel - below! -
A shadow did arise...
With fear you will stumble,
before the deamons you will see.
From the grottos of hell to the dark
skies above -
The Deathship Symphony!
Once darkness has fallen,
there is no return!
Cursed to sail the sea of the damned
- The Deathship Symphony!
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