We can't talk about symphonic black metal without mentioning the Dutch band Carach Angren. This band quickly carved out a place for itself in the black metal scene. However, Carach Angren is not like all the other black metal bands you know. They have a very special touch in their music, themes, lyrics, quality, and even in their cover art!
After their two successful albums "Death Came Through a Phantom Ship" and "Lammendam," they released their third one, "Where the Corpses Sink Forever," on May 18, 2012. Unlike the previous albums, which focused on Dutch legends, this time the theme is war. You start feeling and experiencing this topic as soon as you press play.
The album begins with a terrifying orchestral intro that tells the story of seven prisoners who are about to be executed, and we learn their stories in the subsequent songs. In that intro, we can hear all seven shots. Immediately after, we start tasting black metal as "Lingering in an Imprint Haunting" begins. There’s symphonic and orchestral music in every song, without deviating from the black metal form. The strong growls and grunts, the riffs, and the drums all enhance the storytelling. This creates an immersive experience where you live through the war and massacre, feeling the tragedy throughout the album. It culminates in the last song, "These Fields Are Lurking (Seven Pairs of Demon Eyes)," where we discover that the prisoners were actually ghosts who took the soldier's soul, making him suffer for eternity. The song ends with piano and rain sounds, enhancing the atmosphere of panic, sorrow, and destruction, transporting you back to the era of the world wars.
Like their previous albums, the quality is high, unlike many black metal albums. This is what attracted me to their releases. The cover art also caught my attention. It's not often that we see an awesome cover featuring the band's picture, but this one has a special touch. I think the specialty lies in their epic corpse paints!
"Where the Corpses Sink Forever," like all Carach Angren's albums, is exceptional. It could be admired by non-black metal fans as well as satisfy black metal listeners. If Carach Angren ranks now as one of the best symphonic black metal bands, they truly deserve it because this is an awesome album with deep meaning.
Rating : 8,5/10
