orphansofdusk-revenant-reviews

Review from Extreme Metal Voyager

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:17:14 +0100

From: Extreme Metal Voyager

Published: September 29, 2015

Remember those atmospheric darkish blue paintings by Necrolord, which gave numerous Swedish Metal bands a great graphical front in the nineties? That´s the vibe I´m getting from the cover artwork of “Revenant”, a classic Death/Doom Metal motive with desolate landscapes and a dark figure in the center possessing eerie qualities. in 2015 this hardly has the same effect no people as it did in say 1995 with everyone having access to new music 24/7 and everyone preferring to gaze at beautiful artwork through a screen instead of a physical product! I´ll stop with the groaning and get on with the review.

Orphans Of Dusk are a Gothic/Doom Metal trio, based in New Zealand and Australia, and they´ve caught my attention with this four track EP, initially self-released last year, now given a new release treatment through Hypnotic Dirge Records. The music on “Revenant” projects the listener into grandiose halls with majestic gothic architectures, castles, churches, cathedrals and everything in between. The musical equivalents would be bands like My Dying Bride, Swallow The Sun, Saturnus and I feel like looping in Type O Negative, because of some of the vocal work, which I´ll get back to.

The aim here is to clearly have the guitar providing the lashing and crushing heaviness and only that, while the keyboards deliver the melodies with broad ranges of sounds and textures. “August Price” is a fine opener with a bittersweet atmosphere firmly grounded in slow tempos and artful gothicism. A distinct touch upon these tragedian musical sceneries is the crooning of vocalist Chris G. Beside the accustomed growls, many passages feature deep, gallant vocal lamentations that resemble Peter Steele´s low-toned booming voice, and these really give the songs another powerful dimension.

All tracks have a strong quality and are pretty different from one another. I´ve taken a special liking to the track “Nibelheim” as it´s the most varied of the bunch, starting off with an uptempo Death Metal feel, leading to a tranquil brigde before going back to a more keyboard/piano dominating second half backed up with gloomy riffs, a very exciting song. “Beneath The Cover Of Night” is the closing elegy producing several soaring sections where the two worlds of Gothic and Doom Metal really harmonize with epic magnitudes.

“Revenant” has become an EP that I´ve spent a lot of time with, quite possibly one of my favorite EP´s in my collection. I hope to hear more from these guys in the future.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by: Fróði Tórálvsson Stenberg

Review from Aristocrazia Webzine

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 18:15:35 +0100

From: Aristocrazia Webzine

Published: September 20, 2015

Original Link

Ogni anno vengono rilasciate migliaia di dischi, così ciò che fanno le fanzine cartacee, le webzine e i vari canali di comunicazione musicale aiuta a conoscere una minima parte di quanto viene prodotto. Di conseguenza è inevitabile perdersi qualche buon lavoro per strada, per poi ritrovarselo in un secondo momento.

Gli Orphans Of Dusk sono una di quelle tantissime creature che mi erano passate inosservate. Il loro ep "Revenant" venne pubblicato originalmente nel 2014 in solo formato autoprodotto e digitale, mentre ciò che mi trovo a recensire è un'uscita di stampo fisico supportata da un'accoppiata di etichette composta dalla canadese Hypnotic Dirge Records e dalla russa Solitude Productions.

La proposta del progetto australiano-neozelandese è un gothic-doom emotivamente saturo, le cui principali influenze di base sono identificabili negli indimenticabili Type O Negative di Peter Steele quanto nei Wood Of Ypres di David Gold, annettendo in certe situazione un'aura classica alla My Dying Bride-Paradise Lost e la capacità di infondere una tristezza grigia e malinconica tanto cara agli Shape Of Despair. I nomi chiamati in causa sono già tanti e farebbero pensare a un lavoro alquanto derivativo: di per sé non sarebbe ragionamento errato, se non fosse che G (voce) e James Quested (basso, chitarra e sintetizzatore) — il ruolo di batterista è ricoperto dal turnista Dan Nahum — possiedono la capacità compositiva ed espressiva di modellare pezzi in grado di raggiungere l'animo dell'ascoltatore. Ciò avviene in apertura con "August Price" che svela in toto le armi in dotazione al gruppo — iniziando dall'ottima fattura strumentale, passando poi per il piacevolissimo uso dell'alternanza fra voce growl e canto pulito dalla timbrica profonda e avvolgente — e si ripete con successo nella conclusiva e appagante "Beneath The Cover Of Night", traccia che più Type non si può.

La mezzora scarsa trascorsa in compagnia di "Revenant" non è di quelle episodiche: entrati in contatto con la musica degli Orphans Of Dusk, rimanerne incantati non sarà poi una cosa complicata. I ragazzi hanno realizzato un primo importante passo discografico, che per nostra fortuna è finito sotto il radar di gente attenta a tali sonorità. Non mi rimane quindi che augurare loro che ciò sia di buon auspicio per la creazione di un album di lunga durata quantomeno dello stesso valore, uno di quelli che valga davvero la pena attendere: in bocca al lupo!

Reviewed by: Gabriele Strano

Review from Deaf Sparrow Webzine

Sat, 29 Aug 2015 18:22:43 +0100

From: Deaf Sparrow Webzine

Published: August 18, 2015

Original Link

Ah, Solitude Productions, what good can’t we say? Without wasting too much time, it’s enough to simply state that when you see the logo or hear the name, you know it has to do with doom metal. Hypnotic Dirge Records, hey, what can’t we say about them as well? Though not known strictly for doom, said name and/or logo comes with an expectation of things of the eclectically dark (ambient, dark folk, etc.). HDR is the official distributor of Solitude Production’s releases here in America, but this is something a little different, because it’s a co-release from both. So seeing both of their logos on the same release was like opening a cathedral in which a funeral was taking place with everyone staring down at their shoes. Such a mixture of ideas and potentialities comes into the head it is almost impossible to conceive of the result without first experiencing it, which was much like listening to Revenant was like. In fact, at first, it was almost too much to comprehend, too many ideas coming together that were seemingly too simple, but with each listen another veil was lifted from the body lying in repose. Now it is time to cover it in flowers.

Orphans of Dusk have come out of nowhere with this one, their debut EP, because they don’t even have a demo before this, or at least one that’s possible to find. Let’s just say if you can’t find it these days with everything else on the Internet, it probably doesn’t exist. That being said, this trio comes from the region of New Zealand/Australia, and it’s clear with the first fact presented here that they obviously got the attention of these labels with something deemed worthy and fitting for the aesthetics of each, which Revenant most certainly is.

The basic structure brings us back to our analogy used above. The general presence of Orphans of Dusk is one of massive poetics. Keyboards with a focus on strings and organs, listless main passages, and vocals that roar yet also move into clean regions with a lament-like quality to their echo. So, in spite of how obvious it was, a classical funeral is exactly what the listener will envision upon listening to Revenant. At times it drags like a forsaken lover, at others it speeds up like the heart of a suicide staring over the edge of the cliff at the very moment of choosing death. This, thus, brings up an important point. Orphans of Dusk, at first, progressively come off as that Goth kid dressed in stereotypical black, with the stereotypical spike collar, the stereotypical black hair, and yes, the stereotypical love of literature that leans towards the vapid. However, the true beauty in this band and this release are the layers of meaning and sound to be discovered. After the first listen, suddenly there’s something poetic, it still seems trite but it’s there, and then the third listen comes and the atmosphere of the guitar work strikes one as touching, even meaningful, and the further you go the more you discover. But, don’t get us wrong, this isn’t a “grower”, it’s more like immutability. It’s constant, authentic, merely hindered by preconceptions, if you have them at all. It’s Gothic in the classical sense, but more Radcliffe than Walpole, literally packed with decades of development in only four songs. So, don’t be dismayed at first, give it a listen, and then perhaps two more if necessary, and soon you’ll understand why sometimes a funeral can only be described as it always has been, if done skillfully. So breathe the scent of that melancholic corpse and enjoy it for once.

Rating: 4.7/5

Reviewed by: Stanley Stepanic

Review from Femforgacs

Sat, 29 Aug 2015 18:16:25 +0100

From: Femforgacs Webzine

Published: August 27, 2015

Original Link

Több mint tucatnyi zenekart sorol hatásai közé az ausztrál és új-zélandi tagokból létrejött csapat, amiből rögtön kiderül, hogy milyen úton indult el az Orphans Of Dusk szekere. Ha csak a szembetűnőbbeket említem — Novembers Doom, Paradise Lost, October Tide, Type O Negative, (korai) Anathema —, abból nagyjából ki is derül, mit óhajt kezdeni hangszereivel ez a három zenész. A borító nem különben beszédes, a félhomály fedte gótikus katedrálissal és a keretbe foglalt szimbólumokkal, díszekkel. A belső borítóban elhelyezkedő képek barátságosan ismerős közhelyekkel predesztinálják a lemez hangulatát, az Edgar Allan Poe-t idéző halott lánnyal a törött tükörben, az elátkozott kastély látszatát keltő ékes domborművekkel, gyertyatartóval, miegymással.

A Revenant egy négyszámos kislemez, és ez minden, amivel a trió jelenleg rendelkezik. Mivel eredetileg ez egy 2014-es anyag, amelyet digitális formában már jó egy éve meg lehet hallgatni, ezért nekem is sikerült belefülelnem a dalokba mielőtt lecsaptam volna a már idei terméknek minősülő promó CD-re. A Solitude Productions (Doomed, Septic Mind, Funeral… stb.) is biztosan meglátta a csapatban rejlő lehetőséget, ezért a Hypnotic Dirge Records kiadóval közösen fizikai formátumban is kihozták az EP-t, a doom műfajt keblükre ölelők örömére.

A dark/gótikus metalként aposztrofált lemezek oroszlánrészével sosem kötöttem életre szóló barátságot, ezt az irányzatot, néhány kivételtől eltekintve, leginkább olyan főfogások fűszereként tudom értékelni, mint a doom vagy death metal. Ez történik a Revenant esetében is. Pontosabban mondva, a doom/death hathatós fúziójának nem vész el az elementáris ereje a szintetizátor alatt, és nem nyeli el a dalok egyéniségét a középszerű melodráma sem, amelyet az oly jellemző szelíd károgás szokott hamuszürkére festeni. A darkos jelleg egy természetes színezék, amely mindössze kiemeli a vaskos doomban fogant tételek lényeget.

A figyelmemet elsőre a Starless című dal keltette fel, a korai Anathemát eszembe juttató lassú riffjeivel. A dal gerincét alkotó témákat sikerült érzésekkel feltölteni, némi végzetességet beléjük vinni, melynek megvalósításáért a dobosnak is kijár a dicséret. Kimondottan tetszik a dobok megszólalása ezen a kislemezen: mély, telt és tiszteletet parancsoló. Az említett dalban a hörgést soronként váltja az enyhe pátosszal előadott tiszta ének, imigyen is hozzátéve valamit a gyászos hangulathoz. Főleg, hogy maguk az énektémák is erősek — a tiszta énekhangnak azonban néha érződnek a korlátai. A Starlesst a Nibelheim követi, amely egy igazi meglepetés. Ebben a dalban igen sok remek téma sorjázik, kicsit tempósabb, intenzívebb a riffelés, a szinti hangszíne és szerepe pedig kifejezetten emlékeztet a korai King Diamond lemezeken alkalmazott billentyűs betétekre. A dal több részből áll, már ami a tempót és a hangulatot illeti, de ezeket nem fogom a legapróbb hangokig kivesézni, hogy maradjon benne felfedeznivaló is. Annyit viszont elárulok, hogy a mindig változó vokál fogós és fülbemászó dolgokat produkál. A nyitó August Price-tól az elején idegenkedtem, mivel egy hagyományosabbnak mondható gothic darabról van szó, de aztán igencsak megkedveltem azt is. A zárótétel lassan hömpölygő folyamát és annak szépségét pedig a hallgatóra bízom. Tökéletes lezárása az EP-nek.

Úgy gondolom, hogy nem csak ahhoz képest jó a Revenant, hogy ez a zenekar első kiadványa, hanem egy valóban élvezetes hallgatnivalóval van dolgunk. Ötletekben nem szenved hiányt a csapat, érzik a doom/death lényegét, komolyan veszik azt, a zavaró méretű kliséktől távol tartják magukat, én pedig remélem, hogy ez a következő korongon sem lesz másképp. Jöhet bátran a nagylemez.

Rating: 8.5/10

Review from Metallifer Blog

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 20:25:59 +0100

From: Metallifer Blog

Published: July 8, 2015

Original Link

*Note: Also check this interesting artwork / image review of this album

Orphans of Dusk est un duo constitué récemment en 2013 et qui sort son premier album ou mieux son premier EP nommé Revenant via le label HypnoticDirge Records et Solitude Productions. Le duo est formé par le chanteur Chris G et James Quested qui est à la fois guitariste, bassiste et s’occupe des synthés. Pour réaliser cet EP le duo a recruté le musicien de session, le batteur Dan Nahum. On a parlé de duo et en effet tous les textes ont été écrits par Chris G. & James Quested et toute la musique a été composée que par James Quested. James Quested est basé en Nouvelle Zélande et Chris G en Australie. Il faut voir à l’avenir comment le duo envisage de se produire sur scène.

Revenant se constitue de 4 titres pour une durée globale de 27 minutes. August Price ouvre les hostilités avec une introduction qui fait rentrer tout de suite l’auditeur dans l’ambiance. Orphans of Dusk évolue dans un registre death / doom metal de qualité. On peut trouver des échos dans l’univers de Type O Negative, de Paradise Lost (période Icon avec des titres comme Joys of the Emptiness, Widow ou encore Colossal Rains) et d’Astral Sleep (sur l’album Visions). Les mélodies sont décadentes et accrocheuses dès la première écoute. En effet Orphans of Dusk nuance le gris de son monde avec une palette qui touche plusieurs nuances et pour atteindre ce but le groupe utilise nombreux outils. D’abord l’alternance d’un chant clair et d’un chant growl (présent surtout sur le titre Starless qui est bâti entièrement sur cette alternance). Ensuite l’alternance de moments death metal (toujours directs et incisifs) et des tempi plus doom voir atmosphériques. Et encore les ambiances sont toujours travaillées grâce à une utilisation toujours pertinente des claviers qui font virer le groupe vers un coté symphonique très marqué et mis en valeur surtout sur les deux derniers titres qui sont Nibelheim et Beneath the Cover of Night.

Le titre Starless présente un travail approfondi sur les lignes vocales. Si on découpe le texte par rapport à la voix grunt et à la voix grunt on obtient ce résultat :

Il apparaît donc assez clair le travail de fond Orphans of Dusk puisque si on lit le texte dans sa totalité ou si on le lit avec le découpage donné par les deux voix, ce texte présente toujours un sens.

Orphans of Dusk signe avec son premier EP Revenant un album intéressant car très abouti par rapport à la musique aux textes et surtout aux atmosphères. Nul ne doute que le premier album reste très attendu car le groupe avec cet EP a mis la barre très haute.

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Cristiano Basso

Review from Crown of Viserys Webzine

Sat, 04 Jul 2015 00:44:17 +0100

From: Crown of Viserys Webzine

Published: June 27, 2015

Original Link

Crawling from my speakers with a ponderous pace, the New Zealand/Australian band Orphans of Dusk is an amazing amalgamation of gothic doom in the vein of Type O Negative and Woods of Ypres, and death doom like old Katatonia and My Dying Bride.

This EP is a great snapshot of the band, with slow moving and ultimately beautiful sounding compositions. Taking listeners through only one real emotion, melancholy, with glimpses into pure depression and anger, the songs blend elements from the masters of doom and gloom into something original.

Chris G, the vocalist of the band, sings like Peter Steele at times, and outright sounds like him when he does a whispered spoken word section. Sometimes he sounds a bit like David Gold as well, which I enjoy because David Gold is one of my favourite singers. As far as instruments go, James Quested plays riffs that would make Norrman and Nyström happy, with bass lines and keys that would make fans of Peter Steele and Josh Silver happy. Drums were handled by a session player named Dan Nahum, and his work is wonderful. I hope he either becomes a full-time member of the band, or else is rehired for any future recordings. A great tone, and extremely complimentary to Quested’s music.

Unfortunately for me, this is just an EP. I hope Orphans of Dusk produce a full-length soon, because this little look at their sound is just not enough. Those who like Type O Negative‘s Bloody Kisses as well as The Green Album and Grey Skies and Electric Light from Woods of Ypres will definitely enjoy Revenant, while fans of the Peaceville Three will be quite delighted by the songs held herein.

Reviewed by: Dustin Ekman

Review from IYE Webzine

Sat, 04 Jul 2015 00:41:48 +0100

From: IYE Webzine

Published: June 25, 2015

Original Link

Pochi giorni fa avevo benevolmente tirato le orecchie ai Luna, nella persona dell’unico musicista coinvolto, in quanto l’ultimo full length si mostrava eccessivamente derivativo, benché questo sia un aspetto, almeno in ambito doom, al quale normalmente attribuisco un peso del tutto relativo.

Gli Orphans Of Dusk, in tal senso, rappresentano un certo elemento di discontinuità in quanto, pur attingendo anch’essi in maniera signifcativa all’imprimatur di una band specifica, riescono a farlo fornendo al loro sound quell’impronta personale che nell’esempio appena citato latitava quasi del tutto.

Il duo oceanico, formato dal neozelandese James Quested agli strumenti e dall’australiano Chris G. alla voce, offre un’interpretazione efficace ed elegante del gothic doom omaggiando a più riprese i monumentali Type 0 Negative nella loro veste più oscura, ma senza dimenticare di inasprire il sound di venature più robuste, oltre che tradizionalmente devote al genere come nel drammatico incipit strumentale di August Price, grazie anche ad un buonissimo growl che va ad alternarsi con sapienza ad una timbrica profonda che richiama non poco quella dell’indimenticabile Peter Steele.

Revenant consta di quattro brani per una mezz’ora scarsa di musica in grado di riconciliare gli appassionati con il genere, finalmente, senza dover ricorrere a particolari artifici. È fuor di dubbio che Beneath the Cover of Night, ad esempio, paia a tratti un riuscitissimo outtake di “October Rust”, ma sono le doti compositive degli Orphans Of Dusk a fare la differenza, facendoli balzare agevolmente da un ipotetico status di opachi scopiazzatori a quello di continuatori legittimi ed ispirati del sound di una delle band più influenti degli ultimi vent’anni.

Sarà difficile non restare incantati dalle atmosfere soffuse, melodiche e pervase da un non comune gusto malinconico che gli Orphans Of Dusk riversano nelle proprie composizioni: Revenant, pur nella sua veste di Ep, è già un lavoro del tutto appagante e di livello superiore alla media, ma è solleticante pensare che la band sia concretamente in grado di riprodurre la stessa qualità in una prova su lunga distanza; intanto il duo oceanico è entrato nell’orbita di un’importante label di settore come la Solitude e questo è già un bel segnale.

Rating: 8.3/10

Reviewed by: Stefano Cavanna

Review from The Metal Observer

Tue, 26 May 2015 21:57:26 +0100

From: The Metal Observer

Published: May 25, 2015

Original Link

2014 was a good year for doom/death. Established acts like Novembers Doom and Vallenfyre put out excellent new albums, while we were also treated to an excellent debut from Temple of Void. Revenant, the debut EP from Australia/New Zeeland’s Orphans of Dusk, may have flown under the radar for many, but like Temple of Void it shows that there are new bands who continue to do the style justice. Originally released independently in 2014, the band is now signed to Hypnotic Dirge, who have re-released Revenant on CD.

Orphans of Dusk plays on the more gothic side of doom/death. Vocally, the band utilizes both deep death growls and clean vocals. The growls are slightly reminiscent of Paul Kuhr from Novembers Doom in that they are guttural yet decipherable. They’re solid to be sure, but the clean vocals are far more interesting. Vocalist Chris G. (also of Mesmur) has a deep, rich baritone that recalls the late, greats Peter Steele and David Gold. The clean vocals are this debut’s strongest asset; they really elevate the four songs on Revenant and provide much of the E.P.’s emotional depth. While all four tracks are good, “Starless” and the churning “Nibelheim” are slightly catchier than “August Price” and “Beneath the Cover of Night.”

Orphans of Dusk made an interesting choice in not having a second guitarist, opting instead for a more pronounced synth presence. It works for them; Revenant doesn’t sound like it needs a second guitarist, and the synths complement the deep, gothic vocals nicely. The guitars shift between doom lurches and slightly groovy death metal riffs, while the synths and clean vocals provide the melody. There is a distinct My Dying Bride influence to Revenant, particularly with regards to the former’s more recent output. Although the band’s influences are fairly obvious, Revenant feels very natural and is performed in such a heartfelt and genuine way that it is easy to forget this is just a debut E.P.

My Dying Bride meets Type O Negative may sound too good to be true, but Orphans of Dusk come close. Revenant sounds like the product of a much more experienced band. Orphans of Dusk is definitely on to something with Revenant and the band’s potential is unmistakable. With this very impressive debut Orphans of Dusk has created a memorable first impression for doom/death fans and I’m excited to see what the band can do with a full-length

Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by: Nathan Hare

Review from Friedhof Magazine

Tue, 26 May 2015 21:53:26 +0100

From: Friedhof Magazine

Published: May 25, 2015

Original Link

Llega a mis manos esta vez el primer EP de Orphans of Dusk, banda australiana formada por Chris G (voces) y James Quested (guitarra, bajo y sintetizadores) y que cuenta además con un verdadero mercenario de la batería, Dan Nahum, quien ha tocado en hasta en 12 formaciones hasta la fecha.

"Revenant" es el título que lleva su primer trabajo, editado de la mano de Hypnotic Dirge Records, y que nos presenta cuatro cortes de un Gothic Doom oscuro y atmosférico, muy bien balanceados, casi podríamos decir que de manera precisa, desdibujando la barrera que habitualmente podemos encontrar en otros trabajos de Gothic Doom. Podemos encontrar atmósferas pesadas casi desde el primer minuto de su escucha con "August Price", que combina con pasajes más feroces gracias al doble registro vocal de Chris G, capaz de unos muy decentes guturales así como de un registro limpio, pero tan triste y grave como la más oscura de las miserias (y aquí tengo que decir que me recuerda mucho al fabuloso From these Wounds" de los noruegos Funeral).

La dinámica del disco sigue en la misma línea a lo largo de las cuatro canciones que lo componen, donde encontraremos riffs pesados, atmósferas angostas y una estupenda labor vocal en sus dos versiones, la acongojada y melancólica que combina perfectamente con feroces gritos de rabia e impotencia. Y si deseáis encontrar una muestra representativa de lo que digo solo tenéis que pinchar directamente "Nibelheim" y dejaros llevar por esta marea de sensaciones.

Se trata, en definitiva, de un digno trabajo que a mi humilde opinión se queda corto -por su escasa duración, aunque no podemos pedirle mucha más chicha a un EP-, pero que espero que sirva como preámbulo para un futuro larga duración. Muy recomendado a los aficionados a los sonidos de bandas como Funeral o Evoken que busquen trabajos menos densos (pues no se trata estrictamente de un álbum de Funeral Doom) y, por supuesto, a cualquier aficionado al Doom Gótico que ya se ha cansado de productos manufacturados con sintetizadores, teclados y voces femeninas y quiera darle una nueva oportunidad al género. Este trio de Nueva Zelanda no os defraudará, no en vano tiene el beneplácito del sello ruso Solitude Productions, una verdadera meca para el doomster de hoy en día.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by: Victor Senao

Review from Disfactory Webzine

Tue, 26 May 2015 21:52:01 +0100

From: Disfactory Webzine

Published: April 28, 2015

Original Link

Una gran bella realtà si affaccia speranzosa sul panorama gothic/doom di classe, l’affare è di quelli “grossi”, la consistenza del materiale parla da sola e l’attenzione delle etichette diventa automatico (perl’occasione assistiamo all’unione di Hypnotic Dirge Records e Solitude Productions). Troppo facile dare fiducia sulle basi di questo ep d’esordio intitolato Revenant (diamine, lo farei pure io). Loro si chiamano Orphans of Dusk, provengono dall’Oceania (per metà Australiani e metà Neozelandesi) e ci danno una musica di cui sentivamo proprio il bisogno. Ma certamente non tutti si stropicceranno gli occhi una volta presa visione della definizione “gothic/doom”, forse bisognerà fare delle aggiunte per invogliare, per spingere le correnti verso questo monicker che sembrerebbe rappresentare l’esatto contrario del suo attuale “status anonimo” (incrociamo le dita e speriamo di sentirne riparlare viste codeste promesse).

Tre nomi più uno per scegliere se stare con gli Orphans of Dusk o meno, quattro nomi che scattano subito, tre come riferimento assoluto, uno per vicinanza/convenienza geografica. I primi sono sicuramente Shape of Despair, My Dying Bride e Type O Negative (dai primi due lo stile predominante e una certa “ariosità angelica” tastierosa, dai terzi qualche liquida sospensione più alcune vaganti concessioni liriche che vanno pure a braccetto con quelle dei Paradise Lost), gli altri i meno noti Avrigus (poche cose ma tutte da ricordare), il trionfo da qualsiasi parte lo si guardi è di quelli eccezionali. La musica agisce lenta, ma l’impatto fa il suo esatto opposto, bastano giusto i primi secondi di August Price per poter rimanere increduli e paralizzati, le antenne si rizzano automatiche, e noi lì, ipnotizzati a guardare il logo di questa band ancor così sconosciuta. I quattro brani di Revenant scorrono, ma le cose restano bloccate su quella partenza, non si schiodano più da quella situazione sino a quando sarà il silenzio a proferire verbo. Eh si, all’amo ha abboccato un pesce davvero grosso e mi riempie di gioia poterne parlare così, nel mentre della loro partenza.

Quattro canzoni, 27 minuti, tutto qui per incantare. La fisionomia appare “sacra” già sulle note di August Price, poi se possibile i nostri fanno ancora meglio con Starless, una perla che va oltre i comuni sensi catalogabili. Quello che stupisce è la sicurezza di fondo, la loro capacità di far rendere growl e pulito su massimi livelli, l’entusiasmo come risposta sta lì a ringraziare, e non ci inganniamo come siamo soliti fare in molte occasioni, lo comprenderemo quando ci sentiremo straordinariamente a nostro agio, è una sensazione innata e non serve aggiungere altro per tentare di definirla. Nibelheim incanta e seduce, Beneath the Cover of Night scandisce gli ultimi otto minuti di meraviglie con un incedere “metafisico” di pura contemplazione.

Non può esistere esitazione di fronte a Revenant, partecipate, unitevi festanti per questa nuova possibile consacrazione.

Reviewed by: Eden Kupermintz