Cacophonous? Really? That brought a wry smile to my face when the long awaited by me second album from this Darlington quintet finally arrived. For a band who have previously worn their Cradle Of Filth influences firmly on their longsleeves it was kind of nice seeing them find this as a home. Of course what was nicer was that this hard gigging band had finally managed to get this out and I could discover if they had progressed as much on record as they have live.
Well, blow me down and call me Peg Powler if they haven’t done just that.
I remember reviewing their debut for years back and being pretty enthusiastic, if wary of their CoF comparisons, and hoping that they would grow into a more individual sound to suit their wonderful, deep British folk lore obsession (if you didn’t know you’re as liable to find some pamphlet delving into a tale of wyrms or hags or barguests on their merch table as you are patches and I don’t know another band who have a folklore database on their website.) What we have here is a band still of unmistakable roots but that has flowered into an altogether different tree.
Short-ish opener, ‘Opening The Circle – Of Campfires And Evening Mists’ is an atmospheric, smoke and folk tinged piece. Dark and sombre as you’d expect with a crackle of that Winterfylleth introspective as it broadens out beneath epic keyboards and calling guitars. The deep, half spoken vocals which are used to great conjuring and storytelling effect throughout this album kind of remind me of Bal-Sagoth, or maybe A Forest Of Stars but with lyrical concerns far removed from high fantasy or mad occult Victoriana. This is dark bog and grim hedgerow stuff. ‘The Whispers Of Long Meg Through The Solstice’ though plunges us deep into the death accented black metal, a thick vein of folk running through the melody and those CoF style vocals and Old Corpse Road signature keyboards. Tight riffing, great rhythm section and imaginative drumming the solid base to build on. It’s epic, enthralling stuff with multiple passages woven together so well. It’s lovely to hear how much this band has grown.
‘Herne Of Windsor Forest’ is a real blast-turbulent Emperor-esque guitars thrashing a storm and touches of pounding death metal swept into by chilling keyboards and vocals. Vocals. Yeah, really should talk about those. One thing Old Corpse Road have become so good at is realising the potential of when and how to mix them up and their vocal performances, handled by four of the five members, really are superb. From the CoF/Emperor high screams and cackles, through the deeper death metal style and the spoken word, not to mention the great clean choral moments, they bring huge swathes of light and shade to the proceedings. I just think their touch and their choices here are exemplary.
So, any criticisms? Honestly, not much worthy of mention. It is I suppose, a fairly traditional UK black metal sound with the folk and death influences, the latter very strong in ‘Pendle-Daughters Of The Black Moon’ but a) they really have nailed their own identity now and b) I don’t consider it a criticism really as I think it’s the better for it.
I’ll leave you to explore the remaining songs and stories such as ‘The Great Thunderstorm’ and ‘Peg Powler’ but as you reach ‘Closing The Circle – Hail And Farewell’ I hope like me you feel you have been sitting around the campfire with me, listening to old tales, dark fables and mist haunted Pendle myths. It might have been a difficult (Old Corpse) Road of four years between albums but it’s so great when you hear in this album how well spent those years have been.
Talent, teeth gritted determination and a desire to learn. That’s what you have in your hands here. Now go and buy the damned thing and see them somewhere out along the old corpse road. You will be handsomely rewarded.
Well done guys. So very well done.
(8.5/10 Gizmo)
http://www.oldcorpseroad.co.uk
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