What to do, as a band, when you find yourself without a lead vocalist right before tracking should have started for your next release? Well, there are not many options. You can either despair, curse your bad luck and call it quits, or try to make the best out of the situation. Crippled Black Phoenix, having to deal with long-time band member Daniel Änghede leaving, luckily decided to do the latter, and asked some musician friends to help out as vocalists. Judging from the way Ellengaest sounds it seems that things turned out for the best. In fact, this unforeseen event might have been a blessing in disguise, putting this long-standing band on a new trajectory.

Ellengæst, Old English for “strong spirit” or “mischievous demon”, follows a recent pattern of the band in releasing a mini-album in between studio LPs. Its equivalent would therefore rather be the cover EP Horrific Honorifcs (2017), and not so much their heavy-weight last album Great Escape (2018).

Ellengaest, like every CBP release, defies categorization. While that might be frustrating for people who like to compartmentalize things, it is one of the elements that makes this band stand out from among the multitude of groups active in the heavy music sector. CBP are their very own category. But if you do insist, here’s some orientation: You can think of Ellengaest as Pink Floyd with a dark, heavy, gothic twist.

Among the guest vocalists that agreed to collaborated and help out a friend are some well-known names, such as Anathema’s Vincent Cavanagh, Gaahls Wyrd’s Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal and Tribulation’s Jonathan Hultén. The interesting thing about the songs they perform on is that each of these singers adds his very own touch to the compositions, while simultaneously performing in an atypical musical environment. In addition, CBP’s Belinda Kordic also shows new sides of her vocal capacities, making Ellengaest a varied and stunning listening-experience.

Thematically, the album deals with familiar themes – familiar to all CBP fans, that is. The video to the track Lost visualizes those themes, pointing out in graphic and very painful detail everything that is wrong with this world: from cruelty against animals and children, to mass pollution and wide-spread, misguided beliefs.

Among my favourites is the album’s opener, House of Fools. The track starts out with a profoundly sad sounding trumpet, followed by a chaotic wall of sound – but that is just the beginning. Overall, this is a beautifully haunting song with a very special character. Anathema’s Vincent Cavanagh does the lead vocals here. The ghost/spirit theme from the album title is well realized through some background synth sounds that help conjure up the atmosphere of a haunted house, to be seen and heard in old, black-and-white, spooky movies. Adding to that atmosphere is Greaves’ dragging drumming, reminding you of those nightmares where you run without making any progress.

Another memorable track is In The Night featuring Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal of black metal band Gaahls Wyrd, displaying a hitherto unknown side. His impressive vocal performance sounds like Leonard Cohen came back from the dead and is fittingly accompanied by an acoustic guitar.

Finally, Everything I say is also amongst my personal highlights and certainly one of Belinda Kordic’s best recorded vocal performances so far. Her voice sounds strong, matured and liberated, a mixture between Patty Smith and Janice Joplin, but with a dark turn.

These difficult times are a stress test for everybody, bands included. This band seems to have mastered the difficulties pretty well, in fact in the best way possible – they used the challenge to grow. Ellengaest is a great opportunity to hear well-known vocalists in a new musical set-up, showing another side of their talent, and also a chance to see Crippled Black Phoenix develop yet a bit further. Definitely money well invested.

(8.5/10 Slavica)

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https://crippledblackphoenixsom.bandcamp.com/album/elleng-st