Virgin Black - Sombre Romantic 2CD

Virgin Black - Sombre Romantic 2CD
$30.00

If Virgin Black's Trance ep teased a band moving towards an absolutely epic sound combined with heavy guitars and melancholic vocals, Sombre Romantic nails it completely! This first full-length from these Australian gothic metal masters is a crushing release! It is an epic composition and it is hard to believe this is the first full-length from such a young band.

Sombre Romantic is not an album I could do a track by track review of. Everything feels interwoven and connected, even though there is a great difference of expression in the songs. But the album is more about an overall feeling and presence rather than a bunch of songs being played one after another. And this album has a very dark and melancholic feel to it. The music is not composed as typical rock music where all instruments are played at once, but more like classical music where there is room for each instrument to do their own thing, and every instrument isn't necessarily played at the same time. There are a great deal of piano and keyboards being played as well as some great guitars and a haunting cello. Everything melts together perfectly. At times the music is super quiet and fragile, but without warning, crushing guitars, choir and pounding drums will blast out of the speakers.

London's vocals are amongst the high-lights of the album. He has the smoothest, saddest and most emotional voice in metal. He does Gregorian chanting (there are also parts where it is a whole choir doing vocals), very fragile vocals both high and low pitched. And he can get really high and low! And I don't think I have ever heard an album with that much whispering as well. On the extreme side of things, guitarist Edis and bassist Miller helps out with some screams in the black metal department. It works extremely well and can be heard on "Drink the Midnight Hymn" and "I Sleep with the Emperor". Speaking of vocals, the song "Walk Without Limbs" only has one verse, repeated several times and it has a mix of whispers, choir, a somewhat choked scream and what to me sounds like breathing played backwards.... And that is just one example of Virgin Black's creativity.

Production-vise the album sounds extremely organic. As mentioned above, every instrument (and vocal part for that matter) seems to flow in and out of each other. Every instrument has its own parts and does their own thing, and yet there is a balance to it all. Oddly enough, the bass drum sounds very electronic on most tracks, and maybe the drum kit is a mix of acoustic and electric drums. Especially "Walk Without Limbs" has a electronic beat to it - and this shouldn't work with the organic feel of the album, but it does. It shouldn't, but it does!

As mentioned above, it doesn't make much sense to me to rate each track, however there is a very clear high-light on the album - "Museum of Iscariot". This has to be the saddest and strongest song Virgin Black has done period! It is a haunting portrait of a Christians faith and how it is very much dead. And not only that, one even mistreats that faith and yet there is a hope and forgiveness from Christ. A forgiveness that reaches fare beyond any human mis/deed or lukewarm feelings of one's beliefs. First half of the song is crushingly sad and melancholic and is accompanied by the best and most heartfelt guitar solo I have ever heard, I kid you not! Samantha Escarbe delivers solos like no other!!!! Second half has a slightly more up-beat feel to it, as it shows a tiny glimpse of hope and new found love and faith. This song is an absolute masterpiece, and has lyrics that I can perfectly relate to - one of my all time favorite songs!

Virgin Black does deal with sombre themes- It seems like Psalms and Lamentations from the Old Testament is an inspiration to the lyrics. There's a lot of sadness, depression, melancholy and loneliness in the lyrics, yet they feel very human and I think one can relate even though one might not share the same faith as the band portraits.

Sombre Romantic is a perfect release! There is so much emotion in every song, such a great flow throughout the entire album, amazing dynamics, vocally it is utterly amazing, it has some of the best solos I have heard and I could just go on and on... this is a band at their peak and a musical journey that is above and beyond much other music I have heard. - Metal Archives