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Rating: After the exhilarating "Lake Of Sorrow," released in 1998 under Napalm Records, many Gothic Metallers were eagerly awaiting the second platter from the Norwegian band.
In 2000, "Perpetual Desolation" was released, showcasing numerous stylistic shifts regarding the band's proposal: first of all, the music has become much more dynamic and aggressive, full of Death-influenced guitars (a metamorphosis similar to that of their fellow countrymen Tristania when they transitioned from "Widow’s Weed" to "Beyond The Veil"). The music once evoked natural and glacial scenarios, whereas now the references are primarily to the world of horror.
Even the growl has changed: no longer a background element but a central feature of the tracks. The keyboards and orchestrations still play a primary role, but these have been joined by the use of electronics. The only drawback is the fact that "Lake of Sorrow" was more personal, whereas in this new chapter, the references are abundant: Tristania, obviously, but also Theatre Of Tragedy, Cradle Of Filth (in the use of keyboards), Penumbria, Dismal Euphony, and Therion, although emotionally it manages to surpass even the excellent debut.
The CD opens with the violin notes of "The Flame Of Wrath," a beautiful and dark piece, which alternates aggressive and heavy moments with softer and more relaxing ones. After the almost 10 minutes of the first track, we move to the best piece of the platter: "Forever": a flowing, romantic, and celestial piece. The keyboards, the classic violin, and electronic inserts add color to the pieces. A masterpiece of intensity.
"Pandemonium" is a piece with a very combative opening. Anita sings excellently, and the violin inserts add a touch of iciness to the piece. "Partial Insanity" is a stunning piece, full of keyboards... In some moments, thanks to the use of electronics and choirs, it recalls the immortal "Opus Relinque" by Tristania. A very terrifying and scary piece, no doubt about it.
"Perpetual Desolation" opens in a very rhythmic way and has a strong impetus: a piece with very gothic and nocturnal atmospheres. Anita’s singing seems like a true cry for help from the horror conveyed by the piece! "Nebula Queen" is a calm and peaceful piece, close to the material of "Lake Of Sorrow," although it doesn't lack raucous riffs: the interlude by the keyboards and violin is beautiful. "The Morniful Euphony" is a classically gothic piece, endowed with a quite remarkable romantic and dark vein. Noteworthy is the interlude where the keyboards simulate a harpsichord from another time, taking the listener into a fairytale and remote dimension, but always within a dark perspective. "A Tormentated Soul" is the first piece I heard from the Scandinavian band and is perhaps the least successful episode of the entire work, lacking the magic of the other tracks.
The CD closes with an unexpected and energetic cover of Metallica: "The Thing That Should Not Be" reinterpreted in a gothic way without losing a bit of its original destructive charge. Overall, we are faced with an exciting work full of atmosphere and magic which, despite some limitations (like the not excellent originality), I recommend to all lovers of dual-voice Gothic Metal.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Forever (06:57)
Way up at the mighty mountains
deep into the woods
we are gathered and we are back
at las the night is ours
Tonight our shadows dancing
in the light of a fire
this night is to be remembered
this night we'll free our souls
Tonight we are all together
tonight we all leave together
whe the darkness falls we are on our way
tonight we are all together
tonight we'll leave together
this is our dream forever
now we are leaving
In the mighty woods i wander
through the trees thou can see my shadow
by the cold wind in my skin
i behold my throne for thee my sorrow
Now the symphony plays my song
my voice thou hear in the night
i will never leave for no one else in my life
And now we are up together
and soon we'll dance forever
sing my choir let this night be remembered
Now my angel sing for the darkness
forever dancing in this cold winternight
03 Pandemonium (07:31)
Weak, o yes so weak
the angels have lost their grace
Darkness embraces the earth
so gracious deserving deep admiration
the ray of light slowly ceases
as the darkness brawny increases
Darkness enshrouds the sky
swirling shadows obscurely emerges
forcing the angels to capitulate
inviting the pandemonium to initiate
A bawny conquest o'er the twilight
the gods desperately roars
in shadow spawn the day's concede
forcing the world to yield
A seraph with brokeng wings
realize that the end is near
as he watches the twilight of the gods
in a divine warfare
dark perversive powers he witness
crushing divine hands
a seraph closes it's eyes
and alters to sand
Weak, o yes so weak
the wold has lost it's faith
darknes bequeaths the sky
consuming all the chaos
in dreamless quietus the night awaits
angles ethereal the darkness satiates
A seraph with brokeng wings
realize that the end is near
as he watches the twilight of the gods
in a divine warfare
dark perversive powers he witness
crushing divine hands
a seraph closes it's eyes
and alters to sand
Darkness enshrouds the sky
swirling shadows appears
forcing angels to decline
inviting chaos and fear
Darkness embrace the world
so atrociously deserving admiration
impelling mankind to capitulate
inviting the pandemonium to initiate
04 Partial Insanity (07:44)
Suspended into my sanctuary
in despair i am concealing
nothing can ever appease
my dark demons dwelling
within my inner self
partial insanity
Thine mind in disorder
so fierce and haunting
thine regrets ye history
haounted by thine emotions
leaving the suffering and agony
upon thy dreadful path
thine longing for death
so powerful without espace
I used to flee safe
in the realm i did create
now i am all alone and cold
all my integrity has vanished
replaced with all the darkness
that's crawling inside
i realized that i had failed
pain, death, and deceit
Entrapped in a realm of insanity
now living in a constant fear
in a lack of meaningless vision
that slowly disclosed my void
My mind is in total disorder
so fierce and haunting
my regrets and my history
haunted by my emotions
leaving the suffering and agony
upon my dreadful path
my longing for death so strong
so powerful without escape
Thine mind in disorder
so fierce and haunting
thine regrets ye history
haunted by thine emotions
leaving the suffering and agony
upon my dreadful path
thine longing for death
so powerful without escape
My concious like a cloud
of evil beyond compare
helpless to its burning wrath
enslave to its need
a neverending labyrinth
of chaos hate and grief
05 Perpetual Desolation (04:18)
Behind my blissful eyes
a desolate soul conceals
finally i venture tho defy
thine arcane vigour
i shall qhell thee my foe
eternal damnation shall
tumble o'er thee
Decayed thou lay enlaced with sin
the serpents embraces thine pale body
as thine extinction slowly emerges
thou yell thy cry of agony
Malicious i fetter thee awaiting thine rigor mortis
the daemons of shallow will infest thine
obscene soul
my detest against thee impregnable of thine prayers
passionate i shall await thine demise
Behind my blissful eyes a furious soul reveals
thine soul in eternal torment
a shallow cist is now thine realm
in putrefaction thou sahll reprent
as i return to my sole amenity
for eternal allegiance
06 Nebula Queen (07:02)
In thine dark mournful eyes
i see captivity in thy eyes
ovscurity enswathes this temptress
the moonlight shines in ye eyes
And far beyond we are alone
dancing in the silhouettes of mystery
as the twilight arrives
and the stars are shining bright
I will take thee to my cave
My cave of love and hate
The gloomy temptress appears
my void filled with temptation
whispering as thou reveal thine origin
thrust me thou said
fear me not
i relinquished my soul
cause thy name was temptation
And far beyond we are alone
dancing in the silhouettes of mystery
as the twilight arrives
and the stars are shining bright
I will take thee to my cave
my cave of love and hate
In the murk and misty twilight
ye may hear her screams in the night
far beyond the realm of nowhere
she lives in aeon
Come follow thy fantasy
go where thy fate leads
My life in ruins
my love for thee
taking o'er my life
07 The Mournful Euphony (08:41)
As thou await for the embrace of the poudrins
thou hear the roaring of a stormy wind
thou feel a gelid shiver deep within
as thou wonder what will this winter bring
The spectress of winter are rising
under the pale north star
mist benights the horizon
cold and arcane it appears
Hearken thy mournful euphony
when wintry tempest so furious sweep
sounds so majestic, a symphony
so enchanting a deep sonorous grief
Carry me o'mighty winter
to my desolate realm
where i shall narrate my tale of woe
my creed my unseemliness
the northern light above the murky skies
enchaning me it's so divine
as the winter nights slowly enlarges
snow conceals it's winther'd leaves
I'm thy winter fire
embrace thee with desire
always sorrounding thee
and enswathing thee
Yet it shall bloom
the mid'winter storm
that compels
the landscape to deform
embellishing in
the enchanting twilight
as the master of winter
evinces his might
Carry me o'mighty winter
to my desolate realm
where i shall narrate my tale of woe
my creed my unseemliness
The poudrins embrace my cold realm
so arcane but yet so gracious
it emerged in solemn splendour
so alluring and beyond divine
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