Angeldark's Angelique
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Angeldark's Angelique
by Guest Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:19 pm
Note: I don't know why but the font look weird. I have no idea what button I pushed. I apologize.
A wonderful album, but what's the concept...?
80/100
Angeldark's debut album Angelique, while a very good album in its own right, touches on one of my pet peeves: concept albums that don't seem to have a concept. I will write on this later, but it would be best to describe the music first.
This is not a "beauty and the beast" type of Gothic metal. The band is actually male-fronted. While this is common in slower types of metal, such as doom, it seems like most Gothic bands are female-fronted. Hearing a male singer in an up-tempo Gothic band was a pleasant surprise. While there are female vocals used (Berenice Muse, the vocalist of Tears of Martryr) they are used sparingly, as are the growls. Though the vocals are mainly clean, both the growls and female vocals are used to maximum effect when they appear.
The guitar lines tend to blend together for the most part. The drums stay with basic rhythms. There are some electronic elements (such as the intro to "Saint-Germane (The Man Who Killed Death) Part I) but they do not overshadow the metal.
The lyrics are poetic, however they make the story hard to follow. For example:
"This crystal grave was built for you/Of haze as wolves cry to the moon/This dying rose I give to you/It's made of my blood/Now it belongs to you."
The entire album is like that. I'm not saying it's a bad thing; I like poetic lyrics, but when they make the concept of an album hard to follow, they can be an issue. And speaking of....
This album appears to be a concept album...only I'm not sure what the concept is. The songs have a common theme of the narrator mourning his dead lover (I'm assuming she is Angelique) and there are many changes of scenery; one moment he's standing in the rain, the next he's running across the desert, then he's back in the rain. But as for the story...? I've had this album for months now and I'm still confused. Is he really on this journey, or is his grief causing him to hallucinate? Is Angelique really dead?
Overall, this is a wonderful album musically, but the concept is hard to follow. I would recommend this to fans of symphonic/Gothic metal, but not to those who are looking for an album that tells a clear story.
A wonderful album, but what's the concept...?
80/100
Angeldark's debut album Angelique, while a very good album in its own right, touches on one of my pet peeves: concept albums that don't seem to have a concept. I will write on this later, but it would be best to describe the music first.
This is not a "beauty and the beast" type of Gothic metal. The band is actually male-fronted. While this is common in slower types of metal, such as doom, it seems like most Gothic bands are female-fronted. Hearing a male singer in an up-tempo Gothic band was a pleasant surprise. While there are female vocals used (Berenice Muse, the vocalist of Tears of Martryr) they are used sparingly, as are the growls. Though the vocals are mainly clean, both the growls and female vocals are used to maximum effect when they appear.
The guitar lines tend to blend together for the most part. The drums stay with basic rhythms. There are some electronic elements (such as the intro to "Saint-Germane (The Man Who Killed Death) Part I) but they do not overshadow the metal.
The lyrics are poetic, however they make the story hard to follow. For example:
"This crystal grave was built for you/Of haze as wolves cry to the moon/This dying rose I give to you/It's made of my blood/Now it belongs to you."
The entire album is like that. I'm not saying it's a bad thing; I like poetic lyrics, but when they make the concept of an album hard to follow, they can be an issue. And speaking of....
This album appears to be a concept album...only I'm not sure what the concept is. The songs have a common theme of the narrator mourning his dead lover (I'm assuming she is Angelique) and there are many changes of scenery; one moment he's standing in the rain, the next he's running across the desert, then he's back in the rain. But as for the story...? I've had this album for months now and I'm still confused. Is he really on this journey, or is his grief causing him to hallucinate? Is Angelique really dead?
Overall, this is a wonderful album musically, but the concept is hard to follow. I would recommend this to fans of symphonic/Gothic metal, but not to those who are looking for an album that tells a clear story.
Last edited by Singwhatyoucan'tsay on Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:01 am; edited 2 times in total
Guest- Guest
Re: Angeldark's Angelique
by Ariel,seekeroftruth Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:38 pm
Despite the flaws you discribed, I need to listen to this band, it sounds interesting. Have you listened to Kamelot's Epcia? I think that is a must for Gothic/power metal fans.
Ariel,seekeroftruth- Metal Warrior
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Location : Hiding behind maple, in a fortress of sound.
Re: Angeldark's Angelique
by Guest Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:01 pm
Give Angeldark a listen, I think you'd like them.
I should give Kamelot a listen sometime. What would you recommend I start with? I've been burnt out from the power metal genre by bands that write 9 minute epics that mainly consist of guitar solos. One song like that is great...an entire album not so much.
I should give Kamelot a listen sometime. What would you recommend I start with? I've been burnt out from the power metal genre by bands that write 9 minute epics that mainly consist of guitar solos. One song like that is great...an entire album not so much.
Guest- Guest
Re: Angeldark's Angelique
by Ariel,seekeroftruth Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:17 pm
Singwhatyoucan'tsay wrote:Give Angeldark a listen, I think you'd like them.
I should give Kamelot a listen sometime. What would you recommend I start with? I've been burnt out from the power metal genre by bands that write 9 minute epics that mainly consist of guitar solos. One song like that is great...an entire album not so much.
Let's see, their best albums are Epica, The Black Halo (basically Epica part 2) , and Ghost Opera. If you like concept albums try Epica, if you don't like that, try The black Halo or ghost Opera, as their sound changes significantly. Kamelot doesn't do songs with "9 minute solos" or anything else over the top. Their concept albums tell a very clear story. Check out my review of Epica to get a better idea.
Ariel,seekeroftruth- Metal Warrior
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Re: Angeldark's Angelique
by Hguols Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:20 pm
I did like that, but there's a male fronted gothic metal band that ruined all other male fronted gothic metal bands for me. Whenever I hear their vocals, I just want to hear this guy's vocals.
Like an operatic zombie Elvis thing going on. He sounds way cooler than I'm describing it though.
Like an operatic zombie Elvis thing going on. He sounds way cooler than I'm describing it though.
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- Posts : 134
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