CD Info

2011
Independent Release

10 Tracks

English Lyrics

We usually try to focus on current releases here on the Zine. But this one seems to have slipped through the cracks; it’s been out about a year as I write this. But, it’s Greek and I rarely let the Greek stuff slip by so we’ll do a quick review here, it’s pretty good music, maybe not up there with Meden Agan yet but then who is? And, as is usually the case with the Greek stuff, you get killer melodic metal with lyrics that can only be interpreted in terms of the ancient culture from whence they originate. And, as I am particularly infatuated with strong keyboard symphonics, this one especially appeals to me, this guy can make the keyboards howl, a darkness that is at the core of this particular release.

Try as I might, I couldn’t find much out there regarding the band or this particular release. But then, sometimes it takes a little while to catch the eyes of the music reviewers, I mean, I’m a little late to the table myself. But, I do feast on the darkness, and this one is a full course meal, all the trimmings and delivered with a solid dose of metal that makes it all worthwhile. The band is relatively new, not a lot of history. And, to some extent, that shows. Our vocalist is a 19 year old lady with a solid vocal, but without the range to hit all the high points, you’d think we could have caught that in the production room but evidently not. Of course, when you’re 19, there’s time to progress, and the lady has that in her favor. On most tracks, she’s more than adequate. Additionally, there’s a male death vocal that seems to work wonders in developing a sound from the darker regions of the Gothic landscape. And, with the instrumentalist behind this duel, we have music to rape the soul, in the most positive interpretation of the term. Beyond that, we have solid writing, these guys know a little about the development process. You know, when you want to visit the darkness, when you want to speak to the ethereal, it takes more than a garage band approach to things. And the musicians from the Cradle of Civilization seem to be able to capture this capability in all its sound and fury.

What all this means is that we have a pretty good production here, you get the metal, you get the Gothic darkness, you get some truly interesting themes, in other words, you get some solid kick ass Gothic metal. But, what else would you expect from the Greeks. I came on to this production from our resident metal archivist who finds metal in all the strangest places, but then, given her background, little of reality escapes her keen powers of investigation. And, she likes the Greeks too. Thanks RS.

Crimson Rivers does a more than credible job of delivering on the Gothic theme. You get that throbbing guitar, over that keyboard symphonic that defines the genre. This is not happy music, this is music to take you deep into the psyche, where your dreams remind you that all is not OK, that remind you that you’ve got a date with a final end, one that may not be all the Catholic Church told you it would be. The mundane is left behind as is its comfort. We are headed in the direction that is defined by Wordsworth, by the dark poets of our lives. There is a darkness to our mortal lives, there is a promise that we rarely explore, and it can be captured musically. And music like this is often capable of that revelation. It’s something we will all face at some point, maybe on that final bed, maybe in places beyond our ability to comprehend. And, just hope you don’t visit some of those places, some have.

For the most part, Sorrowful Hell is vocally defined music. We do make use of that 19 year old. The first track is Cursed Riddle and it quickly defines the direction we can expect to explore. This is music from the dark side, this is the old style Gothic, a choral sound begins the track, a whisper takes us to the keyboard sounds from beyond our mortal comprehension. But the metal follows; this is contemporary music, not the old school. The female vocals are not intended to do a Doris Day interpretation, more a sound from your darkest thoughts at a rain soaked funeral. And the girl can do them.

Riddler lost at the ends of the ground / So many Seekers to bring him around
So many years, so many fights / this mystery stayed in the dark
Spells of the chosen one / Open the gates to the Holy Land
Find the answer, find the way / Make the prophecy true someday

Moonlight Whispers is the big video of the production. Again, we get the Greek darkness that defines the work. And, you get that dark keyboard that seems to drive most of the CD. But here, we get more of the female vocal. It’s clear that she can take things to a more remote location. That vocal may require work to achieve the level of a Floor Jensen, but, here we go in a different direction where the deficiencies of that vocal actually work in her favor. It’s a tortured sound, it comes from a place where few of us have visited, and the keyboards and the base make sure we become familiar with that location. It’s a place where mortality is a short term residence, where the despondency of life has a mortal flavor. And not everyone can deliver on that theme, treasure the rarity.

Path to the Death utilizes a more upscale approach to the final moment. This one attempts to make the road more enjoyable, if no more despondent. We get the duel vocal here, and that death vocal is decidedly on line. The guitars drive the song forward. We seek the eventuality of our mortality here with a metal compass. The vocals tend to move between octaves with an outlook based on ethereal motive. The keyboards provide a movement that is intended to reveal truths that are not ordinarily available. This form of music doesn’t get all that much better.

Inner Suffering, Hollow Suffering again takes us to places the meek need not visit. Life takes us to the beautiful; this one takes us in the other direction. We pray for deliverance, it’s not on the menu.

Voices in my head I can hear/ Screams are hurting my soul
What is it, reality or a dream? / Whispers are bringing back
The memories of dark

The CD includes several entirely instrumental tracks, and they are singularly worth the price of admission. Lights of Reflection is one of these, and it demonstrates the bands capability of taking us in directions that reflect the darkness without a vocal accompaniment. The keyboards are obviously in charge of these dark reflections, we go in directions that would appeal to the muse, our darker self is taken on board for a ride for inner reflection.

The final track is Funeral, how could it be anything else.

This child saw him alive for the last time / Running away from this wrecking life
First man down on the field, his blood with magical power
Embraced his fighting soul to the sky forever

The vocals take us to the grave; we are given that final moment. Our female vocal is haunting; the death metal is the sound of the final breath. All hope is abandoned, we are where we must all meet our final end, and the music captures that final moment as few can.

Somewhere, the Greek Gods of Eternity are smiling. And rocking. This is good stuff. You want to spend some time in Gothic heaven, this will probably fill the bill. As only the Greeks can provide. Sorrowful Hell indeed.

9 / 10

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