If you are into female fronted metal and rock your purse is going to be groaning as there are all of a sudden a slew of really good releases. We have The Gathering, Madder Mortem, Stream Of Passion and Nebelhexë albums all about to hit us as well as Ave Inferi, a group who might not have had a huge amount of publicity compared to some of these but one who should not be overlooked. By now they should be a bit more than “that band Blasphemer left Mayhem for,” having solidified their position with second album ‘The Silhouette’ and been on tour with Tiamat recently.
I had the pleasure of a backstage listening session for ‘Blood Of Bacchus’ with the band themselves and one thing that struck me is how much they seemed to be into the music and how happy they were with it, playing along even, with air guitar and drums. The enthusiasm not only seeped through from the players but on this first encounter it was evident that there is a lot more depth here than before, a lot more going on and a more varied experimentation of styles and ideas. Also singer Carmen Simões vocals have evolved as well as the actual musicianship itself.
Opener ‘Truce’ proffers a balmy and heady fragrant start to the album with the words “join us” being whispered over the sound of birds and insects. It kind of reminded of the sort of thing Moonspell might do and that is possibly due to the Portuguese connection but it really works wonders and draws you in to first proper number ‘Last Sign Of Summer.’ Perhaps the release date for this particular one is not appropriate but the atmosphere of the seasons and the elements again are here to paint and accompany the musical textures. Vocals are quite operatic but without being overbearing and the instrumentation is heavyset and full of melody. One thing the blurb states is that the style of the numbers is “a long way from average verse, chorus structure” and this shines through, the songs compositions by Rune Erikson are well thought out and mature as things twist and turn down paths that are at times quite sinister and dark. With the vocals on this number bewitching and going into cackles and screams one gets the impression that this darkness is soon to follow and summer is indeed dying fast.
Another question that one might have as we further embrace the gloom of ‘Colours Of The Dark’ is how to describe the music by genre definition. It’s not easy either as there are elements of metal, doom and Gothicism within it as well as the operatic vocals and neo-classical orchestration. I think it is fair to say that this is one group who are not willing to find themselves pigeonholed. The acoustic male and female vocals to ‘Black Wings’ is beautiful, the brief male parts courtesy of the instantly recognisable Kristoffer Rygg (Ulver) harmonising like The Beach Boys to my ears. The track is really just a bridge (over troubled….) to ‘Appeler Les Loups’ and although Carmen may not literally howl, the wolves call behind this is impassioned and the song is flamboyantly theatrical like a dark passion play of the damned.
There is a touch of night time jazz within the realm of ‘Be Damned’ but it is ‘Tempestrade’ which has the biggest diversification embracing the Portuguese fado with traditional guitar and lyrical emphasis on the sea, a cruel master acknowledged by the lament of the relatives of those cruelly snatched by it. Complete with the sound of waves and string sections this is great and wholly involving number.
This is certainly no album for those looking for a quick fix but one for those looking for a mature and accomplished album that they can enjoy time and time again, discovering more on each listen. So do not approach the ‘Blood Of Bacchus’ thinking of taking a quick sip, be prepared to drink deep and savour.
http://www.ava-inferi.com
http://www.myspace.com/avainferi
