Elvira Madigan is a one man project from Sweden but that’s the only thing that’s small about it. In fact it would be an understatement to describe it as bombastic. Five years was spent creating “this musical and lyrical tale of deception, family feuds and the usurping of both monarchy and religion”, all with a “moral or sarcastic hidden agenda”. The 23 tracks / 75 minutes of “Regent Sie” (+ its sub-title: “She Devils of Demonlore – of blood, crosses and biblewars) is not easy going but then it’s not meant to be. It’s a progressive concept album with distinctively Cradle of Filth structures, and in particular Cradle of Filth vocals. Helpfully, we’re told it’s like a combination of Marillion’s “Brave” and Sabbat’s “Dreamweaver”. I can see the Sabbat connection clearly. The source description refers to “Speed/Black/Death with beautiful soundscapes”, “for fans of Cradle of Filth, Sabbat and Bathory”. It’s certainly interesting and unusual. There’s no doubt about that.
“Regent Sie” can’t be seen in the context of something which is easy to listen to, melodic or necessarily inclusive in the way that Thrash or Hardcore can be. It’s nothing like that. Yet stick with it and it takes you on a fascinating journey. The pomposity and the outerworldliness – witness track titles like “Demonaria II Luminouses Gift – Spells of Six and Tears of Three” – gave me reminders of Asgaard’s “XIII Voltum Lunae”. Track 17 “Rekindleself” is pure Asgaard of that era. Like “XIII Voltum Lunae”, “Regent Sie” is avant-garde but if listened to in its entirety, its world can be accessed. In the beginning, I didn’t find this and even now, I can’t say that putting “Regent Sie” on to play fills me with anticipation or excitement. 75 minutes is how long it is and 75 minutes is what it needs to appreciate it. It’s not an album which can be listened to in 3 minute or even 25 minute chunks.
It would be impossible to go through the tracks systematically or even the “highlights”. Once again I would emphasise the similarity to Cradle of Filth in structure and vocal work. The framework is decidedly that of a horror movie, but enhanced throughout by sensitive and sweeping classical passages, both featuring orchestral sections and the sounds of harps, flutes and the piano. It’s epic, at times it’s sad, it’s fast and furious in parts and skilful in creating from quiet beginnings stormy atmospheres and deathly screams. It’s majestic and symphonic. The poetic spoken parts made me expect Vincent Price or Christopher Lee to drop in. Or at one point I thought it could be somewhere between Hawkwind’s “Space Ritual” and Rick Wakeman. The album develops in its way. Just keep an open mind and between the moments of Black horrorscape, just expect the unexpected.
“Regent Sie” has grown on me, without a doubt. I find it less of a struggle to listen to it now. It’s most certainly an album for weighty souls. You have to absorb yourself in this one. It is suggested that we should listen to “Regent Sie” while reading the booklet, engulfing ourselves in the book and the music as if the music was a soundtrack. Unfortunately I didn’t have the book but in any case, engaging as it is, I wasn’t that captivated by the music enough myself that I thought it would have been worth the effort. Others will disagree, I’m sure, and “get” it better than me. No, I’d rather listen to something else, interesting as this is.
http://www.elviramadigan.com
http://www.myspace.com/elviramadigan
http://www.blacklodge.se
