I was very pleased to get the chance to listen to this one after reviewing
Carach Angren’s magnificently extravagant 2008 album “Lammendam”.
“Death Came from a Phantom Ship” is another theatrical Black Metal show, basically Dimmu Borgir circa “Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia” with storytelling. In this case we’re promised “naval terror and elemental fright”.
“The Sighting is a Portent of Doom” gets us off to a fast, galloping start. The crashing symphonic tones flow as we move into “And the Consequence Macabre”. The blastbeating match the growling and sneering raconteur, who creepily informs us “I want this nightmare to be done”. A pompous orchestral section brightens it up. A dark story is being delivered. Chaos and uncertainty are in the air and there’s a horrible feel to it all. “Van der Decken’s Triumph” has the feel of a Black Metal film score. The track rushes along, with the violin adding the drama. Oomp – pa – pa goes the rhythm, then a classical piano piece a dramatic orchestral section, all the time with a chaotic maelstrom flying around in the background. We’re starting to lose our senses, reinforced moments late when “Bloodstains on the Captain’s Log” begins with the manic fiddling of a madman. The fiddling goes on to the strains of some nasty but rousing Black Metal. It gets darker. Our raconteur growls at us in sinister fashion. The violin wails in darkest sympathy, then all chaotic hell breaks loose. The track ends dramatically. The raconteur who plays the role of the captain faces mutiny on “Al Betekent het mijn Dood” (Even if it means my Death), in which his crew warn him of the fate if he sets sail on Easter Sunday. The captain issues terrible threats. The scene is set. It’s back to the music on the dramatic “Departure towards a Nautical Curse”.
The storytelling goes on in the familiar framework of Symphonic Black Metal. There’s an unexpected twist as the track goes into unaccustomed wistful darkness and solemnity. This is where I lost it a little bit. There’s a symphonic battle going on, but instead of capturing the despair and hopelessness of it all in majestic and anti-heroic music, the emphasis is on the narration about seamen and vessels. The soundtrack is unusually pedestrian. If that was a disappointment, the final track “The Shining was a Portent of Gloom” paints the terrible picture of a captain trapped on a skeleton vessel, adrift on a buoy and swearing vengeance on others who float – the heightening of the music mirrors the grim warning. The wind whistles, the orchestral music is calm and appropriately after the chaos and disaster the album ends on a dark and deathly atmospheric march.
There’s something faintly ridiculous about Carach Angren’s theatrical presentation but it’s enjoyable nevertheless. I liked “Death Came through a Phantom Ship”, but not as much as “Lammendam”. All the right moves are being made but by and large it doesn’t have the flamboyance of its predecessor. While both albums are dark and atmospheric in the same way, “Death Came through a Phantom Ship” seems to be more about the story and the musical accompaniment seems to take more of a back seat. I felt it tailed off towards the end. There are some great moments on this album, however, but I just hope that next time Carach Angren put more energy into the power and expanse of their music. If the music is right, then it will tell the story and the words will enhance it. “Death Came through a Phantom Ship” is a good album, but I cannot hide some disappointment.
http://www.myspace.com/carachangren
http://www.carach-angren.nl
http://www.maddeningmedia.de
