I set out to review this with the best of intentions, trying to pick out positives and give the album a chance to grow on me, though after five tedious, spaced out listens I feel my relationship with Immortal Remains has simply gone as far as possible without me feeling the urge to punch something or tear out my hair. Everlasting Night seems rather an apt title, as put on this CD and the night will drag by as slowly as a shift in a factory. Amazingly, it is only 45 minutes long but after the first track proper comes to an end, I’ve already heard enough and it takes all my resolve to not run away screaming like the chick in the ‘Intro.’
It’s clear the sound these are going for, although perhaps Cradle Of Filth and Hecate Enthroned aren’t the most inspiring of bands to try and imitate. Everything here; every riff, every melody, sounds to have been pilfered from something else. The forlorn intros on tracks like ‘The Hunting’ and ‘Everlasting Night’ are perhaps what has my ears pricking up most of all, although these are short lived and ripped straight out of the book of Katatonia and on the latter, as the guitars really begin to pick up pace I wonder if I’m listening to the same song on rotation and after five tracks I find myself wondering how much more I can tolerate of this bland, unimaginative and poorly constructed black metal album.
In case this is sounding copacetic thus far, I should continue to paint what I consider to be an accurate portrait of what you can expect. Perhaps if Cradle Of Filth are your favourite band, and you like everything they’ve ever done, and you are on a mission to find another vocalist who can yowl and screech like Dani Filth being strangled by a deranged fan boy, then this could be what you’ve been searching for. I’m a big fan of keyboards in metal, so long as they are applied well, which in this instance they ain’t. I would maybe be a bit more lenient on this band if they had that kind of eerie atmosphere Cradle Of Filth or Dimmu Borgir can pull off, but rather than creep they mince around in the mix and the only atmosphere I get a picture of, for example, on ‘Insomnia,’ is of a six year old girl playing a bottom of the range Casio in her bedroom while mummy shouts “Tea’s ready!” Guaranteed I won’t be sleeping well after this track, so job done!
I could continue, but I think I’ve said all that needs to be said already. If you’re after real black metal with balls, with the creepy atmosphere that sends a shiver up your spine, and that really gives you a solid kick in the face…then avoid this. The only kick in the face around here will consist of my New Rocks in the mouth of anyone who tries to make me listen to this again.
http://www.immortal-remains.de/
http://www.myspace.com/immortalremainsmetal
