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"“Nordic Gothic” is a superb diamond of fascinating darkness on which Cemetery Skyline combine catchy melodies, energetic riffs and gentle Scandinavian melancholy."
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4/5
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When the guitarist of Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum surrounds himself with members of Amorphis, Dimmu Borgir, Sentenced and Dark Tranquility, you know what you're in for. Indeed, Markus Vanhala created Cemetery Skyline to give free rein to his desire to play gothic metal in the company of the finest members of the dark side of Scandinavian metal. The first opus from this association is entitled “Nordic Gothic”.
The first thing that jumps out at the melancholy lover listening to the twelve tracks on offer is the fact that Mikael Stanne (Dark Tanquility) sings in clear voice, something he had already done convincingly on Ison's “Stars & Embers” album. His warm, deep voice is undoubtedly one of the many strong points of this work, which has no shortage of them. In fact, with each musician contributing to the tracks, mostly composed by Markus Vanhala, without trying to take all the credit, we're dealing here with a string of pieces that are as catchy as they are spellbinding.
The shadows of Type O Negative ('Violent Storm'), H.I.M. ('Never Look Back'), even Paradise Lost, period “One Second” (Torn Away'), or Rammstein ('The Coldest Heart') discreetly fade behind a coherent whole of hypnotic darkness. Most of the choruses are super-catchy, and the quintet includes two calmer, more moving tracks to avoid a feeling of linearity ('When Silence Speaks' and 'Alone Together'). The keyboards of Santeri Kallio (Amorphis) provide an airy foundation for pieces that are sometimes torn apart by Markus Vanhala's luminous solos ('In Darkness'). The work of the rhythm section is also essential to the balance of this monument to Scandinavian melancholy. The heavy introduction to 'The Coldest Heart' and the swirling line of 'Violent Storm' are gems to be credited to Victor Brandt (Dimmu Borgir) and his bass.
Without being particularly revolutionary, “Nordic Gothic” is nonetheless a superb diamond of fascinating darkness, capable of marrying gentleness and energy thanks to a perfect balance between catchy melodies, powerful production and variety of moods. All of which leaves us hoping for a sequel to the adventures of Cemetery Skyline amidst the busy schedules of its performers. After such a success, it would be a shame to leave it at that. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Torn Away - 3:57
 02. In Darkness - 4:46
03. Violent Storm - 4:07
04. Behind The Lie - 5:01
05. When Silence Speaks - 5:19
06. The Darkest Night - 4:23
07. Never Look Back - 5:13
08. The Coldest Heart - 4:29
09. Anomalie - 4:02
10. Alone Together - 7:32
LINEUP:
Markus Vanhala: Guitares
Mikael Stanne: Chant
Santeri Kallio: Claviers
Vesa Ranta: Batterie
Victor Brandt: Basse
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READERS
4/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (3 view(s))
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