As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999, Serenades)
Lineup: Stefan Fiori (vocals), Martin Innerbichler (drums), Sabine Mair (keyboards),
Harry Klenk (guitar), Stefan Unterpertinger (guitar), Didi Schraff (bass)
Style: black metal with excellent sound
It is evident from the vocals that these guys have been listening to way too much
Cradle of Filth lately. Of course, there's nothing wrong with inspiration, imitation,
or interpretation, whichever you prefer depending on how benevolent you feel. The music
itself is a wee-bit more original, compared to CoF, the songs are much simpler, a straight
to the point. The live guest musicians (strings and warpipes) add a unique touch that
improves the overall impression considerably. Generally, AARB is a good black metal
offering, with stellar production reminiscent of the avant-garde BM outfits in the CoF or
Dimmu Borgir "mainstream" vein. There's a girl in the band (!!!) but unfortunately she only
plays the keyboards, no singing there. There are some accoustical passages which relax the
tension between riffs. Truthfully, the more I think about the music, the more it veers away
from BM and to power metal. If it weren't for the singing, I would be hard pressed to
categorize it. The vocals have the two-tiered patented CoF hysterical shrieks overlaid on
top of deathy growling. The album cover is donee by Luis Royo, which is surprise (pleasant)
for this particular style. The lyrics are competent, I just wish I had more time to read
them carefully.
Verdict: for the CoF addict suffering from withdrawal symptoms, this should get you going
until your next fix (and judging by the abyssmal "From Cradle to Enslave" EP, it may be a
really long while).
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