Rockfreaks.net
Grade: 8/10
Much time has passed since these metal
mammoths last dropped a disc in my mailbox and I have to admit that I
have very little recollection of what Compos Mentis' previous album
"Gehennesis" sounded like, other than that adjectives like
theatrical and orchestral seemed most fitting to
describe it. According to promotional hype, this new album is
supposed to have a far more aggressive character and if not, then at
the very least be this band's strongest album to date. Let's have a
closer look to see if we agree, shall we?
Like its
predecessor, "Our Kingdom of Decay" is something of a
concept album, exploring, as its title suggests, some of the darker
and more shameful instances in Danish history, such as the
disfiguring of the Little Mermaid, the going insane of King Christian
VII and the serial killer Dagmar Overbye. These themes have been
encapsulated in a beautifully grandiose symphonic sound in the vein
of Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth and Dark Tranquillity (to name but a
few noteworthy influences), but from within these theatrics grows an
evil predilection for the obscure and hopeless. Above all this
malevolence shines through in the lyrical content, but add Rune
Klausen's subtle keyboard and piano melodies which remain the driving
force of the band's music despite taking a rather background role for
the most part. When they are given prominence in the mix, however,
the songs reach a whole new level of epic.
That is not
intended to slate the other band members in any way though, because
instrumentation like most other things here is top notch. Guitarists
Ryan Kristensen and Ken Holst unleash a varied repertoire of
impressive, if somewhat run-of-the-mill melodic death metal riffs and
while the drums and bass rarely depart from the expected, this kind
of music, especially because of its speed, demands solid musicianship
and as such there are no complaints in either department. Of course
there are copious moments where these skills are aired and
particularly "The Angel Maker" towards the end of the album
earns high marks for original, interesting compositions in all
channels. The occasional harrowing soundbytes in that song are an
especially nice touch, as is the frightening, submerged outro (and
intro to closer "Kingdom of Dania").
Jesper
Heinsvig's vocals are best described as similar to Dani Filth's
multi-layered growl/howl/shriek which spills into Raunchy-like
half-clean territory during the more desperate moments. On his
microphone he uses a number of effects here and there, most notably
an echo effect in opener "Ghost Song" which serves to
amplify the cavernous nature of the band's music, as well as
evidently to sound as evil as possible. And so, with this album
Compos Mentis make it clear that they are still not out to please the
masses (although admittedly the music is less overwhelming than on
the previous album), but to cater to a group of cultivated metalheads
with an appreciation for progressive symphonic metal. In that respect
my only real complaint is that there aren't any standout tracks as
such, just a steady stream of solid, well-written and richly textured
songs to immerse yourself in. Not to walk potential new fans off the
plank though - there are hints of influence by bands like Amon
Amarth, Insomnium and Children of Bodom in there too. And when a
review mentions the kinds of bands that have been referenced here in
a positive context, this should be a cue for any fan of melodic metal
that here is a band worth checking out.
Written by: AP on 22/9-09