| CD REVIEW Conspiracy |
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Band: Conspiracy Oke, this first paragraph will be a geographic one. Conspiracy started in 1994 in Ukraine, formed by sole member Carpathian Wolf. For over a decade, under the name of Al’Hazred, he acted as permanent bass player in Melechesh (new album out now, check the November 26th’ review section), originally from Jerusalem, then based in Holland. Carpathian Wolf too relocated to the Netherlands. Conspiracy was put to rest somewhere half-through the nineties and Al’Hazred could concentrate fully on Melechesh. Nowadays the Conspiracy-project, of which he is the master brain, exists in a co-operation with a German musician/ composer/ orchestrator (Aryan Blaze). No Indians, Aboriginals, Zulus, Goblins or Hobbits involved so far… Conspiracy reformed five years ago, and since then two full lengths have been created (this new one not included) - the first one, Reincarnated, stood for furious Black / Thrash / Death-inspired Metal, the second one, Concordat (posted 23/08/2009 within the review section), brought more melodic yet still extremely grim Black / Death / Heavy / Speed / Thrash Metal grotesquery. Some more geographic info: this third Conspiracy studio album was recorded, mixed and mastered at Carpathian Wolf’s own studio (Q-Sonic) in Amsterdam with session assistance of Belgian master-drummer Dirk Verbeuren (of Scarve/ Phaze I/ Soilwork/ Aborted/ Yyrkoon/ …-fame), who features on some pre-recorded performances, and it gets released, again, through Singaporean Death / Black label Pulverised. The album lasts for fifty five minutes and differs a lot from both former releases. It is a strongly keyboard-driven album, creating both bombast and obscurity. Opening track "Nocturnal Hunters", for example, is a varying song with lots of changes in tempo and melody. This hymn starts very melodic, yet soon changes into obscurity. "Nocturnal Hunters" comes with keyboards that often remind me to Daemonium/ Akhenaton, and as well it comes with both melancholic-atmospheric and aggressive passages, a darkening, somewhat Gothic intermezzo (think Tartaros or, if you want, early Cradle Of Filth – without the high-pitched yells) and a fine melodic guitar solo. Very varying indeed it is. A song like "Black Mass", following the rather short yet shivering and hypnotising instrumental introduction "Ouverture", brings my thoughts to Shadowcaster, interspersed with haunting (Doom) Metal excerpts and King Diamond-inspired elements. Suddenly the atmosphere changes. Next song, "End Of Religion", is a fast old stylish Black / Thrash assault. The fast riffs are interspersed by some creative guitar lines and solos and it exhales a slightly primitive underground sound. "The Pentagram", the next song, starts with a church organ, but soon it turns into a heroic Doom-piece, injected with semi-acoustic, melancholic and epic passages. "The Invocation Of Hecate" brings fast old school Black Metal, somewhere between Judas Iscariot, Bathory and Setherial, again with some interesting and surprising additions (harmony choir, melodic guitar riffs, floating keyboards etc). Next comes the title track, and it’s the first time I’m sort of disappointed. Musically it is all right, but nothing more than that. Somewhat dull, somewhat flat, I’m afraid… The faster, more intensified blackish part in the middle of the song is excellent, including that thrashy solo, but what with that orchestral part? Not bad, but the level of, let’s say, Therion or Epica does not get reached in this case. And vocally, well, sounding like King Diamond is something only the King himself is able to. Especially the ‘higher’ shouts are too sharp. "The Hag" is a Pagan-Black track with some harmony chants; "Armageddon Broke" and "A Dream Of Fear" go on in that very same vein, yet in a much faster and more brutal way; "Carpathian Sunset" is, like "Ouverture", a short instrumental intermezzo, introducing final track "Bukovina" [Bukovina is a region in the Carpathian mountains where Carpathian Wolf was born and grew up - ivan], which comes again with those King Diamond-alike vocals (as well as blackish ones and whispers). Consider Irremediable as a symbiosis of King Diamond/ Mercyful Fate, Rhymes Of Destruction, Opera IX, Aeba, Finnugor, Melechesh, Absu, Bathory and Cradle Of Filth. 88/100 Ivan Tibos. |
