Archives: Reviews

To compare this band with MY DYING BRIDE as they do on the leaflet that comes with this promotional is pure blasphemy. Despite the name had already sent shivers down my spine, GARDEN OF SHADOWS is substantially a Death Metal band with some slow parts… and some melody with honestly convinces me. Usually I loathe the crossing of Brutality and melody, but this time I must admit they do it in a decent way. Arrangements are pretty well studied, although there are far too many melodic parts for my tastes. But they have that catchiness which was magic in bands such as DARK TRANQUILLITY in their first and only good album “Skydancer”. Yes I think this might fit, this album is the Skydancer of Death Metal. Which is a compliment if you think what kind of fanzine you’re reading. Eheh. For trivia seekers, they had a demo called “Heart of Corona” which was reissued as MCD by X-Rated records in 1996.

Since I got the demotape from this band (with a very interesting painting by Salvador Dalì on cover) I thought this band had some talent to show. Fact is they definitely lost their shine. They just jumped on the bandwagon of IN FLAMES half hard rock’nroll half melodic death metal scene that LUBRICANT and AT THE GATES had started. Of course, these new bands have deviated to bring out the most easy listening elements discarding the interesting twisted, fierce parts. Sometimes bands like IN AETERNUM or WATAIN got the right spirit, sometimes they do not. GANDALF has nothing that could convince me to rate ’em as a good band. Too much classic slamming rock for my ears. Ah the producer behind this waste is Andy Laroque from KING DIAMOND. Ask me if I care.

(I am laughing). It’s an hysterical laugh. I am halfway from totally depressed and entertained. Whatever, I am pretty happy when I manage to review this kind of bands (from the mere name of this band “Ever Grey” AHAH), because even before the first song ends, I already know what to write. Starting with a ridicule cover artwork, an ostentatious title, horrible whining vocals a la IRON MAIDEN, basic 2 riff guitar feats (which no doubt they play with feeling and with an extremely macho attitude on stage), useless keyboards and choirs stuff. When I think of Metal I can’t wash away the thought of bands like this. That’s why I want to avoid it when possible. Ah of course the band is very technical. Which means they’re good right? AHAH. I am breaking this disk as soon as it gets out of my player…ah the sound of the plastic cracking in two!!!

Well. Aehm. Weird they’re weird. I admit I had some prejudices before putting this disc on like all good narrow minded grinders do when facing a name and a cover like this. Unexpectedly the first thing that soar in your ears is that in a way EBONY LAKE sound like a more uniform version of SIGH or KOROVA without the Oriental madness which distinguished the first of these bastards, just to give you a fair idea. Actually the music itself is damn schizoid, with a bouquet of darn funny and unpredictable variations and stops that let spoken theatre dialogues fall into full swing music just to be replaced abruptly by an orgy of grotesque screams. It’s like John Zorn meet a Shakespeare representation meets IMPALED NAZARENE. Yes, they sue the reheated BATHORY like approach to vocals and lots of piano instilments that break up the songs into different acts of a perverted opera, but their arrangements are so brilliant, so articulated in orchestral complexities (there are seven folks in the band, which justify some of this intricacy), that they truly and honestly satisfy my soul (like the one and the only God, Lemmy, would say). Now to all those who wants to play dark and nice, pop out the wax from your ears, and learn from this band how to create atmosphere, because yes, this is honestly, thoroughly, a good band which succeed where lot of other fails into cliché. EBONY LAKE’s the right way of experimentation to my sensible ears, that’s how piano, orchestras and drama should be arranged on the musical soundscape to create tapestries of insane surrealism. Long, interesting songs which reflect hours of study, arrangements, and a shitload of undeniable talent makes this part orchestral part aggressive band an excellent choice for a night of ultraviolence. Bands like this are gold, as of today they could be counted on the fingers of an hand, but those who succeed, have the greatest of respect from this author. Two thumbs up.

Useless crap. Banally melodic like one million other bands are able to. Forget any comparison to any other band because what they can0t clone, they’re just not good enough to play. I have heard one minute of every of the 10 songs and I have a pretty clear idea I won’t give ’em a second chance. There’s something Victorian in the band’s sound, like some nineteen century New Romantic dark wave music with an overeager approach to keyboards.

This is what some call Death’n’Roll, in particular the guys at the label that published this release. A sort of evolution of the ENTOMBED at the period of that obscene piece of crap that was “Wolverine Blues”, with influences mainly from KONKHRA and ILLDISPOSED both Danes for some reason. Contrarily to ILLDISPOSED, they have no criteria I think, in dosing the swinging mosh to an instrument to add sharpness to their music, just overcharging it with doses of easily assimilated though not melodic parts. Not the worse of the bands I have so far but neither much interesting as well. I consider them “decent” even though this kind of music has not my complete sympathy. One more complain is this albums grow a bit similar after just 3 songs, falling into boredom pretty soon.