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░ ██ ██ Artist: Caladan Brood ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Echoes of Battle █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2013-03-19 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Northern Silence ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ When the first volumes of Steven Erikson's █
█ "Malazan Book of the Fallen" were published it █
█ became clear that the term "Epic Fantasy" had just █
█ been redefined. Even the works of J.R.R. Tolkien █
█ or G.R.R. Martin did not share the sheer size and █
█ complexity of the world Erikson had created. █
█ █
█ "Echoes of Battle" is the debut album of this █
█ newcomer band from Utah/USA, and their songs are █
█ the Epic Black Metal interpretation of Erikson's █
█ Malazan books, not unlike what a certain band from █
█ Austria created for Tolkien's Middle Earth. █
█ █
█ In fact, when you listen to "Echoes of Battle" for █
█ the first time you might think you're listening to █
█ the new album of that certain band from Austria, █
█ simply because Summoning defined this very style, █
█ let's keep calling it Epic Black Metal, 17 years █
█ ago on their "Minas Morgul" album and since then █
█ no other band has managed to reach the pinnacle of █
█ perfection Summoning held ever since. Until now. █
█ █
█ What distinguishes Caladan Brood from a mere █
█ copycat is their ability to take what worked for █
█ Summoning and then add their own trademarks to it, █
█ such as clean male vocals and choirs or actual █
█ guitar solos, and forging all of this into █
█ something truly majestic, thus redefining the term █
█ Epic Black Metal in their own unique way, just █
█ like Erikson redefined Epic Fantasy with his █
█ books. █
█ █
█ And while it's obvious that Summoning have been a █
█ tremendous influence for Caladan Brood, for those █
█ of you who, like myself, were waiting in vain for █
█ a new Summoning album and by now are ready to █
█ welcome an heir to the throne, for you "Echoes of █
█ Battle" may well turn into a 71 (!) min eargasm █
█ because it simply can't get any better than this. █
█ Everything on this release, the fantastic music, █
█ the great vocals, the massive sound, the attention █
█ to detail, the beautiful artwork by Albert █
█ Bierstadt, the poetic lyrics, everything works in █
█ tandem to create an album that will be enjoyed by █
█ fans of this style for years to come, and may even █
█ end up in many all-time faves lists. It really is █
█ that good! █
█ █
█ Now, if your head is spinning from all the █
█ superlatives I'm throwing at you, consider the █
█ fact that we're talking about a band's debut album █
█ here, two youngsters that appeared out of nowhere, █
█ without a demo or any previous sign of life. █
█ Realize the level of perfection in terms of █
█ songwriting and musicianship they have already █
█ reached, and imagine what we may expect from them █
█ in the future... █
█ █
█ The CD is released in A5-Digipack (ltd. 1000) and █
█ jewel case. A limited 2LP follows later in 2013. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. City of Azure Fire 10:09 ░
░ 2. Echoes of Battle 9:21 ░
░ 3. Wild Autumn Wind 13:46 ░
░ 4. To Walk the Ashes of Dead Empires 13:12 ░
░ 5. A Voice Born of Stone and Dust 9:50 ░
░ 6. Book of the Fallen 14:55 ░
░ 71:13 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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