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░ ██ ██ Artist: Darkenhold ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Memoria Sylvarum █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-10-05 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Self released ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ A while ago I had the distinct pleasure of █
█ reviewing the album Castellum by the French Black █
█ Metal act Darkenh÷ld. If memory serves, that █
█ proved to be quite an experience for me, since it █
█ not only had a very interesting approach to the █
█ genre as a whole (like many French bands these █
█ days, much to my glee), but they managed to █
█ combine this with extravagant tales of medieval █
█ fantasy, incorporating many of the aspects that █
█ both can and should make Power Metal bands █
█ interesting, at least lyrically; This they managed █
█ to do while still staying true to their roots and █
█ while remaining within their musical arena. Their █
█ newest rendition carries the title Memoria █
█ Sylvarum, and it marks their fourth full-length █
█ release, a mere three years after their previously █
█ mentioned record. In these years Darkenh÷ld have █
█ managed to expand upon their sound, making it more █
█ melodic and flowing, yet still being within the █
█ parameters that one would expect from them. This, █
█ in turn, has led Memoria Sylvarum to be a release █
█ that is very powerful and riddled with catchy █
█ guitar solos, yet never losing sight of its past █
█ and therefore still retaining much of what made █
█ Black Metal stand out all those years ago. When █
█ compared to Darkenh÷lds own previous releases, █
█ this newest addition seems to be a natural █
█ extension of the sound that the band has created █
█ in the past; Perhaps with a bit more experience █
█ and direction thrown into the mix. Of the eight █
█ tracks and single interlude present upon the █
█ record, I must confess to having a hard time █
█ choosing a favourite û All in all, it is █
█ forty-four exquisite minutes that I would █
█ recommend fans and interested alike to listen to █
█ in its entirety, in order. Mind you, this is not a █
█ concept album per sΘ (if onlyà), and the lyrics █
█ are in French, which will make Google Translate █
█ your friend if you are not a native speaker and, █
█ like me, have a weakness for understanding the █
█ lyrics. That aside, Darkenh÷ld is still a band █
█ that you can easily enjoy even if you do not █
█ understand the language û French is a very █
█ harmonious language, after all. If I had to █
█ pin-point a track from this album to highlight █
█ (which I feel that I must), then it would be the █
█ very last entrance on the roster, the one hiding █
█ behind the title ôPrΘsence des Orbesö; Simply █
█ because it is the longest track present on the █
█ entire release, as well as the final entry û The █
█ Magnum Opus from Memoria Sylvanum, if you stretch █
█ the definition a bit. So far, Darkenh÷ld seem to █
█ never disappoint, and I once again recommend their █
█ creation. █
█ █
█ Recommended for fans of late Burzum and Varg. █
█ █
█ http://darkenhold.bandcamp.com/ █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Sombre Val 3:07 ░
░ 2. La ChevauchΘe des Esprits de Jadis 4:33 ░
░ 3. Ruines ScellΘes en la Vieille ForΩt 4:33 ░
░ 4. A L'orΘe de L'escalier Sylvestre 7:14 ░
░ 5. La Grotte de la ChΦvre D'or 1:47 ░
░ 6. Sous la Vo√te de ChΩnes 5:18 ░
░ 7. Clameur des Falaises 4:39 ░
░ 8. Errances (Lueur des Sources OubliΘes) 4:27 ░
░ 9. PrΘsence des Orbes 8:28 ░
░ 44:06 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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