gothic doom metal
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Sidhe is the Irish term for a supernatural race in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology (usually spelled Sìth, however pronounced the same), comparable to the fairies or elves. They are said to live underground in fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans. They are variously said to be the ancestors, the spirits of nature, or goddesses and gods.
And that obviously brings us right into the most loved theme of many metal bands: the pagan mythology and lifestyle, including the occult and the supernatural worlds. Since the nineties, several pagan and gothic metal bands have been inspired by Gaelic folklore and beliefs. Sidhe, the Italian female fronted metal band, follows that tradition and they seem to combine it with a firm do-it-yourself attitude.
'Contenebrat' is their second full-length after 'She's A Witch', released in 2012. The music brings back memories of those pioneering bands, including The Gathering, Moonspell, Haggard but there's also plenty of room for good old fashioned doom metal, like Black Sabbath or Cathedral.. Furthermore, I can't help but think about gothic rock bands like Inkubus Sukkubus or Faith And The Muse, mostly because the sound of the guitars I think. Their less heavy than their predecessors.
Which obviously isn't a bad thing. You don't have to be the heaviest and most intense act to be interesting. All you need is a set of skilled musicians and that certainly seems to be the case here. Songs like 'Contenebrat', 'Hekate's Wheel' and the lengthy 'Seven Gates' are well-written and well performed pieces of traditional doom metal, interlaced with celtic influences and the dark female vocals of Tytanja.
For fans of female fronted gothic metal, this certainly is something to check out. However, I'd also like to recommend fans of twins-solos and old school heavy metal riffs to lend this album an ear. You'll definitely find something you like in here. The album mostly makes me curious about live performances. I wonder how strong this material will stand on stage because sometimes that's very different from the album version.
Serge
And that obviously brings us right into the most loved theme of many metal bands: the pagan mythology and lifestyle, including the occult and the supernatural worlds. Since the nineties, several pagan and gothic metal bands have been inspired by Gaelic folklore and beliefs. Sidhe, the Italian female fronted metal band, follows that tradition and they seem to combine it with a firm do-it-yourself attitude.
'Contenebrat' is their second full-length after 'She's A Witch', released in 2012. The music brings back memories of those pioneering bands, including The Gathering, Moonspell, Haggard but there's also plenty of room for good old fashioned doom metal, like Black Sabbath or Cathedral.. Furthermore, I can't help but think about gothic rock bands like Inkubus Sukkubus or Faith And The Muse, mostly because the sound of the guitars I think. Their less heavy than their predecessors.
Which obviously isn't a bad thing. You don't have to be the heaviest and most intense act to be interesting. All you need is a set of skilled musicians and that certainly seems to be the case here. Songs like 'Contenebrat', 'Hekate's Wheel' and the lengthy 'Seven Gates' are well-written and well performed pieces of traditional doom metal, interlaced with celtic influences and the dark female vocals of Tytanja.
For fans of female fronted gothic metal, this certainly is something to check out. However, I'd also like to recommend fans of twins-solos and old school heavy metal riffs to lend this album an ear. You'll definitely find something you like in here. The album mostly makes me curious about live performances. I wonder how strong this material will stand on stage because sometimes that's very different from the album version.
Serge
