| Artist |
| Mantus |
| Title |
| Die Hochzeit Von Himmel Und Hoelle |
| Format/Cat |
| CD TRI 397 CD |
| Label |
| Trisol |
| Style |
| Goth |
| Date of review |
| 19th August 2010 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 6/10 |
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Based on the books The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell by William Blake, this is another lavishly-presented offering from the duo of Martin & Tina. Compared to the previous album Demut, this is a more restrained & melodic work, it's certainly less immediate & although the gothic metal/orchestral string blowouts are still present & correct on such tracks as ''Wer Seine Lust Unterdruckt' which is one of the album's more driven pieces, thanks to some fine percussion & Part One of the 7-minute two-parter 'Sprichwoerter Der Hoelle' (the second part being a prime example of the album's quieter moments) it often opts for a more laidback & melodic, at times rather mournful, sound with the spoken vocals from either of the duo (or both in the case of 'Phantasie (Leviathan)) telling the tale behind each song. This is more effective on the quieter tracks as the heavier elements can sometimes drown out the voices, as the guitars do during 'Die Funf Sinne'.
It goes pretty much without saying, of course, that unless you're familar with the original books or your German is of a very high standard then you'll be pretty much left behind on this aspect & while I'm sure it follows them pretty faithfully, on a purely musical level it does feel at times as if the music is drifting along rather aimlessly with 'Elija' being a prime example of a track that starts out promisingly enough (if a tad predictably, given it's towards the end of the album) but then just rambles along with no real destination in mind & the fact that the fade-out seems somewhat arbitrary doesn't help matters, either. After all, there are only so many combinations of heavy guitars, rhythms & strings to add that epic touch or quieter, mournful tracks that you can listen to before the effect wears off. A number do build from quieter openings into powerful climaxes in a manner that is undeniably well-executed but after a while it does get a tad predictable, as if they're content to play it safe, the music really grabbing the attention only occasionally with 'Die Stimme des Teufels' starting off with a nicely jaunty piano line that lends itself to a powerful piece that resembles Das Ich (in mood more than style) while 'Die Alter Dichter' is given a more sepulchral air by the church organ that underpins the whole track. The initially folky 'Das Schwert' springs something of a surprise in that it seems to be crying out for more guitar riffs that never actually materialise, instead leaving the harpsichord & interweaving melodic elements to make their mark more fully & providing something of a contrast to the heavier elements on an album that. Despite my personal reservations this is sure to find favour with a number of gothic music lovers & is perhaps better suited for more contemplative listening than the all-out pompous power of their previous works.
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