ALBUM REVIEW: Cardinal's Folly - "Our Cult Continues"

By: Erik Sugg

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 19/8/2014

Label: Shadow Kingdom Records

Cardinal’s Folly strikes me as a band who will garnish extreme reactions from listeners. People will either be instantly turned off with the sluggish riffs and Mikko’s oddball singing, or they will instantly proclaim them as their new favorite band. They are definitely a highly recommended group for when you find yourself at your most dejected and misanthropic moments.

“Our Cult Continues” CD/DD track listing:

1. Chant of Shadows

2. Morbid Glory

3. The Black Baroness

4. Our Cult Continues!

5. Sighisoaran

6. Walvater Unveiled

7. The Lover’s Crypt

8. Fallout Ritualist

The Review:

Cardinal's Folly refer to themselves as a “Finnish doom metal cult with dark desires & heavy metal incantations,” who have been “laughing at stoner/retro trends since 2004.” A bold statement like that can either lead you to believe this band is the real deal, or a group of schmucks who take themselves way too seriously. After listening to their sophomore album, “Our Cult Continues,” I’ve come to the conclusion they’re simply three friends who take themselves just seriously enough to create some incredibly dark music with little to no regards to how it’s perceived by others. Their music is abrasive, discordant, shoddily recorded, and is sure to only be accepted by outsiders with an inclination towards darkness, destruction, and despair. In other words, they are truly a cult.

The record begins with the ultra creepy, “Chant of Shadows,” a slow build featuring a sample from the 1971 horror film, “The Blood on Satan’s Claws.” A young girl repeats, “Behemoth, spirit of the dark, take thou my blood, my flesh, my skin and walk,” as the band chants behind her voice. This is probably one of the most effective horror intros a band has ever incorporated onto an album. After the spine-tingling crescendo and slow fade of the chant, the band kicks into the track, “Morbid Glory,” which begins with an incredibly dirty bass line. The new-wavish drumbeat kicks in with an atonal guitar riff, almost giving the song a Joy Division feel, made even more so with singer Mikko Kääriäinen’s dismally low register. If Ian Curtis had survived long enough for the rise of doom and black metal, Joy Division may have sounded more like Cardinal's Folly than New Order, (perhaps that’s a stretch, but Mikko does sound an awful lot like Curtis, and that’s not a bad thing.) Swedish hype machines, Ghost and In Solitude, tend to have these similar new-wavey quirks, all in an attempt to make their dark tunes “catchy” and appealing to a wider audience. However, with Cardinal’s Folly it’s all too easy to see that radio-friendliness and “mass appeal” is the absolute least of their concerns. Truth be told, this is the kind of music that separates casual listeners from lifers.

As the album lurches on, the songs flow from varying degrees of heaviness, gothicness, and occasional touches of classic black metal “airiness.” Still, this is not a black metal album by any means. Its doom metal, but you can’t exactly put a finger on the usual doom masters who influence the bands of today. Sure, if you listen to “Our Cult Continues,” you’ll probably hear some underlying Cathedral and Electric Wizard fandom, but Cardinal's Folly isn’t going for that. At times their brash playing even hint at limited technical ability, but it’s definitely the kind of thing that lends itself to greater artistry, the same situation that made a lot of classic punk bands great. Not that Cardinal’s Folly aren’t fine players, because they are. All of the tracks on “Our Cult Continues” are perfectly well played in that each one has its own layer of darkness while individually contributing to the overall madness of the record.

Cardinal’s Folly strikes me as a band who will garnish extreme reactions from listeners. People will either be instantly turned off with the sluggish riffs and Mikko’s oddball singing, or they will instantly proclaim them as their new favorite band. They are definitely a highly recommended group for when you find yourself at your most dejected and misanthropic moments.

“Our Cult Continues” is available here

Band info: facebook

In Solitude - "In Solitude" Re-Issue (Album Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length (Re-issue)

Date Released: 25/1/2013

Label: Season of Mist

 

Overall, “In Solitude” is a very strong debut. It doesn't quite have the vibe and creepy feel of its successor but it is much, much better than most metal records you will here this, or any, year.

“In Solitude” CD//DD//LP track Listing

1). In the Darkness

2). Witches Sabbath

3). Kathedral

4). Beyond Is where I Learn

5). 7th Ghost

6). Faceless Mistress

7). Temple of the Unknown

8). The Monolith

9). Hidden Dangers (In the Night) - single version

10) Faceless Mistress - demo version

In Solitude is:

Hornper | Vocals

Niklas Lindström | Guitars

Matte Gustafsson | Guitars

Gottfrid Åhman | Bass

Uno Bruniusson | Drums

The Review

For those unfamiliar with In Solitude, the band is best described as NWOBHM revivalists by way of Mercyful Fate. Sound good? Read on. I first became familiar with them via 2011 “The World, The Flesh, the Devil”, their sophomore record. That record boasted decidedly retro sounds and deft song writing chops. From the opener of this re-issue, “In the Darkness”, all the elements that you would wish for are present and correct. The drums drive but don't thrash and the guitar work intertwines and flows- think Maiden rather than Metallica.

“Witches Sabbath” gallops out of the gates with purpose and utilises the band's now trademark low spoken vocal/sung line call and responses. King Diamond's spirit is channelled to good effect and more Maiden guitar play follows.

“Kathedral” starts with a distinctly Priest flavour as time changes are used and the guitars unify nicely. The vocals of Pelle “Hornper” Åhman work well here and he turns in a great performance showing a nice ethereal quality to his voice along with decent range.  The Priest-esque pace continues with “Beyond Is Where I learn”. The use of the ride cymbal is pure Maiden, as is the guitar interplay again. It is in a strange way refreshing to realise that THIS is heavy metal- plain and simple. There is no real sub genres here- and there certainly wouldn't have been if this really had been released in 1984- there is just pure unadulterated metal goodness.

As “Seventh Ghost” illustrates, there is no aggression for its own sake here- there is energy aplenty and good atmospherics, mind. The heaviness is certainly there, but in a way that existed pre-Slayer/Exodus, when metal took a turn for the nastier. In many ways, this is In Solitude's strength; strong songs and performances wrapped up in a retro styled package without the modern trappings of mindless aggression/extremity.

“Faceless Mistress” uses harmony guitars off the bat and shows that the band can turn up the pace when they want to. Ghostly themes abound as the guitars lock together very nicely.  The chug and melody of “Temple Of The Unknown” work together well, while drummer Uno Bruniusson shows he is not afraid to roll around the toms- to great effect.

The pure heavy metal continues with “The Monolith” that closes out the album proper in fine style. The mournful aspect of In Solitude's sound is on display here and it adds a melancholy dimension to both their albums that expands their sound and elevates it above other metal revivalists you could probably name.

Two bonus tracks follow; “Hidden Dangers (in the night)” is a welcome addition being as although the sound quality dips a little.  The performance is strong and fiery. Extra songs like this are always welcomed by the listener, I think, as you get that bit more for your money. “Faceless Mistress” (demo version) is the final offering here. It rages out of the speakers with too much echo on the vocal but a really good display of attitude and fire from the band. A bonus track should be just that- something extra for those who have parted with their money to enjoy. The two here fit that bill nicely.

Overall, “In Solitude” is a very strong debut. It doesn't quite have the vibe and creepy feel of its successor but it is much, much better than most metal records you will here this, or any, year. Well worth picking up as an introduction to the band, to complete your collection of In Solitude material or just because you fancy hearing some heavy metal that is well played and well written. Having seen them live, I can confirm that In Solitude are the real deal; good musicians, good writers and good showmen. They are also frighteningly young; and you can't say that is not needed in metal right now!

“In Solitude” can be purchased here

Band info: Facebook