Heb je de vlag al uithangen? En als je vraagt waarvoor, moet je nu verder scrollen of dit artikel overslaan, want dan is al hetgeen ik de afgelopen tijd heb geschreven - over welke speciale gebeurtenis zich op 3 november zou voltrekken - aan jouw aandacht ontsnapt.
Het is zover! Het is 3 november en vandaag heeft de Belgische crème de la crème van authentieke, old school death metal, Carnation hun derde full-lenght studioalbum in zijn geheel opgeleverd: Cursed Mortality. En het voldoet aan alle verwachtingen!
Natuurlijk waren in de afgelopen maanden al vijf singles (Cursed Mortality, Cycle of Suffering, Maruta, Replicant en Metropolis) op deze site voorbij gekomen, maar dat laat nog steeds drie singles over om te bespreken.
Het album opent met Harold of Demise, een iconisch nummer waarop een metalheld van formaat meespeelt: Andy LaRocque, de legendarische Zweedse producer en gitarist van King Diamond. Harold of Demise nummer begint rustig en bedeesd, waarbij je van begin af aan in alle poriën van je lijf voelt dat er geweld aan komt. Direct klinkt het gitaarspel van LaRocque door, alvorens Simon zijn strot open trekt. Heerlijk.
Het tweede nieuwe nummer van het album heeft een - in het bijzonder voor België - beladen titel: Dutroux. een super vet nummer over iemand die we hier niet verder zullen bespreken. Qua toon en ritme en gevoel zou het nummer overigens ook net zo goed uit de koker van Slayer hebben kunnen komen.
Submerged in Deafening Silence is het derde nummer dat nog niet eerder op deze site aan bod is gekomen. Een zwaar, donker nummer, met bombastische dreunen en tempowisselingen die tot de verbeelding spreken.
Carnation en de release van dit album zijn de afgelopen maanden veelvuldig aan bod gekomen bij Brothers in Raw. Het is niet alleen een band die ons na aan het hart ligt (we vinden immers onze basis in het mooie België). Het is ook gewoon een hele goeie club muzikanten die zonder meer een groter podium verdienen voor hun kunnen. Cursed Mortality is het schoolvoorbeeld van hetgeen deze vijf heren in hun mars hebben.
Luister het album. Ik beloof dat je niet teleurgesteld zult zijn.
Releasedatum: 6 april 2023
Luister
Lees
For the last decade, CARNATION has been at the forefront of reviving old school death metal. There’s something to be said about the artfulness of taking something so primitive and walking that fine line between keeping its classic authenticity without sounding tired or dated. CARNATION has always teetered this line, injecting a fresh and contemporary approach without losing the genre’s time-honored traditions. However, the band’s third endeavor sees CARNATION erasing those boundaries entirely and abandoning any and all conventions as they traverse into daring new territory. ‘Cursed Mortality’ pulls the Belgian death dealers deeper into experimental new waters, taking risks as the band steps out of the shadows of its predecessors and comes into its own identity. 'Cursed Mortality's' statement is clear: This is no longer simply a revival; this is CARNATION’s rebirth.
“We still play death metal and we still identify as such” explains frontman Simon Duson. “But we know that this is also our second decade performing it. And while it is very important for us to stay true to the old-school style, we know we had to open things up a bit and reach out to those who might be interested in extreme metal, but aren’t that much into the old aspect of it. It also feels fresher to us because we’ve decided to change our visual approach, with a new logo, a new look on stage and so on. In a way, it really feels like the beginning of a new chapter for CARNATION.”
Album number three is much more than just a new chapter, but rather feels like a sequel to an already storied career, punctuated by press accolades, an impressive history of live performances, and a lauded discography consisting of several EPs, splits, and two critically acclaimed full-length albums.
With the debut of its first EP in 2015, CARNATION quickly garnered the attention of fans, media, and most notably of all, record label Season of Mist, who quickly noticed the band’s potential and picked them up without hesitation. Upon forming this union, the band dropped its first full-length, ‘Chapel of Abhorrance,’ in 2018. Angry Metal Guy astutely noted that the Belgians’ debut album was “one of the best death metal debuts of the year, and CARNATION have earned their place as one of the most promising new bands in the genre'' while Distorted Sound Magazine echoed these remarks, calling ‘Chapel of Abborhance’ “one of most brutalizing, well executed and, above all, fun, death metal releases of 2018'' in its 9/10 review of the album.
CARNATION’s momentum only seemed to pick up from there. The band kept busy on the road, performing a variety of tours with their death metal brethren in Deserted Fear, Schirenc Plays, Pungent Stench, and Pestilence, while headlining stages in Japan and Brazil. Upon conquering the live circuit and laying waste to audiences across three different continents, the band unleashed its 2020 opus, ‘Where Death Lies,’ which broke them out from the underground with the kind of seismic force that most bands can only dream of. If the critics liked ‘Chapel of Abhorrance,’ ‘Where Death Lies’ was the moment they fell in love, enamored by Carnation’s relentless brutality and crushing precision.
While touring had been halted that year, CARNATION never stagnated nor waivered. The band’s tenacity paid off with their sophomore effort being named among one of the best records of the year by The Pit, Chicago Music Guide, Pandemonium Metal, and many more, while the single “Iron Discipline'' was singled out by Loudwire as one of the best songs of 2020. Legacy outlet Kerrang! also took notice, ranking the band among the “50 Greatest Death Metal Bands Right Now,” cracking the top 20 picks.
While the Belgian slayers still stay true to their roots, they step outside of their comfort zone with more groove, melody, and progression, showcasing their versatility as musicians and clearly defining their own unique sound. ‘Cursed Mortality’ sounds darker, with passages of melancholic melodies that compliment the heaviness.
Most bands might feel anxious about making such dramatic changes, especially to incorporate clean vocals within such extreme music, CARNATION embraces the unknown and does not fall victim to fear or monotony. “As artists, it's something natural,” explains Verstrepen about why the band has shifted direction. “Doing the same thing over and over again doesn't inspire us. We love to create and we love to explore new paths. We knew some people wouldn't like clean vocals in death metal, but we don't want to think of that too much. We stand 100% behind our music and we really like what we did here. Some people will drop out, but there will definitely be others joining! As Lemmy would say, 'You win some, you lose some.'”
Indeed, a personal metamorphosis is always a risk, but one that historically has paid off. The first records of bands like Black Sabbath, Carcass, Death, or even Bathory sound nothing like the mid-late era offerings of those very same artists, and yet, those records that strayed off the beaten path are regarded as some of the most seminal albums in the history of metal. Playing it safe sounds easy, but it isn’t always a part of a legend’s origin story. And CARNATION isn’t here to play by the rules; the band is ready to take a leap of faith and redefine an era.
CARNATION Lineup:
Simon Duson: Vocals
Jonathan Verstrepen: Lead Guitar
Bert Vervoort: Rhythm Guitar
Yarne Heylen: Bass Guitar
Vincent Verstrepen: Drums
