A Sombre Dance (A Sombre Dance - Estatic Fear)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	A Sombre Dance - Estatic Fear
Date:	06/07/08 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Perfectly composed and executed symphonic doom metal.

Disadvantages: Twinkly keyboards are slightly irritating in Chapter VIII.

One of the most distinctive and compelling doom metal albums I've heard, Estatic Fear's second and final album is essentially the project of Austrian Matthias Kogler, the only remaining original band member who drafted in guest musicians and a female singer to record his magnum opus. A heavily symphonic album, this is one of the most effective combinations of rock instruments with orchestration that I've ever heard, one that never goes over the top to spoil its sombre, pastoral, historical atmosphere, and perhaps the closest you can get to true Medieval metal (however much of an oxymoron that may be).

Each song flows perfectly into the next, and all possess enough internal variation for the album to work as an epic and beautiful musical story. The metal itself never feels overbearing, despite approaching an impressive degree of heaviness in Chapter II and others, and the dual guitar melodies that lead the way in most songs are instantly gratifying and memorable. Even gimmicks such as the thunder and rain that pervade Chapter II contribute excellently to the atmosphere, whereas on other albums I would consider them cheesy and unnecessary.

1. Intro (Unisono Lute Instrumental)
2. Chapter I
3. Chapter II
4. Chapter III
5. Chapter IV
6. Chapter V
7. Chapter VI
8. Chapter VII
9. Chapter VIII
10. Chapter IX

Summary: Estatic Fear's second album (1999).