Style: Post-Metal, Blackgaze (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Lantlos, Kardashev, Gojira, Swallow the Sun, MONO
Review by: Cooper
Country: Italy
Release date: 15 September, 2023
Whenever I see a whale on album artwork, especially artwork as gorgeous as that on Deadly Carnage’s newest, Endless Blue, I give that album a listen. Beyond albums featuring whales as part of their artwork simply having a good track record – I’m looking at you Gojira and Mastodon – there seems something about the immensity of whales and the stark beauty of their habitat that inspires metal bands to look inwards and extract from themselves what often becomes their core sound. And despite having been around since 2005, it seems that the trend has continued with Deadly Carnage; with Endless Blue, they have delivered an album that, while occasionally meandering, signals an evolution from their previous sound towards something grander.
This album sees Deadly Carnage continue their trend of slowly eschewing their black metal tendencies for far more atmospheric post-metal, but the major difference between this album and its predecessors is its production. Where the quality of previous releases ranged from okay to bad (perhaps in the pursuit of “atmosphere” although it’s certainly not my cup of tea), Endless Blue presents a downright gorgeous listening experience. The guitars are light and airy yet still powerful enough to punctuate the powerful and decisive drumming. The vocals are incredibly dynamic, nestled amongst the instruments comfortably, and the bass, present but not overbearing, is the perfect mediator between this album’s delicate atmosphere and crushing heft. All of this, combined with the occasional addition of piano and acoustics, ensures that the auditory experience on Endless Blue is one of crushing beauty. Several times while listening, I found myself closing my eyes so as to better soak up the awe simply oozing from certain moments on this album.
Songwise, Endless Blue is just that: a collection of songs. What I mean is that instead of flowing smoothly from song to song with clear intent or at least some semblance of a through line, this album feels the same whether it’s listened to “as intended” or simply on shuffle. This is particularly surprising to see from a concept album that claims to tell the legends and myths of Japanese folklore with each song representing a different chapter in the story. When I first read this I was excited, but as far as I can tell, beyond the visual and auditory aesthetics, the concept is completely impenetrable. This combined with the album’s lack of flow, while certainly not a dealbreaker, leads to tiresome repeat listens.
Still though, the individual songs on display are quite impressive. The delicate piano and vocal interplay of “Sublime Connection” is lively, especially in how the vocals are delivered, and the melodic climax of closer “Unknown Shores” went as far as to remind of the famous melody in Holst’s “Jupiter.” The heaviness that Deadly Carnage conjures up on the absolutely immense “Mononoke” and the instrumental ripper “The Clue” is almost enough to justify the band’s moniker!
All that is to say that, despite some flaws, Deadly Carnage have delivered what will almost certainly come to be known as their magnum opus, eighteen years into their career no less. And while it showcases the band’s willingness to experiment and evolve, it occasionally stumbles in maintaining a consistent flow and fully realizing its concept. Still if you’re in the mood for achingly beautiful atmospheric black metal, look no further than Endless Blue.
Recommended tracks: Mononoke, Sublime Connection, The Clue
You may also like: The Salt Pale Collective, Sanguine Glacialis, Krigsgrav, Heretoir
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: A Sad Sadness Song
Deadly Carnage is:
– Adres (bass)
– Marco Ceccarelli (drums, percussion)
– Dave (guitars)
– Alexios Ciancio (vocals, guitars, synths)
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