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Estatic Fear - A Sombre Dance review
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Rating:
9.3		 Estatic Fear - A Sombre Dance
1999


01. Intro
02. Chapter I
03. Chapter II
04. Chapter III
05. Chapter IV
06. Chapter V
07. Chapter VI
08. Chapter VII
09. Chapter VIII
10. Chapter IX


Three years after the release of their elegiac and magnificent "Omnium Obmutum" Estatic Fear returned with another album filled with intense emotions and inspiration. The name of it "A Sombre Dance" and for one more time this Austrian act managed to give a title fitting with the atmosphere of the compositions in the most ideal way. Indeed the album is "a sombre dance" while you lose yourself dancing, manoeuvring in the esotericism of melancholy and visions that come forth from tales of medieval sorrow and grief.

When the time comes to compare "A Sombre Dance" to "Somnium Obmutum", the first in terms of song structure is for sure more affected and every single passage is well-thought and well-put, showing that the band has matured a lot in these three years. The variety of the instruments participating remains wide and the instrument interpretation on "A Sombre Dance" is better, with every member of the band and guest musician pouring themselves in the final outcome. Of course the folk touch has remained and it is vivid mainly in the acoustic passages.

The compositions this time have a Haggard approach and they are less doom metal oriented, but don't think that Estatic Fear have become a Haggard rip off band, there's no way that this would happen, they just lend some elements from their sound and that's all. Another influence someone may notice is Loreena McKennitt that seems to have spread her seeds in the band as well (just listen to "Part I", if the vocal lines and structure won't remind you of Loreena McKennitt then I don't know what to say). This time the rhythm section is vivid in the sound of the band, but still it doesn't hold the ideal place in the production, but it's definitely better than on "Somnium Ombutum" and lends a more dynamic approach to the compositions. The guitar work for one more time is utterly inspired and high quality. The classical guitar passages are just fabulous and they lend the album a fragile and dreamy or melancholic feeling whereas the distorted guitar riffing makes the overall atmosphere more powerful.

The orchestral passages are highly inspired and come straight from the heart. The piano and the keyboard melodies evoke a dark and melancholic romanticism or a more vivid and intense atmosphere in the air, the flute lends its magical touch as well in the structure of the songs and every other classical instrument partaking in the overall outcome does its best to make the emotions deeper. The female operatic vocals this time are being used more and they are more affected, whereas the male vocals remain grunting, sounding in a way distorted at times, making the emotional charge more intense.

"A Sombre Dance" cannot be separated to pieces, it flows as one and its compositions have a connection the one with the other. So, the best thing you can do is relax with a bottle of good wine and let yourself lie somewhere in the dark medieval woods of melancholy. Let yourself dance "a sombre dance" and pour your soul to that beautiful yet doleful waltz...


Band profile: Estatic Fear
Album: A Sombre Dance


 



Written on 22.12.2005 by
DerRozzengarten
"It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind."
More reviews by DerRozzengarten ››



Comments

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Comments: 20  
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poetry - 14.09.2007 at 17:17  
a perfect album...pure melacholy..
Corwin - 24.01.2008 at 23:32  
One of the two best albums in the world! this one and Somnium Obmutum!

I've got the original cd. It's awesome. Matthias Kogler is so talented.
Death_Shant - 12.02.2008 at 19:59  
9.3 is very low! this album is better than that!
W-Lash - 15.02.2008 at 01:24  
After Somnium Obmutum this sounded like total shit.
Metal Symphony - 25.08.2008 at 00:02  
estatic fear is the 21st century mozart!!! matthias has to be famous just like old times and should be remembered by our grandchildren!!!:P
Sunioj - 22.12.2008 at 13:27  
This is an amazing album. I really need more albums like to listen to... I don't get MS labeling them as symphonic death metal. When I think symphnonic dm, I think someting like Luciferion... not that I care.

Great release.
annodomini - 27.06.2009 at 12:48  
Written by Metal Symphony on 25.08.2008 at 00:02

estatic fear is the 21st century mozart!!! matthias has to be famous just like old times and should be remembered by our grandchildren!!!:P


Well i Can't agree on this. Because there are few melodies that are reaaranged from other famous classics, so they just took some ideas and rewrote them. So they gave nothing like Mozart. But album is a masterpiece.
Maxx666 - 01.07.2009 at 21:10  
This album is making history for sure:banger:
Devilspeed - 17.07.2009 at 21:43  
Should have gotten a 10.
cobrapel - 23.11.2009 at 19:49  
After Somnium Obmutum this sounded like total WONDER.
Vonpire - 21.02.2010 at 22:11  
This was the greatest finding of the year 1999. It's a perfet album, filled with beautifull melodies and athmosphere. And the way all those marvellous instruments fit within each other is a must. A Sombre Dance is a bautifull and haunting history from start to finish.

One of the best albuns ever for sure.

10 +
Aeonfrost - 23.03.2011 at 16:11  
Perfect review, a fantastic album, deserves a perfect 10, every instrument blends perfectly together, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
Draugen - 15.06.2011 at 13:36  
This album is without a doubt my favorite of all time. It's just pure perfection.
Metal_4Ever - 15.06.2011 at 16:01  
I think that "Chapter IX" best song in that album
I hope for this band to come back with a new great album.
advent - 26.10.2012 at 14:22  
A perfect album.

Where is the band now by the way, i see that they are still active but 12 years without any album??
DerRozzengarten - 03.11.2012 at 14:34  
They might surprise us all of a sudden, who knows
BoxCar Willy - 03.11.2012 at 16:38  
Written by advent on 26.10.2012 at 14:22

A perfect album.

Where is the band now by the way, i see that they are still active but 12 years without any album??

Actually according to MS, they disbanded right after the release of this album.
InnerSelf - 03.11.2012 at 19:11  
I remember they posted an update not so long ago that they are working on new material, so I think they're still active in a Virgin Black way
Dark†SymphonY - 06.01.2013 at 22:12  
This album is a magnificent piece of art, only a very few albums have reached me with powerful emotion like this. 10/10 for sure.
Armageddon - 20.02.2013 at 20:17  
Truly wonderful album, full of emotions. The instruments blend together so well. And great review by the way.

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