Band:	Thorns Of Ivy
Album:	From Grace To Tragedy
Style:	Symphonic black metal, Death metal
Website:	http://www.thornsofivy.com
Release date:	2005

01. A Nightmare In Bloom
02. Children Of The Nightshade
03. The Bestial Weaver
04. Lyliana´s Secret
05. Mourning In Earth´s Bosom
06. Lucid Passion And Her Sin
07. Of Cruel Solitude
08. Sered Beauty´s Memoria
09. An Elegy To Decay
10. Symphony Of The Froststorm
11. From Grace To Tragedy
12. As The Last Leaf falls
13. Remembrance [bonus]

When I got in my hands the debut album of the Austrian black metal band Thorns Of Ivy and I stared at the booklet I was deeply amazed by the fabulous atmosphere it was evoking with those pictures of nocturnal beauty. The first thought that came to mind was "I think this is a great album" and I couldn't wait for the moment to come to get back home to listen to "From Grace To Tragedy" being filled with high expectations.

To tell the truth, the music of the band was far better than my expectations and it proved to be a really big and lovely as well surprise for me, opening the gates to the most beautiful and at the same time eerie dimensions of sound pleasures! Thorns Of Ivy's black metal is elegiac, beauteous, poetic, internal and deeply atmospheric and it is quite obvious that Silva Raziel, Woken and Auriel know really well and in the most professional way how to offer utterly inspired symphonic/atmospheric/avant-garde black metal with wonderful production that won't disappoint the fans of this specific genre.

It needs guts to create superb atmospheric/symphonic black metal and Thorns Of Ivy definitely have them, they have all the guts, the good will and the inspiration to become great and they already have shown with their debut album their intentions! I think the name Cradle Of Filth is very hot in the scene for its unique and surrounding atmosphere, well, Thorns Of Ivy seem to be influenced by this renowned UK band but somehow I seem to find them better and more serious into what they are doing no matter how much I like Cradle Of Filth. Some slight references can be also found from the mid-period of Dimmu Borgir and the latest releases of Anorexia Nervosa. And to avoid any misunderstandings, Thorns Of Ivy might seem to some as a copy band, but I don't think they are one, they have their influences as every band around, sometimes a bit more than they should, but I deeply adored their ideas and the way they present their influences through their own sound dreams/nightmares.

Auriel is a real master at creating haunting and at the same time beautiful atmospheres, his interpreting abilities are fabulous and he's a really qualified keyboardist/pianist and knows how to arrange incredible orchestral passages that will make you bow in front of his genius mind. Every single piano, keyboard and orchestral idea/passage is well-conceived and well-executed creating that elegiac and poetic aesthetic of the band that makes them far better than many bands that try to evoke such emotions/atmosphere.

The guitar riffing is brilliant and definitely inspired, at times raging and powerful, fiery in its very own gentle way, at others more thrashy/heavy or more melodic, depending on the emotions the band wants to evoke and it seems that they have chosen the most appropriate riff/guitar idea for every single moment of "From Grace To Tragedy"! The rhythm section interprets its role in a stunning and unerring way, despite the fact that the band used a drum machine (the programming fit perfectly to the band's sound) and bass guitar samples in order to fill the empty space of the drummer and bass guitarist, for the moment. As for the vocals, Silva Raziel has an utterly charismatic voice, whether he howls, grunts, recites or sings in a heart-rending way, giving life to the brilliant and poetic lyrics in the most ideal and vivid way. A nice addition has to be the use of female vocals at times, enriching the atmosphere with fragile sounds.

I won't choose any highlights simply because the album is a highlight itself, it flows as one and takes you on a journey through its unearthly, doleful and at the same time gentle/beauteous gothic overtures. Lovers of orchestral black metal should definitely proceed, this band is the new messiah of the genre and "From Grace To Tragedy" is a new-born diamond for the scene.