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Illnath > Angelic Voices Calling > Reviews > villalba
Illnath - Angelic Voices Calling

Angelic music calling - 98%

villalba, December 26th, 2014

In spite of not being keen on black metal, I must say this EP has that something that characterizes all musical pieces of art. I discovered Illnath when searching for similar bands to Cradle of FIlth, but for me, any similarity between these two bands, at least for this EP, is merely anecdotal. In any way, Illnath's "Angelic Voices Calling", outshines thoroughly the best Cradle of Filth releases. It is widely believed that the first releases of a band are the best of their recordings, and in this case, this unfounded idea perfectly matches with reality. "Angelic Voices Calling" sets an extremely high standard which seemed to be impossible to keep up with on the future Illnath releases.

This EP consists on 18 minutes of power, melody and speed shared out in 5 songs - one of them instrumental - and could be classified as melodic black metal. However, it is patent throughout all the release the numerous symphonic influences that provide versatility to an, already by itself, rich and original sound. One of the best highlights of this EP are the vocals. I can frankly affirm that Illnath's vocals are one of the best I have ever heard. These are extremely harsh and changing, oscillating throughout all 18 minutes of music from deep growls to more common black metal shrieks. Another aspect that stands out among the impressive music work are the memorable drum lines. The double bass sounds powerful but it is not overused as many other extreme metal bands where slower tempos are often avoided. This is not the case, considering that the drummer adds slower drums lines which blend perfectly with the most melodic and symphonic parts of the EP. The song "Angelic Voices Calling" is the best song in which the last point about the drums is better seen: After an impassioned intro, blast beats appear with strength and, when the guitars, which are magnificent, adopt a more melodic sound, the drums get slowed for a brief while, changing to a fast tempo after a few seconds.

Overall, this EP can doubtlessly be raised to the status of a masterpiece. Songs like "Angelic Voices Calling" or "The Blood Is the Almighty Sin" are responsible for making this EP out-stand among less-doted bands. The only con is the fifth song: "Never Again", while not bad at all, is a step behind from the other three non-instrumental themes. To finish with, I strongly recommend this EP to any metal lover who is looking for power, passion and enchanting and catching - without falling into simplicity or repetitiveness - melodies. It does not matter the fact of not liking black metal, since this work is much more than a simple label. ABSOLUTELY A MUST-HAVE.