Band:	Carach Angren
Album:	Lammendam
Style:	Symphonic black metal
Release date:	2008
A review by:	Darkside Momo

01. Het Spook Van De Leiffartshof
02. A Strange Presence Near The Woods
03. Haunting Echoes From The Seventeenth Century
04. Phobic Shadows And Moonlit Meadows
05. Hexed Melting Flesh
06. The Carriage Wheel Murder
07. Corpse In A Nebulous Creek
08. Invisible Physic Entity
09. Heretic Poltergeist Phenomena
10. La Malediction De La Dame Blanche
11. There Was No Light [bonus]
12. After Death Premises [bonus]
13. Yonder Realm Photography [bonus]
+ Making of [video]

Let's start with the usual 'they sound like this and this and this band' game, to be done with it quickly.

Carach Angren play symphonic black metal, with quite a lot classical elements and orchestrations, which can sometimes be reminiscent of label-mates Le Grand Guignol, but without the great, über-baroque feel. Of course, the name 'Dimmu Borgir' is bound to pop up in a review of this kind of music... So? Yes, their influence can be felt, of course, but not overbearingly so. Finally, the last song will draw gazes towards the baroque masters Misanthrope, as it is sung in French.

Now, let's see what we can really say about the music.

After someone (probably a guy) is running, frightened, in the night during the introduction, the assault starts. The drumming is powerful and precise, with quite a lot (a lot!) of blasts and double bass. The guitar work is good too, a bit in the background (see below), but there are soli too, and it can be said that these guys know how to shred.

The keyboard parts are the real highlight of this album. They often sound like old horror movies soundtracks, this being most remarkable in Invisible Physic Entity, with its high-pitched, dissonant keyboards. That's great! And the orchestrations are generally very good, well used, and often more catchy than the guitar parts (as in The Carriage Wheel Murder); in fact, the keys often take the lead, leaving the guitars to rhythmic duties.

There are no real satanic lyrics included here, which is always nice, as it brings a breath of fresh air. Or, in that case, a cold breeze coming straight from an old haunted house, as all the lyrics are about ghost stories. Each song tells a different story; it's all well and good except when the narrative parts starts, because they are quite cheesy... Hexed Melting Flesh is a good (?) example. Oh, by the way, it's a 'dame blanche' - as in the songtitle - and not a 'madame blanche'...

So, no, it's not really frightening (it's no 'horror metal'), but quite moody (and nicely so), thanks again to the keyboard work. The production is good and clear, but not like the over-clean production of the latest Dimmu albums, and that's a relief, as it doesn't feel cold and soulless.

All in all, Lammendam is a pleasant listen, if not really groundbreaking; a good pick for symphonic black metal fans, and keyboards driven metal in general.