Band:	Cardamon
Album:	The Primrose Path
Style:	Alternative metal, Gothic metal
Release date:	2007
A review by:	Marcel Hubregtse

01. Echoe
02. Where They Hide
03. When Space And Time Collide
04. A Burden Less To Bear
05. Common State Of Mind
06. Never A Tear
07. Evening
08. Sleepless World
09. Laid To Waste
10. This Is Final
11. Darkest Of Days

From the fruitful grounds of the Dutch scene yet another band springs to life, not a death metal band, and although Cardamon is fronted by a woman, also not a band that could be lumped in with the symphonic metal crowd, but a band veering off more towards a melancholic alt rock/metal side of the spectrum.
People who know Detonation might find Cardamon somehow suspiciously familiar, not musically, but the name of the band might ring a bell. Yes, this is the side project by Detonation's Koen Romeijn and Thomas Kalksma through which the two vent their melancholic and heavily melodic ideas. But calling Cardamon just a side project wouldn't do justice to it at all for this is a highly accomplished band in their own right. The Primrose Path is their self-financed debut but sounds so professional that it might as well have been released on a proper record label. The version being reviewed here is only a promo through which the band hopes to score a record deal. And in this case that shouldn't be too hard. I have heard a lot worse releases that have scored deals.
Musically, Cardamon doesn't offer us any run-of-the-mill sort of rock/metal, although heavily influenced by bands such as modern-day Katatonia (especially the guitar sound and subdued tension and general feel to the music) Anneke-era The Gathering (the vocal harmonies which remind me a lot of that) and current Anathema. This isn't something you come across on a daily basis in a metal scene which is oversaturated by dime-a-dozen death metal, black metal, female fronted symphonic metal, European power metal, metalcore, melodic death metal, Gothenburg metal, doom metal, and what-have-you-not metal.
As stated, this is very proficient melancholic alt rock/metal the listener gets served and especially recommended to people that love the current guitar sound of Katatonia, just listen to When Space And Time Collide and you'll be enveloped by that typical circular melancholic type of riffing modern-day Katatonia is renowned for, or listen to Where They Hide, which is characterised by a subdued tension which can be found in a Katatonia song such as Criminals.
The Primrose Path is one of those albums that at first listen might seem a bit monotonous and boring due to its laid-back nature, but every subsequent listen reveals another aspect thus making it ever more interesting and having you go back to album over and over again. One of the other strong points is that songs nestle themselves into your head thus assuring them subliminal airplay.
Cardamon's The Primrose Path certainly reveals itself as a path of enjoyment. But is that a dubious goal in life? I highly doubt it.
So, come on you record labels, you can't go wrong with signing Cardamon. Music such as this should be played more often and larger audiences should have access to it. There certainly must be a market for it since there is also a market for Katatonia, The Gathering, and Anathema.

Personal favourites: Echoe, When Space And Time Collide, Common State Of Mind, Never A Tear, This Is Final