The Ruins Of Beverast - Unlock The Shrine - review
The Ruins Of Beverast - Unlock The Shrine - review
Tracklist
01. Between Bronze Walls02. Skeleton Coast
03. Euphoria When The Bombs Fell
04. God Sent No Sign
05. The Clockhand's Groaning Circles
06. Procession Of Pawns
07. Summer Decapitation Ritual
08. Cellartunes
09. Unlock The Shrine
10. Subterranean Homicide Lamentation
11. The Mine
12. White Abyss
A review by
Lucas February 07, 2008
From the very first seconds of "Unlock The Shrine", a terrifying voice greets you with its laments. At once the haunting atmosphere is set. Seventy minutes of sheer terror and depression have started and there's no way you can escape now. My favourite aspect of the music, and the instrument on which the entire atmosphere is built on, is the guitar. There are some absolute fan-tas-tic riffs to be found on this album. Whether it are the circular saws ripping your throat open, the wailing leads or the sudden stops in "The Clockhand's Groaning Circles", they are all top-notch and worthy of every possibly praise.
His own past in Nagelfar can be clearly heard in "Summer Decapitation Ritual" and some of the eerie, ambient instrumentals that separate the 'normal' songs pay homage to the legacy of the mighty but forgotten legend. Furthermore, he also took the keyboards with him. These keyboards are clearly in the background and do their humble work. Thank god, there is at least someone alive who doesn't abuse his keyboards the common Dummy Burger keyboards style.
It must be concluded, Von Meilenwald is a pretty talented chap. He plays every instrument on this album, and he convinces with each of them. Vocalwise he has even grown out to be one of my favourites, for his great ability to shift between pained crying and incredibly impressive and overwhelming screams.
So what do I have to say about this album, apart from endless praise? The only point of criticism is that with its seventy minutes, it is a bit too long for my taste. It would have been better if Von Meilenwald would have cut off about ten minutes, despite most of the album being truly awesome. Seeing as that is pretty much the only point of criticism I have, that there is too much good music, you should be on your way to your nearest metalstore already..
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 10 |
Comments
Comments:
16
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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Posts: 13427
Yep. One of the best songtitles ever, too. Fan-fucking-tastic album.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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Posts: 2801 Written by [user id=4365] on 24.06.2011 at 10:44 Always terrifies me  also the opening words in Between Bronze Walls .
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by InnerSelf on 25.06.2011 at 01:21 Oh yeah that's from a film, I can't remember what one but it's an odd choice because it's quite a cheesy film, one which you wouldn't think suited the mood of the album. That's what I thought when I found it on IMDB anyway, I just can't recall what one exactly. [EDIT] It was this film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092632/ I thought "shield" referred to an actual shield but it's actually a police badge o.O Kinda messes with the song a bit, even though the words are taken out of context.
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Posts: 21306 Written by [user id=4365] on 25.06.2011 at 06:37 Reminds me of when Shining quoted a scene from She's So Lovely.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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Posts: 2801 Written by [user id=4365] on 25.06.2011 at 06:37 thinking about the police thing now , you can hear some police sirens in the last ambient song.I still can't connect anything in the album from the ritualistic approach to the mystic lyrics with the cop's stuff  Another thing , the uttered words in the intro to "Arcane Pharmakon Messiah" in his last album , are they also a movie quote ?
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| !J.O.O.E.!
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!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by InnerSelf on 25.06.2011 at 22:03 I'd say it probably is but Google reveals nothing about it so it's hard to be sure.
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| Posts: 2801 |
Posts: 2801
I also tried to google them but got nothing
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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 Posts: 4367 |
Posts: 4367
Makes Xasthur, Leviathan, LoC and other one man BM bands look like novice kids. What a brilliant guy Meilenwald is! The interludes need special mention, they are indeed darker than a coal miner's arsehole!!!
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Posts: 18618 Written by 3rdWorld on 23.04.2012 at 14:02 You might be right about some Xasthur and Leviathan but definitely not Lurker Of Chalice. 
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Posts: 21306 |
Posts: 21306
Well Xasthur and Leviathan are more entrenched in the depressive black metal scene... so comparing them to The Ruins seems rather strange.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 18618 Written by Troy Killjoy on 23.04.2012 at 18:16 Even comparing TROB to LoC is weird considering how the later sometimes goes out of the black metal sound many times.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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Posts: 21306 Written by X-Ray Rod on 23.04.2012 at 18:44 I think he's probably just going through someone's list of suggestions or top black metal albums or something and compared them all because they're fresh in his mind. 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Posts: 4367 |
Posts: 4367 Written by Troy Killjoy on 23.04.2012 at 18:45 Now, that's news to me. 
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