Band:	Carach Angren
Album:	Death Came Through A Phantom Ship
Style:	Symphonic black metal
Release date:	February 2010

01. Electronic Voice Phenomena
02. The Sighting Is A Portent Of Doom
03. And The Consequence Macabre
04. Van Der Decken's Triumph
05. Bloodstains On The Captain's Log
06. Al Betekent Het Mijn Dood
07. Departure Towards A Nautical Curse
08. The Course Of A Spectral Ship
09. The Shining Was A Portent Of Gloom
10. The Ghost Of Raynham Hall [2011 version] [bonus]
11. Ethereal Veiled Existence [2011 version] [bonus]
12. Sepulchral Disequilibrium [2011 version] [bonus]

Two years after the quite good Lammendam, Carach Angren come back to haunt us with their second album.
Haunt? Yes, as once again this album is a ghost story. This time, the Netherlanders tell us all about their most famous dead countryman: The Flying Dutchman. Well, OK, said Dutchman is not really a man? It's a ship. A ghost one, of course.

First think to notice is that the band gained confidence? it's all more focused and more professional. But thankfully, the album's cover doesn't represent what's found inside, or else we would have been faced with pretentious egotistical stuff. Be relieved all, we're not listening to a soulless Hollywood blockbuster either.
Stylistically speaking, this album is, of course, symphonic black metal. Those familiar with their first album will find again these baroque elements here and there, maybe it's less prevalent at first listen, but they're still there for sure.
The songwriting is a bit more efficient than previously, it can even get catchy at times. And the keyboard lines deserve a special mention: always well crafted, they add either melody, mood, or both, always with quite a lot of flair (there are numerous examples throughout the album, but "Bloodstains On The Captain's Log" really do stand out).

The major reproach one could make to Carach Angren is that they are, once again, not really scary? And not really evocative of any pirate or sea story, either, save for this great foggy, narrative interlude called "Al Betekent Het Mijn Dood". Anyway, this baroque feel, however, does add a nice atmosphere, not frequently used in metal (except by Misanthrope or label matesLe Grand Guignol).

On the whole, I preferred their first effort, but maybe that's just me. This doesn't prevent Death Came Through A Phantom Ship to be a good album, far, far from it! After all it can be consider as a better album in most aspects anyway. So from now on, let's count Carach Angren in the 'bands that matter', right? Especially now, with Anorexia Nervosa out of the way, and Dimmu Borgir facing severe line-up problems. The stars seem to be right for this ghost ship to set sail?