Artist: Clockwork Spirit
Title: Clockwork Spirit
Genre: Black Metal / Death Metal
Release Date: 4th November 2011
Label: Danse Macabre
Album Review
ARAMANTINE, a Finnish band, was formed in 2007, after a release of few demos they’ve found themselves with Danse Macabre and ditched the moniker, now renamed as CLOCKWORK SPIRIT they’ve released their fist self-titled album. Reading up on their lyrics the pointers at Doom and Black Metal are there. They’re predominantly centred around the murky subject of death and the occult travails of its ghostly protagonist, of course with a right dose of poetic bent that affects Romanticism (think: William Blake) in its rich descriptiveness and flair with further shading of dark emotional matters and mysterious circumstances. Not badly written either - not horribly clichéd, simplistic at the same time not so obtuse. It starts with atmospheric, piano and keys driven intro, which soon breaks into the first song ‘Requiem’, vocals soon justify the Death Metal description as well, though as the album goes on, they unravel themselves into more levels than that. The title of ‘Wall Of Sleep’ fully shows itself as fitting with its thick wall that sledges like a sleepy river through the mind and pulls it along, willing or unwilling.
The creepiness of ‘Dæmon Speculum’ is utilised fully by the piano soon layered by guitars and the growls ever so fit, evocative, the cleaner, leaning towards more classic Heavy Metal vocals at the end introduced not only a nice variety, but showed an intrinsic feel for what each song demands. Many of the songs are layered and superbly atmospheric when they need to be, ‘the less is more’ when it fits too. At times even theatrical - take ‘Dawn Of Deliverance’, a piece which also utilises some Prog sensibilities and weaves them together into their style and vision. ‘Shades of Decay’ is a behemoth of a song, bringing all they’ve done here together and closing their album powerfully. They’re not bad on harmonies there either. Promising and excellent debut, surprisingly tight and competent, the band seems to have a clear direction from the get go. With each listen I’ve enjoyed it more and more. A recommend! And not to mention, CLOCKWORK SPIRIT proves that they’re worth to be kept an eye on in the future as well.
Tracklist
01. Descent – 2.39
02. Requiem – 4.58
03. Wall Of Sleep – 5.08
04. Dæmon Speculum – 5.31
05. On Unravelling the Essence – 4.32
06. Dawn of Deliverance – 6.21
07. In Faerytales Mingled – 4.07
08. Shades of Decay – 10.30
Line-up
Toni Toivonen - Vocals
Perttu Kajatkari - Guitars
Jarno Tervo - Guitars
Roni Ärling - Bass
Nino Hynninen - Keyboards
Rainer Tuomikanto - Drums
Websites
http://www.clockworkspirit.com / http://www.facebook.com/clockworkspirit
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8.5
Sound: 9
Total: 8.75 / 10
