Produced by Rowan London
Released: 2003
It is a pretty rare occasion when a band can embrace the Gothic metal arena and make something that is truly distinctive and unique, and yet this is precisely what Adelaide’s Virgin Black does. Elegant… and Dying is the band’s second full-length recording and sets about to immediately surpass the first: no mean feat when Sombre Romantic was so close to being a masterpiece. While Virgin Black’s music has all the rudiments of the Gothic doom genre, it is how they choose to work with it that makes them so special.
Samantha Escarbe writes riffs that would truly not be out of place among the very best of My Dying Bride’s catalogue and her lead guitar work is delicate and highly emotive. Emotive would also be a good but hardly adequate description of Rowan London’s vocal performance. His extensive and expressive range of moods -- passionate wails, hallowed whispers, dark chants and occasional shrieks – is a key element of Virgin Black’s haunting, melancholy sound.
In short, Elegant… and Dying is a jaw-droppingly amazing work exploring the dark side of spirituality through an intricately realised patchwork of layered keyboards, strings, ambience, choral chants and slow, immense riffs studded with eloquent guitar melodies and, of course, London’s kaledioscopic vocals. These elements certainly aren’t rare in Virgin Black’s chosen style but rarely are they envisioned and realised with such poignancy and opulence. Elegant… and Dying moves through the delicate guitar interplay of ‘And the Kiss of God’s Mouth Pt. 1’ to the enormous expanses of ‘The Everlasting’ and ‘Cult of Crucifixion’ with each highlight being surpassed by yet another.
This is a truly outstanding album.
- Adorned in Ashes
- Velvet Tongue
- And the Kiss of God's Mouth Pt. 1
- And the Kiss of God's Mouth Pt. 2
- Renaissance
- The Everlasting
- Cult of Crucifixion
- Beloved
- Our Wings are Burning
Rating: 95%
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