CARACH ANGREN This Is No Fairytale (digibox)

Playing time: 46:46

Style: symphonic black metal

Label: Season Of Mist

Released: 2015

Tracklist:

• Once Upon A Time
• There's No Place Like Home
• When Crows Tick On Windows
• Two Flies Flew Into A Black Sugar Cobweb
• Dreaming Of A Nightmare In Eden
• Possessed By A Craft Of Witchery
• Killed And Served By The Devil
• The Witch Perished In Flames
• Tragedy Ever After
• Dreaming Of A Nightmare In Eden (Orchestral Version)

KILLER X-MAS: offering three

Traditional X-Mas symbols in our parts include the Christmas tree, baby Jesus, carols and the warmth of home. This usual set up however completely ignores such phenomena as haunting or domestic violence. That is not the case of our special thematic event KILLER X-MAS, with its third offering of the Dutch symphonic black metal act CARACH ANGREN, who can take you on a different X-Mas vibe, as they incline to not really pleasant encounters from beyond the grave, even though their name is a clear Middle Earth reference (meaning “Iron Jaws” in Sindarin Elvish).   

Contrary to both its successor and predecessors, the fourth full-length “This Is No Fairytale” leaves perhaps surprisingly the spectral haunting aside and focuses on something else – on a horror that is utterly tangible and real, which makes it (along with naturalistic storytelling) in a way more terrifying than a ghostly visit from the Beyond. It is a modern interpretation of the Hansel and Gretel tale that features a father figure (a violent tyrant and an alcoholic), a mother figure (retired prostitute on drugs) and two children. Needles to say that their life is not peachy. The plot moves from arguments, over domestic violence to sexual abuse and suicide, albeit that is not the end by a long shot. But enough of spoilers. See for yourself how masterfully are CARACH ANGREN building this tale of woe, which is void of almost any supernatural element, to its dreadful climax, but be warned – this is no fairytale!  

Our third offering is thus the digibox edition of this full-length that contains a bonus track – an orchestral version of the song “Dreaming Of A Nightmare In Eden”, an expanded gorgeous-looking 20 pages long booklet, and silk pouch that hides a wooden engraved Ouija board on a leather strap.   

Reviews:

"The album is fucking spectacular, the story is even better than "Where The Corpses Sink Forever," and if you're a fan of Symphonic Black Metal: this is the best you're gonna get."

Metal Temple

Score: 10/10