ALBUM REVIEW: Inglorious Darkness – Crematory

Three decades down the line and CREMATORY show no sign of stopping. The German gothic institution, who began in 1991, are now 16 albums deep into a career that has seen them evolve from a more death metal style to one with a brooding, industrial edge, all the while entertaining fans across the world. They’ve been through their fair share of members – including a new one just shy of a year ago – but they’ve continued on valiantly and now, with new bassist Patrick Schmid on board, the quintet are unleashing Inglorious Darkness, released today via Napalm Records.

Given their pedigree, CREMATORY know their way around a song or two and the title track which opens this album is another slab of dark, gothic metal showcasing exactly why this band have been around for as long as they have. Break Down The Walls follows and opens with a tantalising keyboard line and the first hints of the industrial influences within Rolf Munkes‘ guitars, all while founding member and vocalist Felix Stass gives both ends of his impressive spectrum: the deep, chilling cleans and the emotive gutturals within the chorus. The Sound Of My Life bounces along with a hook so infectious that goth club nights are already salivating at the chance to play it to packed rooms, whilst Until We Meet Again goes into that darker, more sinister end of the band’s musicality, even dipping its toes into symphonic metal as the track develops

Inglorious Darkness is also the first CREMATORY album since 2016’s Monument to feature songs sung in the band’s mother tongue, beginning with Trümmerwelten (translated as ‘Worlds of Rubble’), a story of a dystopian planet as the keyboards become more foreboding and help set the scene perfectly. Das Ende – ‘The End’ – is an industrial stomp-a-thon (and you can almost see the subliminal light show for the track when it gets performed live) but without doubt the biggest moment – certainly as far as long-time supporters of the band are concerned – is Tränen der Zeit, a reworking of 1995’s fan favourite Tears Of Time that has long been in the making. It might have taken over a quarter of a century to get to this point, but the band have, naturally, done it justice; the lyrics now have that harsher edge that the German language is renowned for and that allows the song to punch harder in all aspects. Whether one prefers this to the original naturally falls down to individual taste, but it’s an excellent rendition regardless.

Legends they are, CREMATORY, and legends they will remain. Inglorious Darkness is another big, bold album from a band who could quite easily rest on their laurels a bit after over 30 years and a back catalogue as long as your arm, but instead choose to venture forward and continue creating at the tempo they always have.

Rating: 7/10

Inglorious Darkness is out now via Napalm Records.

Like CREMATORY on Facebook.