ALBUM REVIEW: The Spell – Cellar Darling
There is no true measure of talent, just as there is no accurate way to define bona fide quality. It comes down to personal perception, and therefore we are blessed with such a plethora of sub-genres which bend the rules of physics, constantly driving beyond the borders of creative possibility. One derivative which quite often seems overlooked is folk metal. Fusing two styles of music that at first glance seem justifiably polarised, it is a medium that tends to fall by the wayside, with many opting for the more obvious. However, nestled beneath the woodland leaves lies the odd shimmering gem. Uncovering talents like CELLAR DARLING is an eye-opening experience, and with their abstract fairy tale of a sophomore album The Spell set for release, they aim to prove why.
The album opens with a driving, violin-tinted intro before careering into a ROYAL BLOOD-esque riff for opening track Pain. The vocal work of Anna Murphy follows suit with an animated warble, quickly adding dimension and introducing the story that weaves throughout this concept album. It is an energetic track that bounces into view with a buoyant spring in its step, before dipping into a cathartic lull, giving us a first taste as to how flexible the band’s sonic range is.
Death starts choppy, employing a metallic guitar chug that snugly slots alongside the other, more folkish instrumentals. The track possesses an eerie quality, feeling almost nightmarish. As CELLAR DARLING slide into an abyss of sludgy guitar, they juxtapose this by casting a haunting woodwind spell, building imagery through sounds and allowing the imagination to run wild. This composition is what they do best. As the record trudges on into Love there are no real memorable hooks, but the soundscape allows our minds to wander.
The title track is similar. Dark and mysterious beginnings precede an almost tribal drum bridge which spans into an equally ethereal mix of intricate violin and wavering vocals. Slow and brooding, it is a pivotal track that continues the cryptic story that the album tells throughout its hour-long length. The Spell tells the tale of an unnamed girl who is birthed into a world that is full of pain, damaged and debilitated by the human beings that inhabit it. We follow her as she searches for meaning in life, when suddenly she meets and falls in love with death.
On then to Burn, opening with a low-tuned riff that nods its cap to the likes of DEFTONES. Upholding the scatter gun approach, Anna’s angelic chirp winds like ivy around heavy passages and serene instrumentals alike. Her performance is by far a stand-out element and as we drift into Hang, she continues to impress in a record that does fall guilty of containing sections that aren’t always particularly encapsulating. This partly comes down to the sinister ambience that CELLAR DARLING employ, but in places it seems to leave the album lacking a certain zest.
Sleep is a cut away from the rest of the record. Feeling interludial, piano sweeps across the track. It delicately creeps its way towards Insomnia, which is a brute of a track. Perhaps the first time the album truly kicks into gear, it demonstrates CELLAR DARLING’s eminence in crafting heavy songs that are still soaked in the rich, enchanting folk rock that has very much become their manifesto. Freeze takes a step back to earlier mannerisms and is wrapped up by the fifty-nine second bridge track Fall, which in turn leads into Drown. At just over seven minutes this stands as the second longest individual section of the album. It is one of the better songs offered, plunging once again into the creative pool that has allowed this record to shine during certain segments. Deep in nature, it pulls together the best elements of The Spell.
Closing the record are the two finale tracks Love Pt. II and Death Pt. II. They do the album justice by finishing strong, portraying a climatic experience that equal parts towers, crashes and ultimately concludes in a cloud of doubt. Purposefully finishing with a thematic cliff hanger, lush piano dissipates in a sonic fade-to-black. Appointing an ambiguous culmination of lyrical question marks with the full intention of leaving the listener wondering what happens next, it is a fitting way to end an album that evokes mystery from word go. The Spell has firmly cemented CELLAR DARLING’s sound, one that has clearly been crafted by truly artistic minds.
Rating: 7/10
The Spell is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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