By Phil Cooper
Formed in 2016 by Maurice De Jong of Gnaw Their Tongues, Grand Celestial Nightmare began as an outlet for symphonic black metal taking inspiration from Greek artists of the genre. Now, five years on from the release of debut album, ‘The Void of Death’, De Jong has reignited the creative fires of Grand Celestial Nightmare. This eight-track follow up ‘Forbidden Knowledge and Ancient Wisdom’, still holds true to the original Hellenic black metal concept, however, there is also the blending in of more traditional heavy metal too. The aim is to create a blend that can encapsulate more of the genre and mix more melodic leanings into the rawness of black metal.
From opening track ‘Drink from The Chalice with Nightly Lust’ it’s clear to determine both sonically and from the track title, that De Jong is still very much looking to deliver on the black metal front. There’s a raw aggression provided by the harshly distorted guitars which deliver the riffs and hooks right from the get go. The rhythm section supports the delivery with a steady, uncompromising foundation. The vocals cut through with genre characteristic high register harshness. However, there is also a symphonic element immediately apparent. Layered string pads match the chord progressions of the guitars while timpani drums fill out the percussion. These two elements combine with a choral vocal backing to deliver an orchestral quality to the wall of aggressive sound. Particularly, this works with the blast beat led breakdowns.
The symphonic juxtaposition is laced throughout the album. Tracks such as ‘Speared Servants of the Jehovah’ and album highlight ‘Tombs of Mable and Stone’ use it to great effect. The latter employs all of the instrumental elements mentioned to create a thick, swirling texture for a highly engaging introduction. The dynamics shift allowing for the guitars, bass and drums to take the lead again with the harsh vocals cutting through the top end of the mix. As the verse sections build on guitar riffs, the choral elements are re-introduced to expand the texture. The whole track ebbs and flows until it reaches a crescendo that leads to a grand, sweeping symphonic level with the string pads once again taking prominence. The fade out of the melodic conclusion ties all of the elements together. It’s a showcase of the musicianship and song writing behind the project.
‘Drain the Spirit with A Silver Knife’ retains more of the classic black metal elements with a raw, aggressive intensity that is maintained throughout the course of the track. The blast beat led breakdown conclusion provides one of the main headbanger friendly moments on the whole album and really elevates the power of the music offered elsewhere on the album. From a critical point of view, it’s the mix of the record that holds some of the music back. While the genre of black metal itself has rough mixing as a core trademark, seeking to use it as both authenticity statement and accent to the musical intensity.
There are times when a stronger, more balanced production would be preferrable. For me, ‘Forbidden Knowledge and Ancient Wisdom’ is one of those occasions. With the blending of more melodic traditional heavy metal and symphonic elements, the mix requires a good balance to match them up with the prevalent black metal style. While it is possible to determine each instruments involvement with the music and pick out the riffs and melodies employed. Some of the greater subtlety of the song writing is lost to muddying. This is a shame as there are some really intricate melodies and hooks to be found that add a great deal of depth to each track and from there, the whole album. It’s certainly an album that’s worth investing time in as each run through will present something different, however, with a more rounded mix it would instantly grab greater attention.
- ‘Forbidden Knowledge and Ancient Wisdom’ is out now. You can get your copy, and loads of Gnaw Their Tongues related goodies, HERE.
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