CoC : Illnath - Angelic Voices Calling : Review

Illnath - _Angelic Voices Calling_
(Independent, 2001)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10)

From Denmark they are, but from Norway they could very well be: Illnath are another band in the long line of Norwegian-sounding, keyboard-sweetened melodic blackened metal ensembles. This _Angelic Voices Calling_ EP is an independent release, and as such I must admire the band's professionalism and the quality of the production, both clearly good enough to rival most of what gets released by some important labels these days. Sitting somewhere between Cradle of Filth and _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_-era Dimmu Borgir, Illnath are really quite good at what they do, which is admittedly commercial "black metal" -- and I must again emphasize the impressive quality of this release given the fact that they had no label support. Despite the annoyingly sweet keyboards, Illnath are able to gather some good momentum (especially on the title track) and create catchy passages as well. Nothing really original or challenging, but nonetheless quite enjoyable -- as a demo, it would have been worth a 5 out of 5, but then again this band is clearly not in demo stage anymore. Illnath need a less derivative sound, better atmospheric use of keyboards and a bit less CoF-like vocals, and they do seem to have enough potential to deal with these issues in the future. Definitely worth giving Illnath a chance if you are a fan of this genre, and labels would be equally well advised to do so.

Contact: http://www.listen.to/illnath/

(article published 14/1/2002)

ALBUMS
13/5/2003	P Azevedo	5	Illnath - Cast Into Fields of Evil Pleasure