CoC : Crimson Altar - The Ghost Ship Sails : Review

Crimson Altar - _The Ghost Ship Sails_
(Independent, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (4 out of 10)

It was always going to be a difficult thing to review Crimson Altar's debut in the same month as the fantastic new Flowing Tears opus, but even at my most lenient I cannot think of a phrase better suited to this London-based gothic metal outfit than "dull as dishwater". Aside from the fact that their music sounds like a tedious melancholy take on '70s rock, it becomes increasingly evident as the record progresses that vocalist Jude K would benefit greatly by investing in a few singing lessons, since she seems barely capable of holding a note for longer than five seconds. Occasionally, a faint glimmer of charm manages to break through the bogs -- the chorus to "Sick of Shadows" being one such rare moment -- but ultimately Crimson Altar's brand of musical doom and gloom is painful for all the wrong reasons.

Contact: http://www.crimsonaltar.com

(article published 19/4/2004)