CoC : The Vision Bleak - The Deathship Has a New Captain : Review

The Vision Bleak - _The Deathship Has a New Captain_
(Prophecy Productions, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)

"Supreme horror death rock" from Schwadorf -- the mastermind behind Empyrium (which has unfortunately been laid to rest) and Sun of the Sleepless -- and his associate Konstanz, _The Deathship Has a New Captain_ is an album meant to honour authors such as Max Schreck, John Carpenter, Friedrich Murnau and George Romero, among others. The songs tend to remind me of a more gothic version of Dead Silent Slumber, a project I hadn't even thought about in ages before listening to this. The Vision Bleak is quite different though, with more of a rock vibe and gothic vocals -- even a Type O Negative influence -- as well as operatic elements. Their sound is based upon some pretty hard-hitting guitar chords, with keyboard orchestration to complement them and pave the way for the theatrical vocals. The arrangements are very well done, but the horror here isn't meant to be presented in a truly dark kind of way: most of the choruses and overall sound are relatively light-hearted, not exactly going into Necrophagia territory sound-wise. Indeed, for a horror-based album, _The Deathship Has a New Captain_ is rather bouncy and merry for my taste, much as its sound and performance cannot be faulted. To further dampen my enjoyment of the album, the songwriting is much too chorus-based for my liking, and the male vocals also fail to convince me. Ultimately, the album is very well done and will be a fun disc for those who enjoy a bit of gothic rock and like their horror light; darker souls need to look elsewhere.

Contact: http://www.the-vision-bleak.de

(article published 23/6/2004)

ALBUMS
10/10/2010	P Azevedo	8	The Vision Bleak - Set Sail to Mistery
19/11/2007	J Ulrey	8.5	The Vision Bleak - The Wolves Go Hunt Their Prey
20/6/2005	P Azevedo	8	The Vision Bleak - Carpathia