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Galadriel > Renascence of Ancient Spirit > Reviews
Galadriel - Renascence of Ancient Spirit

Renascence? Kind of. Ancient Spirit? Not really. - 70%

Sean16, November 18th, 2007

Al Gore has warned us: our planet is dying, and we’re all concerned. That’s what Galadriel is likely to have thought while recording this album. A handful of leaves on the cover, titles like Ode to the Earth, Sorrowful Planet or A grain of Sand - that’s indeed confusing coming from a band previously singing about History, fantasy or sex. Granted, since 2003 the name of Galadriel has been little more than an empty shell inside of which almost anyone and anything could take place, with a line-up instability confining to a complete joke. Former keyboardist JSK is apparently back on this album, but it was just before he left again. Two guest drummers are used, including former bandmember Dr Victor Gieci. And yes, female singer Sona Kozakova is also back – but another guitarist has departed. The list could go on.

Coming from such a game of musical chairs, Renascence of Ancient Spirit sounds as a surprisingly decent album. Far better than its predecessor for sure, even if closer to old Galadriel it probably isn’t. At least it isn’t overdubbed by silly electronics, triggered drums and techno beats; but how smart are those who, listening to it, will deduce this band used to play doom metal.

Actually it becomes obvious from the very beginning of Ode to the Earth that, compared to all other Galadriel releases including World under World, RoAS is clearly upbeat. There’s a strong melodeath vibe in each of these eight tracks, a melodeath vibe which was already present in some parts of the previous (forgettable) album. Galadriel’s main man Dodo Datel has apparently always been a big Dark Tranquillity fan, as he once admitted having ripped off Tears of Emptiness, the closing instrumental of their debut album, from a song from The Gallery (obviously, Lethe). However, Dark Tranquillity was far from being the first band coming to mind while listening to pre-2003 Galadriel. Now, it definitely is – a “nice” Dark Tranquillity, though.

If Dodo Datel’s voice now sounds indeed closer to the standard melodeath voice, it’s far less forced and out-of-range than on the previous album, thus more supportable even if it still isn’t what he’s done best. Sona Kozakova’s particular eerie voice works as before as its perfect counterpoint, bringing back a semblance of taste of the good old days when Galadriel was this atmospheric, misty, badly produced but fairly original band. The unbearable voice of an untrained 15-year-old, some may say. A hallucinated fairy, will say others. Though, once again, even her voice seems to have lost a good part of its originality. Oh, and there are also an occasional slice of male clean vocals, which don’t add anything except another mainstream-friendly touch.

Mainstream-friendly... well, that’s it – a well-done, nicely produced, polished, commercial album. A GOOD commercial album, but a commercial album nonetheless. Eight lively tunes on a melodeath basis topped by the mandatory dark metal touch, a clever use of keyboards and piano, short blastbeats parts in the most intense moments – everything melting in a solid, consistent album. But if there is no weak track, there isn’t any unforgettable one either, as often with this kind of release. It just gives the impression the band could now go on like this for hours and hours, albums and albums, while keeping on switching one musician for another. There’s undoubtedly some pleasure to take listening to this moving, sometimes almost melancholic metallico-ecological manifesto, but behind the wall of leaves all this still sounds a tad empty.

Highlights: Ode to the Earth, Renascence of Ancient Spirit, No More Light...