Fear Not

Although this is Carnival in Coal's third CD, it's the first material I heard from them. I got this CD with a bunch of others from Season of Mist, and being intrigued by the strange cover-art I right away popped it into my stereo. Well, it staying in there for a very long time because this album is pure art. If you're looking for something that sounds familiar, go away. Carnival in Coal has a sound that is completely original and very head-bangable. Fear Not is a mixture of extreme deathgrind with some poppy choruses, jazz intermissions and lots of random nonsense. The lyrics are mostly humorous nonsense but cleverly done. The songs aren't just pieces of nothing put together either. The guitar riffs are clever and original, electronic drumming goes from extreme 30 000 bpm to cheesy elevator music style and the keyboard synth sounds are the finishing touch. Together you get a Picasso of metal, completely screwed up but not garbage by any means. They say that there's a thin line between lunacy and genius, and well in this case it may be a bit of both. This is a must have for anyone who likes something different for a change.