The Last Dance

Why do I say romantic, you ask? Besides the obvious inclusion of melodic pieces among all the treble-y noise and piano pieces strewn throughout this album, one may wonder how in the world this is "romantic." Well...once upon a time, the term "romantic" did not mean sappy, lust-driven, etc., but it referred to something different; something organic rather than synthetic; something alive rather than a flat picture of a real thing. Romanticism was an art movement that focused more on the artists' declaration of imagination and departure from set rules and standards in the art that was in place.

How does this tie in? By golly, this is exactly what Eikenskaden is doing! Despite the obvious inclusion of neo-classical guitar riffs and solos to the amazing synthesis of piano pieces into this stunning layered work of mostly-speedy black metal, this still manages to be INCREDIBLY EVIL. Some of Stefen's shrieks are ungodly and horrifying, and his vocals under the pounding slamming repetitive piano pieces and layered/distorted guitar tracks must be heard to be believed. The parts where the music stops and Stefen speaks in his nasally high-and-mighty French accent are in-fucking-credible. Oh, and did I mention that there are solos? And they fucking kill? And that the lyrics are not only about love and romantic themes, but also about S&M and sexual perversion? What the fuck, awesome! Some of the riffs are genuinely thrash-tastic, while some are more simplistic; seeming to save energy for later in the song's huge epic riff and solo. Put simply, this is a black metal masterpiece, and an incredible addition to anyone's collection. Worldwide Forest is one of the catchiest BM songs I've heard in a long time, and the intro to Then I'll Erase Myself Forever is just perfect, and the strange, compelling beginning guitar squealings of A Requiem For My Cold Love draw the listener in to a world of strange, non-typical black metal. Prepare!