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Band: Sweet Ermengarde
Album title: Sacrifice
Release date: 12 April 2024
Label: Solar Lodge, Trisol Music Group
Genre: Gothic Rock
Tracklist:
01. Fragments
02. Faith Healer
03. Fragments (reprise)
04. Asylum Visitor
05. Sweet Sacrifice (feat. Martin Seto)
06. The 5th Horizon (feat. Caroline Blind)
07. Soul Surrender
08. Soul Surrender (pt. 2)
09. Viscera
10. Genesee
11. Silent We Mourn
12. Embers Fall (feat. Nino Sable)
13. Of Her Heart's Ocean
It took eight years for the German gothic rock heavyweights to return with a new album. In 2021, Lars Kappeler and company made it known that something was brewing in the headquarters with the release of the double single Standing By The Sea / A Promise To Fulfill, and at the same time presented a completely renewed line-up. The only permanent member, a founder Lars, is this time surrounded by vocalist Drew Freeman, who you probably know from All My Thorns, guitarists Jacques Moch (Merciful Nuns) and Robin Böhm (Atomic Neon), and drummer Mischa Kliege (Adorned Brood). In short, an experienced team is to be trusted - besides, it took the band quite some time to put together this product, which I believe will not leave any gothic rock fan indifferent.
In addition to the renewed line-up, I must mention that this is Sweet Ermengarde's first album released by the noble label Solar Lodge, which has genre giants such as Merciful Nuns, Aeon Sable and Whispers In The Shadow under its wing. What to say about Sweet Ermengarde? It impresses for the third time, but unfortunately, due to the changed line-up, it does not get its recognizable trademark sound. Raynham Hall (2013), Ex Oblivione (2016) and now Sacrifice sound like they are not albums by the same band. I just got used to the great vocalist with deep dark velvet vocals, Daniel Schweigler, on the album Ex Oblivione and the excellent double single Typhonian Trance / Once You Break (2021), when Lars Kappeler brings Drew Freeman with a completely different vocal expression, more scratchy, raspy, more aggressive, but still dark enough, reminiscent at times of Carl McCoy (Fields Of The Nephilim).
Probably because of the vocals and the guitar-oriented deep atmospheric sound, Fields Of The Nephilim comes as the first association, and for those of you who like cult albums like The Nephilim and Mourning Sun, I guarantee that Sacrifice will be a real treat. However, Sweet Ermengarde is not a cheap copy of Fields for it sounds modern, at times complex, technically impeccable, and what is very important, it's dynamic; the compositions have depth, they are multi-layered, you can feel some obscure melancholy that is brought to the fore by sad but sweet melodies. Sacrifice, which serves 13 tracks, is as charming as it is haunting, and this is obvious already by the opening magic called "Fragments", which even the previously mentioned Carl McCoy would not be ashamed of.
When listening to Sacrifice, you receive a full dose of melancholy and real rock punch, both combined under the auspices of a deep atmosphere created by beautiful sparkling guitar riffs, catchy melodies and rhythms that are hard to resist. Sometimes playfully reverberating bass, which at times sounds almost progressive and technically flawless drumming, together with deep dark synths hidden in the background and vocals that seem almost multi-dimensional, Sweet Ermengarde takes us to a dark world that has no equal. Songs like "Sweet Sacrifice", with the addition of a sad cello played by Martin Seto, the magical "Soul Surrender", "Genesee", and "Silent We Mourn" are epic atmospheric gothic rock masterpieces that leave the listener breathless and make goosebumps because of the dramatic evocative elegance they possess.
However, Sweet Ermengarde also shows a power that often borders on gothic metal. Especially "The 5th Horizon", with guest Caroline Blind on backing vocals, and adventurous, powerful and dynamic "Embers Fall", with guest Nino Sable (Aeon Sable, Unwished,...) on backing vocals, is a kind of blackened doom goth rock/metal ritual which almost breaks the boundaries of what is still acceptable in dark/gothic rock music. The album closes with the over 11-minute-long dark ambient/dark synth masterpiece "Of Her Heart's Ocean", where Lars shows his love for the genre in a way that would be the envy of various masters of the genre, such as Desiderii Marginis, Atrium Carceri, or even Raison d'être. The album also boasts solid production and a beautiful cover art by Billy Phobia. All in all, Sacrifice is a monumental album that serves up plenty of dark satisfaction, and I don't think any gothic rocker should miss it.
Review by Tomaz
Rating: 8,5/10
