More than any other genre, the claim can be made that heavy metal as a whole has always been completely unapologetic about being itself. Even now, despite the many different manifestations of its sound, there persists a flavor of fantasy, an aspect of dramatic and literary storytelling, clinging to life amid all that distorted grandeur. And while its easy to find bands with ultra-personal, obscure imagery and lyrics, bands extolling violence or the occult, with of course an abundant helping of tongue-in-cheek humor-driven party bands filling in the margins, one still has to search a bit harder for these journeys of the imagination.
The Vision Bleak has been bearing the torch of bardic songcraft into corridors brimming with tales of horror since forming in Bavaria in 2000, blowing the dust off volumes of gothic esoteria and tales of the weird with heartfelt authenticity. Reliably releasing an album every three years since 2004, the advent of summer 2016 sees them releasing The Unknown, their fifth long-player, once more on home label Prophecy Productions. Can their prosaically titled new album keep pace with the critical acclaim received by their prior two opuses, or is the vision really getting bleak for these German stalwarts?
Markus Stock, aka Ulf Theodor Schwadorf, (Empyrium, Ewigheim, Eudaimony, Noekk), on guitars, bass guitar and vocals, and Tobias Schönemann, aka Allen B. Konstanz (Ewigheim, Marienbad) on drums, vocals, and keys, is the duo which has comprised The Vision Bleak since the very beginning. A busy pair, their many projects and steady underground success has rarely hampered the quality of their output.
As The Unknown gets going, the listener is greeted by a suitably atmospheric intro prefacing the stories about to unfold. "From Wolf To Peacock" continues the melody of the intro, albeit at breakneck speed. The keys are programmed up in the mix, but do not come at the expense of the crunchy guitars. This will hold the attention of most of us metalheads, who let's face it, love the crunch of the riff above all things.
Those metalheads for whom the word 'cheesy' comes easily to the lips may shy away from this band altogether, as the dramatic flair of the Pete Steele meets Fernando Ribeiro vocals enunciates their eldritch tales with almost campy panache. For those willing to partake in the journey though, songs like the title track breathe with an almost Katatonia/Insomnium melodic spirit. That spirit breathes too with the ghosts of Poe, Lovecraft, and Lugosi, told at times in this mid-paced fashion but at others, such as on "How Deep Lies Tartoros?" with a meaty speed-metal undercarriage to it, evoking melodic death metal, with some fine breakdowns and goth-y parts mixed in to raise and lower the tension. This one is an album highlight.
Stock and Schönemann have been at this game for a long time, and much like the veteran musicians who took the cues of Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, and the rest of the old guard and ran with it, they have developed a fine hand at song-craft. This ability comes through in many ways on The Unknown. The evocative interlude "Who May Oppose Me?" boasts classical training and will serve as a nice break before the final song "The Fragrancy of Soil Unearthed" takes the listener home. This longest song on the album again evokes a mid-paced death metal sound reminiscent of the late 90's period of Hypocrisy. The gothic flavor of the vocals makes this one a sonic page-turner, as the song builds itself toward a climax in fine literary fashion. A bit of Dark Tranquillity comes to mind, with The Vision Bleak adding much in the way of atmospherics and some classical instrumentation for added effect.
So as the tales of horror are spun throughout The Unknown, they are generally done so in a catchy manner that is sure to appeal to fans of both goth and metal music. Single "The Kindred of the Spirits" boasts the most straight ahead 'grab you by the shoulders' flair, achieving a kind of all encompassing world unto themselves, not far from the way Moonspell are doing it nowadays. There really is something for everyone on this release, and with the masterful production that doesn't suck away the "metalness", The Vision Bleak continue their successful ways with another solid, memorable, if not completely spectacular album to add to their growing discography.
Score: 7.5/10
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