Angizia - Die Kemenaten scharlachroter Lichter (1997)

Originally wrote & published on November 29th, 2005

In recent years we’ve seen lots of bands blending the dark chaotic sound of black metal with real classical instruments rather than just synthetic ones. Generally these instruments are sparingly used, and in most cases are just there to add more background variety to the music. However what happens when the neo classical instruments take the center of the stage and the black metal elements hide behind the stage curtain? Well, you get Angizia’s ‘Die Kemenaten scharlachroter Lichter,’ of course.

Angizia is one bizarre band, but then again Austria has given birth to several outlandish and unique formations over the years. Angizia is perhaps one of the most outlandish of these acts. The band's music is in essence romantic neoclassical music with minimal black metal influences and a contemporary musical theater influence. The main instrument on the recording is the piano, in addition to cello, flute, bass, drums, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar.

There are also three singers or characters to be precise; one has a soft female soprano voice, while the second has a goofy tenor male voice, and the last uses harsh black metal screams that remind me A LOT of Silenius from Abigor. The black metal influences become evident by these harsh screams, but they also use trebly distorted raw electric guitars in the background to add atmosphere I’d assume. Although only five songs long they are agonizingly extensive; the shortest of which is eleven minutes while the longest clocks in at over sixteen minutes. The lyrics are basically a story written by Michael Hass AKA Engelke, and that explains why the songs are so long.

While in theory it’s probably a cool idea, however at over sixty minutes, this recording is utterly too long. The instruments are played with conviction, but they are simply not diverse enough, and the fact that the guitars really don’t add anything to the recording doesn’t help much either. Had this recording been cut down to say thirty minutes I probably would have enjoyed it much better, as there are some really interesting aspects in this release. Either way Angizia is certainly doing something different musically, and for all I know they may have worked out some of these bugs by their most recent release.