Style: dark metal/rock
Primary Emotions/Themes: a morbid reality reflected through a stained glass
Thoughts: Was interested in this band for one reason: the drummer. Jamie Saint Merat is behind the kit. For those who don't know, he is also in another band called Ulcerate.
The music here has nothing to do with his other band however. In fact the drumming is so constrained on this album that I would never have know it's him on the skins. That's not to say that the drumming is bad by any stretch, the opposite in fact. It's just not what I would expect given the man's history.
The music itself teeters on the line of dark metal and gothic metal. The vocals are a low moan very much in line with the genre. Guitars are full and play appropriate chords. Its... fine.
There are a few moments on the album where the atmosphere really takes over though. This is where the band truly shines. The guitars pull back on the distortion just a tad, the vocals become more whispered, and the music takes on this subtle evil tone. There are only a handful of moments like this on the album, but I feel like this is easily the band at their best. It's a shame that they didn't explore this side more often.
Charnel Noir is a decent album for what it is. If JSM wasn't on the drums I don't think that I would have sought it out in the first place. For a vast majority of the release the music is unremarkable. However those precious few moments where the band really embraces the darkness is where the band makes their mark truly felt. I just wish there was more of it.
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