Angelic Foe – An Evil Of Nature (CD Album – Dark Chamber Records)
Genre/Influences: Ethereal, neo-classic.
Background/Info: Angelis Foe has been active since 2006 and is driven by former Arcana singer Annmari Thim and Fredrik Hermansson. “An Evil Of Nature” is the band’s third full length opus featuring ‘tales based on texts from the Malleus Maleficarum, the Old Testament, Jewish mysticism and other ancient sources’.
Content: This album is a fusion between sound and vocals. The sound has something dramatic and ibombast, but also refined and into neo-classic arrangements while the classically trained vocals inject a graceful, artistic element to the songs. Music and vocals are totally complementary and accentuate the dramatic content of the composition. But there’s also a deeply melancholic touch, which is more sensible and in harmony with the artwork of the album.
+ + + : First of all there’s this great vocal performance of Annmari Thim. Her voice is powerful, bewitching and reinforcing the emotional content of the work. Next there’s the music, which is in total harmony with the vocals. I like the bombast vibe running through the songs, but also the refined arrangements of piano- and cello sounds revealing delicacy and dreamy sensations. “Habit And Repute” is a perfect example of this Swedish duo’s subtle song writing. I also have to say a word about the great, artistic digipak.
– – – : It’s just a very personal feeling, but I’m missing something more melodic in the composition. It feels like the single, but essential detail that hasn’t been incorporated.
Conclusion: I like heavenly voices and their fusion with music. Angelic foe definitely belongs to this category of artistic artists although I’ve the impression there’s more potential in this duo than what I’ve heard here.
Best songs: “Habit And Repute”, “The Gate”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.angelicfoe.com / www.facebook.com/AngelicFoe
Label: www.darkchamberrecords.com / www.facebook.com/darkchamberrecords
About Angelic Foe
The neoclassical and darkwave band Angelic Foe hails from Eskilstuna, Sweden, and was founded in 2006 by vocalist and composer Annmari Thim, previously known as the lead singer of Arcana from 2001 to 2014. The project’s debut album, “Oppressed by the Heavens,” released in 2012, featured compositions by Thim and guitarist Cristian Ellingsen, with percussive contributions from Mattias Borgh. In 2015, Angelic Foe released “Mother of Abominations,” co-written by Thim and Samuel Lidström, with mixing and mastering by Peter Bjärgö. “An Evil Of Nature,” the band’s third album reviewed here, marked the inclusion of Fredrik Hermansson, known for his work with Pain of Salvation, as a permanent member.
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