Label : Metal Compass Records
Review by Tony Cannella
From the U.K., the Gothic Metal band Apparition was formed in 2004. They released their debut album “Drowned In Questions” in 2006 and followed that up with “Ghosts of the Past – The Story Far” in 2010. This was a compilation of songs from their debut, alternate versions and unreleased tracks – this was kind of an interesting move for a band that had released only one album previously. Finally Apparition has unleashed their second album, “For Vengeance… And For Love”, and they are fast becoming one of my favorite bands in the Gothic genre.
The ominous intro kicks off the opening song “The World of Our Creation”. At 8-minutes long, this is the longest song featured here and after the initial intro the band comes blasting in with a barrage of guitar riffs and some cool interplay between the keyboards and guitars – an excellent quality the band features throughout the 48-minute disc. This song was also a huge highlight for me thanks to a killer melody. “For Vengeance…” is highlighted by the angelic female vocals of Mary-Ella who adds plenty of depth and beauty to the music (the opening song is a perfect example of this). Unfortunately the other female vocalist Samantha Smallwood exited the band prior to its recording, so Mary-Ella carries on as the sole female vocalist. Some very Gothic sounding male vocals are included in several songs and they provide a good enhancement to the already solid material. Musically “For Vengeance… And For Love” is highlighted by a dramatic and theatrical vibe. The second track “Beyond the Wrath of Ra” is a fine example of this. Other highlights include: “Betrayed”, “The Forgotten Ones”, the melancholic, piano and orchestra driven ballad “Innocent Blood”, the story telling of “Traitors Gate” also became a huge favorite and this is one the songs the includes the male vocalist. For the most part “For Vengeance… And For Love” is a natural progression for Apparition.
Even though this is only their second full-length album, Apparition has released the finest album of their career with “For Vengeance… And For Love”. I am not what you would call a Gothic metal expert, but Apparition has released an albums worth of good songs that should put them among the forerunners of the Gothic metal genre, but their music should also be enjoyed by fans outside the genre as well.
Rating – 91/100
Tracklist
- The World of Our Creation
- Beyond the Wrath of Ra
- You Can Never Leave
- Betrayed
- The Forgotten Ones
- Elysium
- Innocent Blood
- Traitors Gate
- Just One Second
Line Up
- Mary-Ella – Vocals
- Owen Hill – Guitar
- John Yates – Guitar
- David Homer – Bass
- Adam Challice – Keyboards
- Ian Bentley – Keyboards
- Paul Collins – Drums
- Rob Swinnerton – Drums