Label : Rocksektor Records
Review by Tony Cannella
The U.K. based Gothic metal band Hanging Doll released their full-length debut, “Reason and Madness” in 2008 and have now returned with their sophomore outing entitled, “The Sacred & Profane”. The opener “Cradle to the Grave” is a strong and melodic way to kick things off. The clear female vocals supplied by Sally Holliday are supported by the rough male vocals of Daniel Leddy, add in some good guitar work and you have a potent opener. The next song, “Carnival of Sin” begins with a piano intro as the song kicks in and continues to present some strong material. “Dark Narcissus (The Forest)” opens with a heavy riff and an atmospheric melody. Other highlights include: “Lacrimosa”, “Immortal Beloved” and the epic closing trio of “Bound in Servitude”, “The Inauspicious Host” and the 8-minute “A Question of Faith”, which – in my opinion – is the best song and a classy and memorable way to end things. I must confess that previous to this I have not been familiar with the band at all, aside from hearing and reading the name mentioned here and there, so I have nothing to compare “The Sacred & Profane” to. Having said that, I have to say that “The Sacred & Profane” is quite a pleasing listening experience and I came away with an immense amount of respect and admiration for Hanging Doll. I can’t wait to hear what they do next.
Rating – 85/100
Tracklist
- Cradle to the Grave
- Carnival of Sin
- Dark Narcissus (The Forest)
- Lacrimosa
- Only In My Reveries
- Immortal Beloved
- Tincture
- The Sacred & Profane
- Flames of Woe
- The Final Descent
- Bound in Servitude
- The Inauspicious Host
- A Question of Faith
Line Up
- Sally Holliday – Vocals
- Daniel Leddy – Guitars & Vocals
- Kev Wilson – Bass & Vocals
- Aryan Amoli – Keyboards/Piano
- Alex Cooper – Drums/Percussion
Links