Label : Naturmacht Productions
Review By Tony Cannella
Streben is a duo from Italy. They play black metal with some orchestral arrangements and some pretty acoustic passages as well. Their debut release goes by the title of “Wild Enchanted Gardens” and is sure to please fans who love Black Metal. The band does not play simple Black Metal, they are not afraid to go off in other directions and “Wild Enchanted Gardens” is indicative of this. This 6-song 38-minute opus begins with the almost 9-minute “Embrace of Nostalgia” and for anyone who is expecting a Black Metal onslaught from the get-go, you will be disappointed. The song begins with some birds chirping and church bells ringing giving it an ominous tone. Keyboards and acoustic guitar chime in and the mournful vocals of Cristina Hagalaz come in, it is really not what I was expecting, this opening gives off a false sense of security, then at about the 3-minute mark is really when the song gets moving as the electric guitars come in and Cristina unleashes her more aggressive style, it is amazing to me how she can sing like that. The next track “Aesthetic Faintness” is more of the style that is featured prominently throughout. The song is just so relentless and the spoken word bit near the end of the song is a pretty cool touch. “Wild Enchanted Gardens (Where Daylight Dwells)” is next and is definitely one of my favorites. “Painfully Seduced (By A Truthful Reverie)” and “Delyrium Lies At The Core Of Wisdom” are two more good tracks before the acoustic instrumental “Soul Poetry” brings to CD to it’s conclusion. This is a beautifully serene musical piece that really is a great (and surprising) way to end things. Drums throughout the CD are provided by Dark Shadow. I would not consider myself to be a black metal connoisseur by any means (though I do love a lot of it) but you have to respect and admire what Streben has accomplished with “Wild Enchanted Gardens”. Obviously if your an aficionado of black metal than by all means, check this band out.
Rating – 70/100
Tracklist
- Embrace of Nostalgia
- Aesthetic Faintness
- Wild Enchanted Gardens (Where Daylight Dwells)
- Painfully Seduced (by a Truthful Reverie)
- Delyrium Lies at the Core of Wisdom
- Soul Poetry
Line Up
- Cristina Hagalaz – Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Music & Lyrics
- Valker – Electric Guitars
Links