Vanitas – Der Schatten einer Existenz

Artist Name: Vanitas
Review by Satyricon

Album Name: Der Schatten einer Existenz

Year: 2002

Type of Music: Melodic Dark Metal

Track List: Pendelschwung
Heiliger Schein
Atem Toene Fluestern Schreien
Schliesze mir die Augen
Vor den Worten (instrumental)
Das Wort sieht Blicke
Wenn Schritte veraendern
Stillschweigen

Review: Vanitas was founded in 1996 after producing their own first album. I find this important, as so many modern groups are formed by executives in boardrooms and band members are recruited rather than “found” at gigs.

This review deals with their second album. The band is Austrian, so all lyrics are in German. From the first track the epic orchestral elements are there. Not overpowering though, they add to the dramatic effect nicely. The first and sixth tracks are the best in my opinion. The sixth track has great variation in pace and sound texture. The into has a really cool “galloping” guitar part which resurfaces six minutes later to spectacular effect.

The subject matter of their lyrics is very much like your typical HIM song.. dark aspects of love and devotion and heartbreak and death. it could be considered romantic, but the death metal voice of the lead singer Andreas Scharfinger obliterates such allusions to the non German speaking listeners. You’d think it deals with the usual suicide sacrifice end of times subject matter by the sounds alone.

Amongst all the madness of guitar power chords and orchestral backing is the voice of Maria, an angelic soprano with tattoos and latex goth gown.
She left the band in 2005 for chick reasons. The band itself split up August 2006.

Their third album Lichtgestalten is apparently good stuff.

Although not perfect and to everyone’s taste, I found this music has been a pleasant departure from commercial metal that all sounds the same of late. It is heavy on the most part with plenty of variation in rhythm, instruments and pace.

Who Would You Recommend This Album To?: If you like even some of the Nightwish tracks, you should enjoy this. Its for people who go to the effort of finding beauty in darkness.

75/100

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