The sparks spiral upwards through the smoke, dancing like fireflies. Somewhere beyond the haze of heat I can hear the priest mouthing his empty words, part condemnation, part salvation, all delivered with a painfully false, overblown piety. I am just another part of the old world, the old ways, eaten up by their rapacious machine. I must burn as the world burns. When the flames reach my feet I look to the mountains and the forests. They cradle my soul and shield me from the pain. As my skin blisters and the smoke fills my lungs I hear the bell toll and I am lifted on the wind.
Lélekharang – meaning ‘soul bell’ – is the third album from Hungarian duo WitcheR and is steeped in the folklore and ancient beliefs of their homeland. The spirit of this album lies in the natural landscape and in a past untainted by destructive greed and the blind pursuit of power and wealth. In Hungarian tradition the soul bell tolls once on a person’s passing and again at their burial and with Lélekharang WitcheR cry out against the passing of the old ways of life, smothered and consumed by the domineering force of Christianity. Each song is swathed in an atmosphere of autumnal twilight and transports the listener back through the ages. The simple, haunting introductory melody leads you into the soft textures of ‘Hamvak’ and the rich, reflective melancholy envelops you like a dream. Only when the final notes of WitcheR’s inspired interpretation of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ fade to silence does the harsh reality of the modern world return. Lélekharang is atmospheric black metal in its most magical form, entrancing the senses with its yearning for things lost to the relentless march of progress. Synths and guitars entwine in a rare and perfect harmony painting sepia tinted visions that can never be forgotten.
Line-up:
Gere Karola – Synths/Vocals
Neubauer Roland – Guitars/Drums/Vocals
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Hamvak
3. Lélekharang
4. Csendesen
5. Hazatérés
6. Moonlight Sonata (Ludwig van Beethoven)
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
For fans of: Summoning | Avrigus | Empyrium | Eldamar
Further Information:
www.facebook.com/witcherband
https://witcherband.hu/
www.facebook.com/filosofemrecords
