Formed in 1996, Lycanthia carries with them a history spanning 17 years and are one of Australia's oldest surviving doom metal bands.
A six piece band hailing from Sydney, Lycanthia plays traditional gothic death-doom metal with a strong emphasis on atmosphere, melody, and the captivating use of alternating male growls and female soprano vocals. Comparisons could be drawn between Lycanthia and the sound found in the early "golden age" works of classic gothic doom bands such as My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Draconian, and Theatre of Tragedy.
A flagship of this particular sound is the contrast between dark, aggressive, and heavy death-doom and softer moments courtesy of female vocals, keyboards, and violin arrangements and Lycanthia does this extraordinarily well. The growls courtesy of founding member and bassist Lee Tassaker is a definite strong point of the album, and he's accompanied very nicely with the poignant female vocals from both the violinist and keyboardist, Vanessa Black and Megan Tassaker respectively.
The vocal work is complimented nicely by six very competent musicians all working towards a heavy, despairing, and powerfully melancholic sound and a production quality that does the songwriting justice. Mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (Opeth, Katatonia).
Jewel case edition
Tracklist:
1 The Essential Components Of Misery 9:21
2 Eternity... 1:51
3 Forgone 7:37
4 Ablaze The Wheel Turns 6:09
5 Despondency In Crescendo 10:01
6 Time Feeds This Wound 6:39
7 Hair Of The Beast 5:21
8 From Ancestral Lands 6:39
Artist:
Lycanthia
Artist Country:
Australia
Album Year:
2012
Title:
Oligarchy
Genre:
gothic doom metal
Format:
CD
Type:
CD Album
Package:
Jewel Case
Label:
Hypnotic Dirge Records
Cat Num:
HDR - 028
Release Year:
2013
Barcode:
7 81877 00843 5
Country Of Manufacture:
Canada
