After their excellent Kiss of Death which we reviewed in October 2020, Black Angel, the London Goth rock band, is back. The Black Rose, their 4th album was released on April1st 2022. It is available in digital and CD formats.
The least we can say is that Black Angel’s music improves with time like a great vintage wine. The sound loudness of the instruments is still massive although the use of reverb is more measured than in the previous album. The Black Rose sound space breathes more and has much more impact and roughness. If the synths seem less present, the guitars are much more solicited and buzzing. As for the drum parts, always as effective as ever, they have much more punch and volubility.
In this album, the musical universe of Black Angel, always so dark, expresses itself through a great variety of atmospheres and colors. Among the 9 tracks of The Black Rose, some seem to particularly attract the ear of the regular listeners of the band. This is the case of “All or Nothing” and its guitar riffs or of “Take me Down,” a song with a lighter and more aerial instrumentation or of “Battle Cry” whose tempo is heavier than in the other tracks. We really liked some musical subtleties like the sporadic use of a crotale in “The Black Rose” or the track “Carnival Man” which create a pleasant surprise that enriches the palette of the album. With its ternary metric, the absence of drums, the use of an organ, an accordion and timpani, “Carnival Man” paints a musical portrait of a freak show’s character with a morbid and tasty poetry.
Once again, Black Angel has brought out the best of their creativity and imagination. A colorful opus that we strongly recommend you to listen to in order to savor every note.
