Scarlet Stories – Necrologies

 Drawing influences from heavy metal, ambiental and doom, and exploring dark corners of the world, their take on progressive music is as unique as it as eclectic and innovative. The album feels very dramatic, though not necessarily theatrical, in the way it flows and the way the songs are arranged and performed, as Lisette’s powerful and dynamic vocals twist themselves so well around Bram’s and Carmen’s melancholic guitar melodies, and Tim’s drums beats, creating sinister tales that speak about humanity – the good, the band and the ugly. The extensive use of acoustic guitars, violins, and soft vocals create a sense of calm and serenity in an otherwise whirlwind of sounds and melodies. In these atmospheric passages we get to see the band’s versatility and craft as each instrument seems to bring forth a different nuance to the music, as for instance on the ominous opening track “Prologue: scarlet stories”, or on the gloomy “The gallows tree, pt. I: Lullaby”, or on the soft and beautiful “Living, breathing, yesterday”, or the first part of the otherwise jazzy rockish piece “The tell-tale heart”. Lisette’s masterful vocals guide the listeners through intricate passages of music that cover a wide variety of styles and genres from rock, to jazz and blues, to even some 70’s prog, all blended into a rather coherent sound where atmosphere and emotion are paramount factors. Case in point: “Vingt mille lieues sous les mers”, a complex song that keeps twisting and turning through its 11 minutes and 23 seconds of playtime.

 On the other hand, there are songs that are maybe a bit more straightforward like “The gallows tree, pt. II: the price you paid” which is a very rock(ish) track by Scarlet Stories standards, or the doomy “In blood and limbs and gore and clay”, both tracks having nice belted notes that could almost rival Lzzy Hale or Floor Jansen (especially considering her work with Northward). The latter boasts a very good guitar solo that adds melody to the music, like a light shining in the darkness. “Dust” and “Craving” are mellow tracks with a bluesy approach to the vocals, that somewhat counterbalance the raw and heavy elements on display here, with their soft and gentle delivery. The build-up of the songs is very well done, as for instance on “Nostalgia in a closed mind” which starts on acoustic notes and slowly grows into a melodic piece with Sophie Ansems violin in the forefront that adds to the dramatism of the music. The use of samples adds a sense of reality and naturalism to the music as, for instance the sound of Thailand jungle cicade in “Prologue: scarlet stories” or the sound of wind blowing on top of a mountain in “In blood and limbs and gore and clay” making not just the music, but the stories, come alive in the most literal sense of the word.