If you dub your own music “Endtime ballads”, you better fucking deliver the goods in my book. I expect the saddest, most gut wrenchingly and mournful songs since Orpheus made the Furies weep down in Hades. Luckily (?), that’s exactly what Crippled Black Phoenix (nice evocative band-name there) does and at the same time delivers one hell of a debut album. Granted, the main composers here are no young ducklings, their past sins encompass bands such as Mogwai, Iron Monkey & Electric Wizard, and their routine shows. The songs may often be of hefty length, but so delicately composed that you keep wanting more, be it a 4 min or 10 min song.
There’s an overall sea-faring theme and feel to “A love of shared disasters”, not just in the slightly rolling pace of the music and the inclusion of old instruments such as saw and accordion, but also in the grim aura of it all. The word “grim” here shouldn’t be confused with the Norwegian definition of the word, but rather the original meaning of something fierce or stern. Whether this theme will carry over to the sophomore album (that’s currently being written) is anyones guess, but I for one wouldn’t mind it.
There’s no growls or such extremes to be found here, there is distorted guitars but you wouldn’t call them brutal any more then you would call Dave Mustaine sane. The similarities to post-hardcore/rock luminaries such as Isis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pelican and (of course) Mogwai are there, but as I said – without any of the metal crescendos typically common with the genre.
This band isn’t for everyone, but I do think that those who are open to “A love of shared disasters” will find a real treasure to take to heart.
