Review Summary: Terrified tones with dark symphonies.
Many times bands with classical composition pieces have come off as cheesy, trying to combine the brutality of death/black metal with the beauty of classical music. A soothing piano reminiscent of composers Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky opens Lorelei's new album 'Lore of Lies.' 'Preface to Insanity' has a minor sound, setting the dark tone that will continue through the rest of the tracks. This is not the last time the piano ballads make their way into the music, and like this opening, the somber mood meshes well with what the rest of the instrumentation of Lorelei.
'Godfather Death' picks up at the end of the preface, unleashing a sinister build up into the verse. While the guitars are quickly mixing chugs and a tasteful riff, a symphony is blasting on top of the music, adding a new layer of the main melody. Midway through the song another classical piano is laying down melody. The instruments back off only to be led back by the incredible drumming, leaving a frantic feel after the softer piece. The band uses different dynamics to set up their songs, surprising the listener time and time again with the progressions. There is even a harp dueling with a lead guitar in the song 'Masque.'
The album gives off a torturous feel of horror. The opening vocals of 'Dunwich Horror' sound as if the vocalist is feeling tortured, unleashing a visceral high-pitched scream as the church bells ring out, mixed with piano arpeggios and chaotic melodies scaling the entire keyboard of the guitar. This same terrified tone is felt in 'The Hearse Song' where the vocals feel represent a man in the state of panic "I can't escape it,' is one of the phrases that is able to be heard. The vocal ranges is another shining point of the LP. There are growls, shrieks, screams, howls, and even a sung voice. Keep an ear out for the spit scream in 'The Mortal Immortal,' also showcasing the best lead parts from the symphonies and guitars.
Title track and closing song 'Lore of Lies' further combines the use of symphonies and breakneck instrumentation to throw the listener off balance. The guitar riffs keep a consistent groove with the drums hitting certain pieces as quick as possible. The chorus is remembered by the desperate "Save Me!" The song progresses to feature a break of clean picked notes with a synthesizer trembling along another dark composition piece. Guest vocals are present on the track, featuring Dave/Ollie from Foreboding Ether and Adrian Perez from Warlord. The drums really take hold of the track near the seven minute mark, rolling across the entire set while also blast-beating their way to offset the mood by the actual soothing synths. The track ends with a grimy breakdown with gutteral growls, leading to over ten seconds of maniacal laughter, closing the loop of insanity that the first track warned about.
This album is talent driven. Every new part of a song is crafted to have the band showcasing the best of their abilities, while also keeping each other in check. The mixing of the album can hold the immense amount of instruments, which helps the album sound the way it does. The production is one of the reasons the band can pull off the duality between ear-shattering music and more soothing pianos. The band also showcased the ability move between breakdown grooves and tasteful riffs without sounding repetitive. This is a stellar debut album, and one that shines light on how Death/Black Metal can still be interesting.
