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Review Summary: A near flawless execution of growth and maturity, "Frightened" is a triumph. When I sat down to write this review I had a general theme I wanted to focus on. The concept of change, or more specifically, what makes change successful. How can a band morph their sound, yet also avoid the slump so many other artists fall into？ Why is this album a masterpiece, when it betrays everything Voices were seen to be？ I thought long and hard about it, and I think I've got it. But in order to answer that it's best I start at the beginning.
Formed from the ashes of Akercocke in 2011, Voices began their reign of terror with 2013’s “From the Human Forest Create a Fugue of Imaginary Rain,” a dark, if flawed, continuation of the ‘Cocke’s sound. It wasn’t until 2014’s “London” that Voices stepped into their own and took the metal underground by storm. Receiving critical acclaim, “London” was a vile, disgusting masterpiece. Rife with sexual perversion and villainy, it signaled their growth into something more than just the child of the 'Cocke. They embodied extremity, the most violent, evil music imaginable, and with it created a vile stigma. The hype for "Frightened" was enormous, and with the demo "Petrograph" it appeared "Frightened" was to be a continuation of the suffocating stylings of "London."
Those expectations were why I was so surprised when "Unknown" began. Gone were the breathless blasts, Peter Benjamin's low roar, the oppressive production, instead I was experiencing something new, something unknown to me until then. Peter's stricken wail rang out over the sounds of melancholic chords and David Gray's masterful drumming. It demolished all of my expectations, but I was mesmerized by the maturity displayed. Voices had accomplished the unimaginable, they'd completely toppled any sense of expectancy for later releases. They built what they wanted to build, and instead of attempting to create a pretense of being the band they were before just doing something new, they shifted everything to make themselves fit their new style of songwriting.
"Frightened" is a diverse assortment of songs. It's hard to pin down a single defining musical style within it, as it ranges from the stylings of later-day Akercocke and Ihsahn to the melancholy of Katatonia and Anathema, but the theme presented within is simple. It is a terrified album. Fear, self-loathing, depression, the tone of is one of a constant hatred and pain. And while each song is distinctive, the theme remains consistent throughout. This in turn binds the album together, it is not a collection of songs, but is instead a cohesive whole. "Unknown" sets the stage with a mixture of the softer elements of Antichrist-era Akercocke and Ihsahn's later albums, and this sound continues up until "IWSYA," a heartbreaking ballad that marks the first significant musical change in the album. From there the album morphs into Voices' rendition of Katatonia, with catchy choruses interwoven through an abundance of depression and hatred. It's not until the acoustic "Fascinator" that the album starts to build towards it's final crescendo. "Home Movies" and "Sequences" create a feeling of oppressive fear, which finally spills over into the fantastic "Footsteps." a bleak closer to the path of self-destruction preceding it. And just like that "Frightened" is over, leaving a path of emotional destruction in it's wake which will undoubtedly stick with you for weeks to come.
So what is it that makes this change successful？ I'd say it is the consistency in thematic tone. "Frightened" is not bound by musical consistency, every song pulls from such a wide range of influences that it's nigh impossible to imagine them fitting together. But because of the thematic tone established within the album they flow together perfectly. Every song builds on the theme of depression, fear, and loathing, and while they are all exceptionally different they fit together because of the tone within them. So many bands attempt to change musically while not changing tonally, Opeth failed because they wanted to write prog while tonally remaining as Opeth. Metallica failed because they wanted to play hard rock while tonally remaining as Metallica. Voices succeeded because they wanted to play dark rock and shifted the tonal feeling of inflicting fear to a tonal feeling of being frightened and wrote the music to match it. This is a triumph, a modern masterpiece. Missing this is a disservice to yourself.
| other reviews of this album |
PyramidNoise (4)
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TheNemeton91 (4)
The Bauhaus Of Black Metal...
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Album Rating: 4.5
Yo, why the fuck do question marks show up as quotations? Stupid fucking site...
Hope you guys like it, this was my attempt at a more in depth review after my APC review, criticism is appreciated as always. And buy this, these guys deserve your money. Absolutely spectacular band.
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Okay, I think I got the question marks fixed lol
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Fuckin nice
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Yuss, You reviewed it! Fucking excellent, bruh. I'm shocked You didn't mention Post-Punk or Darkwave at all. This album is so early 80s revival it hurts (in the best way). Ya know, I never made connections to Katatonia while listening to this, I'll need to spin this for the dozenth time.
"So many bands attempt to change musically while not changing tonally, Opeth failed because they wanted to write prog while tonally remaining as Opeth. Metallica failed because they wanted to play hard rock while tonally remaining as Metallica" - Excellent point.
"a dark, if flawed, continuation of the ‘Cocke" Pos'd
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If I may make some suggestions: "Receiving critical acclaim, “London” was a vile, disgusting masterpiece. With it Voices became something greater than the child of Akercocke, manifesting into an entirely new beast."
I'd make this: Receiving critical acclaim, “London” was a vile, disgusting masterpiec, with which Voices became something greater than the child of Akercocke, manifesting into an entirely new beast.
I just think it reads a bit better :3
Also: "it is not a collection of songs, but is instead an experience. "
I'd make this: "but is instead a cohesive whole."
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Ya know, I really do think we should mutually challenge each other to both write reviews for London. It's bloody obvious we have plenty to say on it. You 5'd the thing, and I'm very close (about a 4.6-4.7). It's honestly a fuckin' crime that album has no review, despite it's high average and distinguished quality. You down? If not, I think I can manage a pretty comprehensive portrait of the album. Sounds like a fun challenge!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Also - How the bloody hell do I fix the question mark issue? I've tried to edit my review countless times, but people report it's a common site glitch...
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Just realized - You prefer London to Words That Go Unspoken. That's fuckin' immense. They're really close for me, but I think the later edges out :3
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Thank you much!
I'm actually not familiar whatsoever with darkwave and post-punk, which is why I didn't draw any comparisons to it. I did feel a ton of Ihsahn in it tho (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFqo3lj9S2A this is the song that immediately came to mind, if you just made it a bit darker with a few more minor chords you'd have pretty much the entirety of Frightened). And as far as Katatonia goes, Funeral Day feels like a lost cut from the back half of Night is the New Day.
And thanks for the fixes, those do sound better. I used to be REALLY bad with run on sentences so I usually try to avoid throwing too many commas in there. Here's what I came up with.
"Receiving critical acclaim, “London” was a vile, disgusting masterpiece. Rife with sexual perversion and villainy, it signaled their growth into something more than just the child of the 'Cocke." (I just really hate run on sentences, I got enough lectures about them in middle school to never want to use more than two commas a sentence ever again lol)
As for the question mark fix, here you go. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/list.php?listid=181349&memberid=276983 This should help you out.
I'd be fuckin' honored to review London, it's my favorite album of the 2010's. I'm down. :D
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As for Words that Go Unspoken, I love it to bits, but dammit, London is just flawless. I legitimately believe with another album on Frightened's level Voices will overthrow Akercocke, if they haven't already.
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Ihsahn is apt. Your references are fine, I just never made the Katatonia association. Yeah man, definitely check out some Gothic Darkwave, and the darker (read: not dancey) side of Post-Punk. I called the album "The Bauhaus of Black Metal" (which is apt, but moreso a compliment, as the Bauhaus are the fathers of Goth) and the band personally shared my review lol.
The is not Darkwave -- not explicitly -- but it most certainly draws heavily upon it, in the service of Metal (drumming) presentation. The scene was almost exclusively the product of the band's (and my forefather's) native England. Thought You might enjoy a sampling :3
Xmal Deutschland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_1FHvLxeA4
The Bauhaus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KsxsO9FrLE
The Sisters Of Mercy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx2I4lSmx3w
The Cure - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqgIUq5SkQM
Cocteau Twins - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAtaiI6Ebf0
The Chameleons - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGLOeQ3Y618
Siouxsie And The Banshees - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lGUedVLM1w
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"I legitimately believe with another album on Frightened's level Voices will overthrow Akercocke, if they haven't already."
[Inhales sharply through teeth] Words That Go Unspoken, Renaissance, and Antichrist are fucking outstanding, and Choronzon isn't far behind Voices in quality. That's a really tough call. If Voices makes another album on the level of London, I would definitely be amenable :3
My ordering: Words > London = Renaissance > Antichrist > Frightened > Choronzon
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"I'd be fuckin' honored to review London, it's my favorite album of the 2010's. I'm down. :D"
- Boosh! I'll prolly work on it this weekend, or whenever inspiration strikes. If we wanna coordinate something, I'm confident tackling the character focus and existentialism. It's a gritty, British neo-Noir, with a suffocating, post-modernist setting.
You've rated the album higher, so You'd be better at getting across how exhilarating the record is. I'm more interested in divulging David Gray's wonderfully twisted narrative work. If I accentuate the conceptual detail and You accentuate the music, production, feel, and overall subjective experience of the album, I think we can make two distinct but complimentary pieces. Basically, just sell the fuck out of the album lol
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Ok, tbf London has alot more personality than Renaissance In Extremis, but Renaissance has only one track I ever skip, is insanely consistent cover-to-cover, is more cohesive (though London being manic and claustrophobic technically works in its favour), and A Final Glance Back Before Departing is (instrumentally) a straight up love letter to Chuck Schuldiner (who the band idolizes), so massive bonus points from me.
I will give London the edge though, as London is more ambitious, more distinct, and is comparably fantastic.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I'll check it out!
Honestly, it's really close. Words is almost a 5, it's pretty close to perfect. For me it goes London > Words > Antichrist = Frightened > Renaissance > Choronzon. I think Renaissance has the best instrumental performance of any of those albums (I will listen to songs like Insentience and Final Glance just for the solos, it honestly has the best soloing I've heard since the early Opeth albums) but man Jason has aged. His cleans are still fantastic, but that bark he has just starts to wear thin. Back in the Words/Antrichrist days he was nigh untouchable, but now Peter is easily the better vocalist imo.
I've actually talked about London so much that I have a slim idea of where I want to start. I think London is a flawed album, but I think the flaws are what make it perfect. I kind of want to tackle it by discussing what makes an album perfect versus what makes an album flawless, and if you need one to have the other, or if they can even coexist. So maybe I can discuss the how the flawed musical approach makes it perfect while you discuss the narrative. Would that be okay with you?
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I still love Jason's vocals, but yeah, obviously once You've shredded Your throat for decades, shit catches up with You. He was an absolute beast on Words tho - incomprehensible lows, gutturals, snarls, wretches, maniacal laughing (the chuckle at the end of Seraphs never fails to make me laugh and creep me out simultaneously!), crooning cleans, the dude could fuckin' do it all.
Peter is a really acquired taste and I've struggled to sell him on my mates, but I think he's a really distinctive vocalist. His cleans on Suicide Note and Footsteps, his manic shrieks, his shaky, eccentric operatics, and those fucking cathartic wretches on the release of Petrograph ("Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaattthhhhh" seriously, wow!), the dude is so fuckin' unique, and I love it. I love how much he sounds like a more twisted young Jason (perhaps David saw that in him?).
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Oh, wow! A 5 rating with a concession of imperfection. Yeah there's a couple of iffy tracks on London, and the album is so manic and bizarre in its pacing; if there is such a thing, it feels deliberately compromised and straining, perhaps for the purpose of reflecting how jagged and compromised the character and setting is. I try telling myself I'm probably just being pretentious and reading into things too much, but when You really examine the album and deconstruct it, beneath the chaos it's so intelligently designed that the curious structure and pacing of the record I have to believe was intentional. That said, House of Black Light I skip almost everytime, and Cold Harbour Lane wasn't a strong note to end on (and the lyrics felt like a non-sequitor from the storyline).
Anyways, that sounds like a fucking awesome read. I think that's a great idea. You run with Your premise, and leave the verbose LARPy narrative bullshit to me. Sorted!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Suicide Note, Music For The Recently Bereaved, The Actress, Megan, The Antidote, Hourglass, Last Train Victoria Line.... FUCK, yup, need to go spin London again :D
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Peter being so bizarre is why I love him so much, the man can do it all. I've always liked bands with distinctive voices tho, Nevermore, The Atlas Moth, Deftones among others, it adds to a bands character and makes them stand out.
And yes, it sounds bizarre but it makes a lot of sense to me. I have this odd thing where flawless albums don't hit me as hard as flawed albums do, (per say I think Blackwater Park is a flawless album and it's flawlessness detracts from it's quality, whereas Still Life is flawed, but the flaws add to it's perfection) I don't want to give too much away, but I think I've got a pretty strong case for it. :D
I was actually spinning London just a little while ago, it never fails to blow me away. The Gojia-esque riff in Music, the blasts to start off Megan, the riff in Hourglass, god, it's so fucking good.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Dude, fuck yes. Chino Moreno is the absolute man. I totally agree, Still Life >>> Blackwater Park. It's weird, cause 'objectively' I'd say Blackwater Park is 'better', but I'd play Still Life anyday of the week before it. There are, oddly enough, 5s that I'm not even that sentimental over. I imagine it's for much the same reasoning, I've simply not reflected consciously on it. I'll take My Arms and Still Life over BWP everytime.
Suicide Note is chilling (immediately loved Peter Benjamin), The Actress is like the most exhilarating minute-interlude ever, Megan (and dat blastbeat) is pure hypnotic sex (strong contender for best track), and that fucking flamenco acoustic paired with the blastbeat in Hourglass is hhnnnnggg
Fun fact: that awesome resonant riff in Recently Bereaved originally started as a sinister piano bit they composed for a trailer of their debut record. I have edited this (and strongly encourage others to) into the London setlist, prior to Bereaved. It fits extremely well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzD3mlfFXmc
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