Review Summary: Modern Metal with a deep and cinematic touch
An established German powerhouse Chris Maragoth released another impressive concept EP entitled “Tales”.
Tales consist of three tracks based on different stories of personal struggles and reflecting that experience, with eternal topics of love, loss and acceptance.
The opening track Tales of a Girl starts with a keyboard passage worthy of the best days of Crematory and features the voice of guest vocalist Nadine Hope. This brings the vibe of late Lacuna Coil minus the angst and screaming. With all the straightforward guitars, muting, and lightweight bass Tales of a Girl explores the more mainstream and sentimental part of Chris Maragoth - the song sounds a lot like a dramatic ballad, rather than full blown metal redemption. It is a real earworm though, guaranteed to resonate with any Nightwish or Evanescence fan, offering romantic lyrics, whispering and every sort of melodic delight to cry to on a rainy night (and yes, there is a sample of rain and thunder).
The next tale, The Tale of my Demise, creeps in with a more doomy and funeral feel. The acoustic riff develops into a complex violin/keys/bass symbiosis that grows heavier with time. The instrumental part of the album begins, highlighting the songwriting capabilities of Chris Maragoth as an artistic unit capable of bringing up a catchy song, all on his own. The FX and overall feel is sure to bring joy to any Candlemass fan out there.
The closing song under the gloomy name of Tales of Loss and Tragedy creates more of a cinematic experience with a nostalgic flavour. Chris pays a lot of attention to orchestration and balance, making this a perfect fit to the EP. As the final track leaves the aftertaste of sadness and relief, I couldn’t think of anything but “wish this was an LP” - the release is less than fifteen minutes long, but manages to deliver and entertain, thanks to consistent level of quality and coherence.
With Tales, Chris Maragoth expands his already convincing portfolio yet again, demonstrating his commitment to improvement and endless love to the dark craft of metal. Which was also recognized at the Museboat Musies Summer Award - the winning single Behind This Door is also available at the musicians bandcamp.
