Considering both metal and gothic rock’s penchant for all things dark, it was only a matter of time before the genres collided, resulting in the likes of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Tiamat, Moonspell, and others taking hold of the underground European metal scene. Here in the States, Type O Negative’s unique blend of goth, doom, and arena rock made them a household name among angst ridden suburban teenagers. While most metal historians associate the genre with its 90s explosion, its roots go back to the 80s, arguably starting with Celtic Frost’s Into the Pandemonium (1987).
This raises a question: Hypothetically speaking, if Celtic Frost weren’t the only band of their era to be this far ahead of the curve, what would gothic metal have sounded like in the 80s? Thanks to a recent wave of bands willing to marry the straightaway heaviness of Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate with the gloomy aura of Killing Joke and Strawberries era The Damned, we’re starting to find out. Among these bands are Tribulation, In Solitude (R.I.P.), Unto Others (formerly Idle Hands), Lunar Shadow, and the subject of today’s review, Sarke.
Even if you’re not familiar with Sarke, you’re most definitely familiar with the music their members have created. This all star Norwegian supergroup is the brainchild of Tulus/Khold drummer, Sarke. Joining him are past and present members of Darkthrone (Nocturno Culto), Satyricon (Steinar Gunderson, Anders Hunstad), and Enslaved (Cato Bekkevoid). Together, these five black metal journeymen have assembled to create music as cruel and cold as their main vessels, though under a much different sonic direction.
Sarke’s latest album, Allsighr, combines the devastating riffs of Into the Pandemonium era Celtic Frost with the adventurous musicianship of latter day Voivod, all the while enshrouded in a layer of 80s goth twilight. The goth rock approach prevails within the arrangement and atmosphere of many tracks, including the appropriately titled “Grim Awakening”, the unsettling “Through the Thorns”, and the slow, rhythmic trance of the title cut. The incorporation of those gargantuan Tom G. Warrior-esque riffs and the harsh vocals of Nocturno Culto are what give these songs their metal edge.
While the first half of Allsighr remains firmly rooted in this fantasy 80s gothic metal fever dream, the second half pushes the band’s progressive tendencies to the forefront, albeit with an old school metal twist. My two favorite tracks, “Beheading of the Circus Director” and “The Reverberation of the Lost”, sound like a blackened hybrid of Uli Jon Roth era Scorpions and Rainbow. “Reverberation” in particular boasts guitar and keyboard soloing reminiscent of Ritchie Blackmore and Tony Carey on Rising (1976). Rounding it all out is the blatantly proggy “Imprisoned”, which can only be described as the sound of Celtic Frost conducting a séance with Peter Gabriel era Genesis.
Allsighr touches on so many facets of metal throughout the course of its 41 minute running time that you’d be hard pressed to not find at least a handful of tracks enjoyable. Sarke’s unorthodox style runs the gamut from anxious to heady, and just about everywhere in between. Guiding it all is the same grimness that guided them 30 years ago in their respective bands when forging the tropes of black metal as we know it. As Rush sang, “The more that things change, the more they stay the same.”
7 out of 10
Label: Soulseller Records
Genre: Gothic Metal
For fans of: Celtic Frost, Voivod, Tribulation