Dark End – Grand Guignol – Book I

Dark End
Grand Guignol – Book I
Released in February2012
Symphonic Black Metal
Self-Released

‘Grand Guignol – Book I’ is the third album from the Italian symphonic black metal band Dark End. The band describe their style as “extreme horror metal” and have recently been confirmed as a support act for Cradle of Filth during their European tour.

Symphonic, atmospheric and theatrical seem like the best words to describe the opening track, an eerie instrumental called ‘Descent/Ascent (II Movement)’. Then it’s straight into symphonic black metal with ‘Æinsoph: Flashforward to Obscurity’, which comes complete with melodic keyboards and shrieking vocals that Dani Filth would be proud of. They have even managed to throw in a few guitar solos to spice up this blackened, gothic-horror opera.

‘Spiritism: The Transfiguration Passage’ and ‘Grief: Along Our Divine Pathway’ really do cement the band’s position as Italy’s answer to Cradle of Filth. All the elements are here; from the gothic, orchestral keyboards to the vocals which are a combination of black metal shrieks, part-growls and creepy whispers. In fact, I reckon that if these guys decided to do a cover of COF’s ‘Her Ghost in The Fog’ nobody would even notice the difference…This pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album as the subsequent tracks offer more of the same; lengthy ballads of gothic horror in all its theatrical, symphonic keyboard-infused glory. The only exception is ‘Pest: Fierce Massive Grandeur’ which features some decent guitar riffs and solos making it stand out as only the song on here that isn’t entirely dominated by the keyboards.

3/5 – If Cradle of Filth isn’t your thing then there’s a good chance that you will hate these guys even more!

Iza Raittila

Dark End – Grand Guignol – Book I (valkyrianmusic.com)
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Valkyrian Music