Crippled Black Phoenix – Banefyre
Crippled Black Phoenix – Banefyre
Season of Mist
Release Date: 09/09/2022
Running Time: 01:18:00
Review by Rory Bentley
9/10
Have you ever heard of too much of a good thing? No matter how much you love ice cream there comes a point where you get so full of rum and raisin that the prospect of another scoop of the very thing you’ve craved like heroin during those tough days at the gym now sounds like a sure-fire crash course in redecorating your living room with the contents of your rotund stomach. A very idiosyncratic analogy I’ll grant you, but one that can apply to music, particularly album runtimes.
If you combed through every review I’ve put up on Ever Metal (and I pray that things aren’t so bad for you that you’d subject yourself to that), you’d probably find at least half of them contain some complaint or other about the album being too long. Normally this gripe comes from me getting fatigued by the same ideas cropping up over and over again, but there are occasions where the quality and innovation remain consistent but it’s just a bit overwhelming.
British Post-Rock / Alt-Metal / Prog / Fuck Knows behemoths Crippled Black Phoenix have long left this impression on me. Every album of theirs sounds magnificent while it’s on and appeals to so many of my musical quirks, but by Odin’s beard they’re fucking long! 2020’s “Ellengaest” bucked this trend of excess, swooping in at a comparatively brisk fifty-five minutes that flew by, aided by multiple excellent guest spots from the likes of Anathema’s Vincent Cavanagh as well as now permanent member Joel Segeratedt. However, this shift away from more epic compositions has proved to be short-lived as “Banefyre” clocks in at a whopping ninety-eight minutes. But you know what? I’m down with it.
Part of my enthusiasm comes from a shift in my current listening habits, where my exhausted brain prefers a more patient build up than thirty minutes of synapse-nuking angular hardcore at this point in time; but the main reason why I’m willing to sit in this album’s company until my arse cheeks go numb is the new direction this album takes.
Although the core components of CBP’s sound are still there – the cinematic soundscapes, walls of guitars and Belinda Kordic’s smoky, ethereal vocals, there’s a vibe and tone to this record that’s delightfully menacing and sort of fun! After the unsettling Twin Peaks-meets-coven-leader intro of ‘Incantation for the Different’, I’m treated to the absolute occult Rock riot that is ‘Wytches and Basterdz’. Steaming in with sci-fi keyboards and Kordic’s seductive croon, there’s a palpable sense of spooky fun under the dark surface that came as a real surprise in the wake of the previous album’s melancholic elegance.
‘Ghostland’ further ups the ante by sounding like a more widescreen cut from Chelsea Wolfe’s laconic Doom masterpiece “Hiss Spun”. The cult-like chanting is also absolutely terrifying, like a particularly grim outtake from The Wicker Man, demonstrating the band’s unique ability to straddle the line between film score and Prog odyssey. It’s intense, uplifting and unsettling in equal measure and left my jaw on the floor when I first heard it. A quasi-religious experience.
In addition to this new Occult Rock approach, there is a consistent Post-Punk thread running through many of the songs. ‘Reckoning’ tips its cap to Grave Pleasures and Beast Milk, whereas ‘Bonefire’ has a more Synthwave seductiveness as it slinks along before crescendoing beautifully in more typical CBP style. As we venture deeper into the album there is a menacing, widescreen sci-fi overtone that collides with 80’s Art Pop in the Pink Floyd meets Bladerunner brooding of “Blackout 77” and its twisted Peter Gabriel hooks. These stylistic additions give the record its own distinctive feel and further bolster the world-building approach of “Banefyre”.
The sprawling grandiosity of the record will likely repel and attract casual listeners in equal measure. Part of me wished that some of the more commercial-leaning sections (relax, I mean commercial as a compliment) were transposed into a more digestible song format, such as the sultry Lana Del Rey Goth-Pop of the epic ‘I’m Ok Just Not Alright’. But Crippled Black Phoenix have always been a vibe kind of band where these sprinklings of catchiness act as an anchor to the swirling ocean of immersive, existential ambience that engulfs the listener over the course of their albums.
As it stands, I was happy to surrender myself to the all-enveloping ethereal majesty of this dense, disturbing and often beautiful record. The gorgeous swelling build up and regal horns of ‘Rose of Jericho’ alone are worth the price of booking annual leave to squeeze in a listening session. It also doesn’t hurt that Kurt Balou handles production magnificently here and I’m automatically predisposed to give anything involving members of Converge at least an 8/10. Give it your time and an open mind and this is an incredibly rewarding listen, and one of which I feel I have barely scratched the surface. Time will tell but this feels like a future classic.
‘Everything Is Beautiful But Us’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Incantation for the Different
02. Wyches and Basterdz
03. Ghostland
04. The Reckoning
05. Bonefire
06. Rose of Jericho
07. Blackout77
08. Down The Rabbit Hole
09. Everything is Beautiful but Us
10. The Pilgrim
11. I’m Ok, Just Not Alright
12. The Scene is a False Prophet
13. No Regrets (Bonus Track)
LINE-UP:
Justin Greaves : Guitars, Drums, Bass, Samples, Saw
Belinda Kordic : Vocals, Percussions
Helen Stanley : Grand Piano, Synthesisers, Monochord, Trumpet
Andy Taylor : Guitar, Baritone Guitar, 12 String Guitar
Joel Segerstedt: Vocals, Guitar
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
