TO CAST A SHADOW - In Memory Of

[lorenzo_kolony]

Let's post all reviews / interviews for this album in this thread!

Norwegian gothic-doom metallers TO CAST A SHADOW have revealed the track listing and the cover artwork for their forthcoming sophomore album, "In Memory Of".

The whole artwork was developed and realized by Matthew Vickerstaff of Darkwave Art (MY DYING BRIDE, CRADLE OF FILTH).

The album will be released on February 14, 2011 in UK (February 18 in the rest of Europe) by Kolony Records. The CD was recorded at Hamar Recordings in Norway with producer Kristian Sigland (THE CREST, THEATRE OF TRAGEDY) and was mastered at Leon Music Studio in Sweden by Rikard Lofgren. "In Memory Of" features a guest appearance by THEATRE OF TRAGEDY's lead singer Nell Sigland in the song "Betula".

"In Memory Of" track listing:

01. Tormented
02. Morose
03. Nightfall
04. Oceans Apart
05. Betula
06. My Misery
07. When You Leave the Room
08. Set Afire
09. The Answer
10. In Memory Of

For more information, visit:
www.kolonyrecords.com
www.tocastashadow.com

Listen to 'Tormented' here:

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

First review coming! Metalwave webzine from Italy, rating 77/100!

"Dopo All Alone –datato 2007- tornano dalla fredda Norvegia i gothic-doomsters To Cast A Shadow, ancora una volta ad emozionarci e a farci vivere per quasi tre quarti d’ora buoni un altro splendido capitolo della loro discografia, In Memory Of.
Non abbiamo più Camilla Granlien dietro al microfono, di fatti ora a cantare i buoni testi della band c’è un’ottima Gunnhild Huser, dai vocalizzi interessantissimi: il più delle volte di un suggestivo (e atipico) contralto, a volte mezzo-soprano.
Una canzone più spettacolare dell’altra, un disco costruito in modo veramente impeccabile con un vanto particolare: direttamente dai Theatre Of Tragedy l’eccezionale voce (più alta di registro) di Nell Sigland su Betula, una traccia che funge più da preludio alla successiva My Misery (spettacolare brano!) che per altro ma in cui raffiora tutta la dolcezza dei nostri.
La traccia migliore a mio parere è anche quella in cui compare maggiormente la vena Gothic della band e in minor misura i ritmi lenti e macchinosi propri del Doom, si intitola “Tormented” e apre l’ascolto dell’intero full-lenght, seguono una buona “Morose” e una sublime “Nightfall” in cui la voce della bella singer viene messa sempre in primo piano, seguita dalle malinconiche note del talentuosissimo restante trio strumentale.
C’è da dire che In Memory Of rappresenta senz’altro una delle uscite di Gothic-Doom -a tratti anche Death, della tipologia più ritmicamente lenta anche per ciò che concerne i riff delle chitarre- più valide di quest’anno e con molta probabilità anche degli ultimi cinque anni.
Per intenderci, non è il solito disco in cui compare la vocetta tagliente o la vociona da valchiria e non vi troverete innanzi al solito album dalle solite atmosfere costruite con i soliti pattern. Stavolta la questione si fa differente ed è l’originalità a dettare legge.
Fondamentalmente la regola che governa i gruppi Gothic da come minimo dieci anni sta lentamente scemando per lasciare il posto a maggiori condizionamenti di altri generi musicali, primo tra tutti il Death Metal.
Ottimo disco." [carnival creation]

Link:
http://www.metalwave.it/viewrece.php?id=2855

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

And here we have another very cool review of 'In Memory of' - on Absolute Zero Media!

"Wow I have not heard this style of Doom in yrs from a new band. This is Gothic Doom/ Death in the way bands like My Dying Bride, Tristania and Paradise Lost did so many years ago. This brings back a feeling of Majesty , Grace and Complex Epic song structures. Love those Dueling guitar harmonies tuned down and driving through those screaming amps. This would be very much home on Peaceville or Napalm as it fits that genre and style that both labels are so well know for. The female vocals are soaring to say the least. As we dig deeper into the release we have moments of Post Black metal in the Satyricon and Madder Mortem as well . To Cast A Shadow is more then the some of its parts by a long shot. They sound like early 3rd and the Mortal when Kari was in the band very much at times as well. This is just sweeping and delicate all at the same time. Kolony has a major winner in this band."

Link:
http://azm.thedoorwayto.com/

 

[Marcus-ToCastaShadow]

Nice... I like this one!

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

Song 'My Misery' (taken from upcoming album 'In Memory Of') is currently being featured on Pest Webzine's online radioshow! Give it a listen!

Link:
http://pestwebzine.ucoz.com/index/edition_1/0-273

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

Canadian webzine Blistering has uploaded ultra-positive review of 'In Memory Of' - rating was 8/10 this time!

"When Gothic metal is on, its glow can be quite domineering. The hallmark works of Paradise Lost, Anathema, and My Dying Bride proved how versatile the sound can be, allowing bands like To Cast A Shadow to capitalize on the trinity’s early works. With In Memory Of, the Norwegians second album, its glow and hum is simply vivacious, casting an alluring spell that is hard to resist.

Relying heavily on the eerie vocals of Gunnhild Huser, TCS works well within the dark, sordid confines of traditional Goth metal, utilizing staples such as forlorn riffing, bounties of acoustic guitars, and Huser’s operatic howls. Songs like “Nightfall” create a chilling landscape, as Huser’s chilling siren-wail mesh well with gentle melodies, while the languid melodies of “Oceans Apart,” make for one of the album’s definitive highlights.

Elsewhere, the all-acoustic “Betula” features guest vocals from Nell Sigland of the now-defunct Theatre of Tragedy, creating a nice break-up in the album’s flow. “My Misery” tosses in some atypical (and somewhat necessary) growled vocals, and “When You Leave the Room” is another heart-wrencher, with gripping melodies recalling MDB circa 1994. Same bodes for “Set Afire,” which evokes The Gathering’s halcyon days, albeit with a bit more gusto.

The Goth metal scene is nowhere near as formidable as it threatened to be at the dawn of the last decade when Tristina, The Sins of Thy Beloved, and every other 8-piece act with a buxom female beauty looked poised to become the next major trend in metal. Obviously, that never quite happened, so leave it an emerging act like To Cast A Shadow to give a proper nod to the style’s glory days, all the while forging a brisk new path. A definite newcomer to watch out for." [David E. Gehlke]

Link:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/21386/tempidx/4/menuid/2

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

'In Memory Of' was rated 8/10 by German webzine Metal.de too!

"Zwar handelt es sich bei dieser Formation um eine jener Gattung, bei der mit Gunnhild Huser eine Dame am Mikro zu hören ist, doch TO CAST A SHADOW haben sich weder jenem Genre-typischen Gothic Metal verschrieben, den man zur Genüge gehört hat, noch versuchen sie auf Grund der zum Teil engelsgleichen Stimme ihrer Frontlady mit überdimensioniert symphonischen, klassisch ausgeprägten Kompositionen zu punkten. Dieses Quartett aus dem norwegischen Hamar hat sich viel mehr dem - zwar zum Teil sehr wohl gotisch intonierten - vorwiegend atmosphärisch dargebotenen, epischen Doom Metal verschrieben und zelebriert diesen auf überaus imposante Manier.

Auffällig erscheint obendrein, dass die Truppe nicht wirklich viele Vorbilder in der Heimat selbst zu besitzen scheint, sondern sich seit den Anfängen eher am "Treiben" auf den britischen Inseln orientiert. Von den Strukturen her kommen dem Zuhörer nämlich im Verlauf der Spielzeit immer wieder PARADISE LOST zu deren stärkster Phase, aber auch das Frühwerk von ANATHEMA oder MY DYING BRIDE (abzüglich der vorherrschenden Gesangsdarbietungen selbstverständlich, auch wenn vereinzelte Growls auch auf "In Memory Of" zu vernehmen sind) in den Sinn, wenn man sich diesen Ohrenschmeichler zu Gemüte führt.

Die Songs an sich sind geprägt von der ungemein tiefgehenden Wirkung der Kompositionen, der regelrecht fühlbaren Hingabe mit der das Quartett zu Werke geht und selbstredend von der daraus resultierenden Intensität. Speziell diesbezüglich lassen mich TO CAST A SHADOW sogar des Öfteren an die für mich immer noch unerreichten "Female Fronted" Doomster von LEFT HAND SOLUTION aus Schweden denken, auch wenn Gunnhild auf mich noch nicht ganz die Faszination von Mariana Holmberg auszuüben im Stande ist. In die Nähe dieser Gott-Band kommen TO CAST A SHADOW aber bereits und von dhaer erwarte ich mir für zukünftige Tätigkeiten auch noch diesbezüglich einen amtlichen "Nachschlag"

Inspirationen von Landsleuten kann man, wei schon kurz erwähnt, zwar nicht zwingend erkennen, dennoch sei aber angemerkt, dass die Band für ihr zweites Album (das Debüt "All Alone" erschien übrigens 2007 in Eigenregie und wurde offenbar von einer jungen Dame mit Namen Camilla Granlien eingesungen) sehr wohl auch auf einheimische Größen vertraut hat. So konnte Kristian Sigland für den Mix verpflichtet werden und die ehemalige THEATRE OF TRAGEDY-Frontelfe Nell Sigland für einen Gastbeitrag in "Betula" gewonnen werden.

Wer seine Dosis Doom auf atmosphärische Weise zu konsumieren pflegt und zudem einer amtliche Portion Gothic im Sinne der "britischen Schule" nicht abgeneigt ist, wird an dieser Band seine dunkle Freude haben." [Walter Scheurer]

Link:
http://metal.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=16102

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

Germany's 'Underground-Empire' webzine has rated 'In Memory Of' as 'impressive' - 13 out of 20 points!

"Zwar handelt es sich bei dieser Formation um eine jener Gattung, bei der mit Gunnhild Huser eine Dame am Mikro zu hören ist, doch TO CAST A SHADOW haben sich weder jenem Genre-typischen Gothic Metal verschrieben, den man eventuell bereits zur Genüge gehört hat, noch versuchen sie aufgrund der zum Teil engelsgleichen Stimme ihrer Frontlady mit überdimensioniert symphonischen, klassisch ausgeprägten Kompositionen zu punkten. Nein, nichts davon!
Dieses Quartett aus dem norwegischen Hamar hat sich vielmehr dem - zwar zum Teil sehr wohl gotisch intonierten - vorwiegend atmosphärisch dargebotenen, epischen Doom Metal verschrieben und zelebriert diesen auf überaus imposante Manier. Auffällig erscheint obendrein, daß die Truppe nicht wirklich viele Vorbilder in der Heimat selbst zu besitzen scheint, sondern sich seit den Anfängen eher am "Treiben" auf den britischen Inseln orientiert. Von den Strukturen her kommen dem Zuhörer nämlich im Verlauf der Spielzeit immer wieder PARADISE LOST zu deren stärkster Phase, aber auch das Frühwerk von ANATHEMA oder MY DYING BRIDE (abzüglich der vorherrschenden Gesangsdarbietungen selbstverständlich, auch wenn vereinzelte Growls auch auf »In Memory Of« zu vernehmen sind) in den Sinn, wenn man sich diesen Ohrenschmeichler zu Gemüte führt.
Die Songs an sich sind geprägt von der ungemein tiefgehenden Wirkung der Kompositionen, der regelrecht fühlbaren Hingabe, mit der das Quartett zu Werke geht und selbstredend von der daraus resultierenden Intensität. Speziell diesbezüglich lassen mich TO CAST A SHADOW sogar desöfteren an die für mich immer noch unerreichten "Female Fronted"-Doomster LEFT HAND SOLUTION aus Schweden denken, auch wenn Gunnhild auf mich noch nicht ganz die Faszination von Mariana Holmberg auszuüben imstande ist. In die Nähe dieser Gott-Band kommen TO CAST A SHADOW aber bereits. und von daher erwarte ich mir für zukünftige Tätigkeiten auch noch diesbezüglich einen amtlichen "Nachschlag".
Inspirationen von Landsleuten kann man, wie schon kurz erwähnt, zwar nicht zwingend erkennen, dennoch sei aber angemerkt, daß die Band für ihr zweites Album (das Debut »All Alone« erschien übrigens 2007 in Eigenregie und wurde offenbar von einer jungen Dame mit Namen Camilla Granlien eingesungen) sehr wohl auch auf einheimische Größen vertraut hat. So konnte Kristian Sigland für den Mix verpflichtet und die ehemalige THEATRE OF TRAGEDY-Frontelfe Nell Sigland für einen Gastbeitrag in ›Betula‹ gewonnen werden.
Wer seine Dosis Doom auf atmosphärische Weise zu konsumieren pflegt und zudem einer amtlichen Portion Gothic im Sinne der "britischen Schule" nicht abgeneigt ist, wird an dieser Band seine dunkle Freude haben." [Walter Scheurer]

Link:
http://www.underground-empire.com/r...w.underground-empire.com/review.php?idx=11014

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

Song 'Tormented' from upcoming new album 'In Memory Of' is available on band's MySpace now! Give it a listen!

Link:
http://www.myspace.com/tocastashadow

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

New interview with TO CAST A SHADOW's bassist Stian Dalslåen is online @ North America's webzine Blistering.com!

"Few styles of metal fluctuate as much as Goth metal and while the scene will forever have its pillars of Anathema, My Dying Bride, and Paradise Lost, the bands filling in the gaps have been a mixed bag. It’s hardly reasonable to pronounce a relatively new band like To Cast A Shadow as potential saviors, especially considering how excited people have gotten over the likes of Draconian, Tristania, and Sirenia, but filing them in the “upstart” category is definitely a start.

The Norwegian’s second album is In Memory Of (Kolony Records), a lush, yet straightforward and haunting effort, guided by the soft (and eerie) vocals of Gunnhild Huser. With a strong balance between muscular and dramatic struck, the band comes away with several winners on In Memory Of, specifically “Nightfall,” “Betula” and “My Misery.” If anything, it’s the natural extension of the vaunted British doom sound, thrust forward into the modern age. So yeah, Blistering will gladly peg these lads as a newcomer to watch, something bassist Stian Dalslåen was more than glad to supplant via email…

Blistering.com: Your first album, All Alone came out in 2007, so why the three-year wait in between albums?

Stian Dalslåen: We actually started to prepare for a new album at the end of 2008, but that was put on hold when we in the beginning of 2009 were picked, as one of six bands, to take part in a year-long project called Project Six. Being part of this project enabled us to work with some major names in the music industry as well as appearing live at different showcases. After this period, we finished writing the new material for our upcoming album and headed for the studio.

Blistering.com: While you are Norwegian, your sound is right in line with the classic doom metal sound from Britain. Is it safe to say bands like My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost are primary influences?

Dalslåen: For sure. These bands have played a major role in finding our direction musically. That is not to say we don´t have other influences as well. Names like The 3rd and the Mortal, Type O Negative, Tool and of course Black Sabbath has also played its part. Even though doom metal is our core sound, I think you´ll be able to hear some of these influences in our songs as well.

Blistering.com: Considering how new you are to the scene, is In Memory Of the right introduction for those unfamiliar with To Cast A Shadow and if so, why?

Dalslåen: Definitely. This album shows what To Cast a Shadow is all about. You´ll hear our true and recognisable sound filled with good melodies, grooves and riffs in a neatly “doomy” wrapping.

Blistering.com: Where does In Memory Of pick up where All Alone left off?

Dalslåen: The focus on good melodies and the sound from our first album has been brought forth into In Memory Of but this time we have maybe concentrated more on dynamics and variation combined with more power and force. It all sounds a bit more aggressive and organic. We have also introduced more male vocals, both clean and growling, to some of the songs.

Blistering.com: How did you hook up with Kolony Records?

Dalslåen: They contacted us after the release of All Alone and Lorenzo, the owner, really liked what he heard on that album. At this point, we were not yet ready for a new release, but we thought the label was interesting and we stayed in touch. When we were in the finishing stages of making In Memory Of, we contacted them again and found out that they were still interested.

Blistering.com: How did you hook up with Nell Siglund from Theatre of Tragedy for “Betula?”

Dalslåen: She comes from the same town as us, and Marcus, our guitarist, knew her from before. He had written a short and haunting song called “Betula,” and we decided to ask Nell if she wanted to do the vocals on this one. She agreed to do that and thought it was a lot of fun, and it turned out to be a great little tune among the other “heavier” ones.

Blistering.com: Gunnhild’s vocals are especially chilling, so how did you find new ways to use her?

Dalslåen: As you may know she did the vocals on two songs on the first album, which were good, but she has evolved a lot since then. She really has a beautiful voice with an amazing variety, from soft and heart-felt to operatic excellence to just raw power. This gave us the opportunity to approach the vocals in a different way and make it even more fitting to our musical style. In my opinion, this makes the songs more interesting.

Blistering.com: Pick me a favorite of yours off of the new album. I’ll vouch for “Nightfall” and “When You Leave the Room.”

Dalslåen: Oh, that´s a hard one... I really like all the songs on this album. The ones you mentioned here are definitely some of my favorites, but I would also say “Oceans Apart.” This is a “classic” doom tune that has a little bit of everything - heavy riffs and good melodies, female vocals and growling, some interesting little details and a “punch-in-the-face” ending. When it comes to performing live, I would say “Tormented” for sure. It´s a really fun and intense song to play.

Blistering.com: Considering how many female-fronted Goth metal bands there are, what is your opinion of the scene?

Dalslåen: To be honest, I think that too many bands are starting to sound too much alike and follow the same recipe, but it´s apparent that this type of music is quite popular seeing how many bands that choose to play within this domain. With that said, there are of course, some bands that are able to think outside the box and come up with some more interesting and original tunes and sounds, which is always a breath of fresh air in this scene. I would like to believe that To Cast a Shadow falls in the latter category.

Blistering.com: Are there any bands that do this style that you enjoy?

Dalslåen: I don´t listen to as much female-fronted bands as I used to, but that has more to do with the musical part, which seems to be either too symphonic or, as I mentioned earlier, that it is too much alike. However, I do enjoy listening to bands like Theater of Tragedy and Tristania, and I think that Ava Inferi has got some pretty interesting stuff as well.

Blistering.com: What can To Cast A Shadow do to separate itself from the pack?

Dalslåen: The essence of To Cast a Shadow is focused around playing plain doom and heavy guitar-based metal, with a different type of female vocals. We try move away from the grandiose and symphonic aspects that seems to be the norm for female-fronted Goth metal bands by concentrating on our core instruments, guitar, bass and drums, and using more variation in the vocals. I think that we are able to combine our influences with our own sound and style, and present something original to the scene.

Blistering.com: Finally, what’s on tap for 2011?

Dalslåen: Beer...hehe. First of all, we are looking forward to the release of our new album In Memory Of in February, which we hope as many of you will check out. Hopefully we will do some touring and continue building the To Cast a Shadow name so we can give all the metal-heads out there the opportunity to discover our music. And I think that we also will find the time to write some new material as well. Hope to see you soon at one of our gigs!

Link:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/templateid/21560/menuid/3/tempidx/5/link/1

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

New review of 'In Memory Of' - score this time is 8,5/10 on Thisisnotascene.com Webzine!

"God, it must be grim living in Norway if the latest release from To Cast a Shadow is anything to go by. I used to think that being in a band, playing to thousands of adoring fans would be a brilliant thing, but clearly not if you’re a member of To Cast a Shadow. I’m being facetious but only because this latest release is an undeniably miserable and often harrowing release: Def Leppard it resolutely is not.

Don’t let my cynicism put you off: this is doom/goth metal of a fine vintage. There’s plenty of the leitmotifs of this metal sub-genre to keep you entranced and intrigued. Soaring and haunting vocals; the occasional guttural death growl, punchy riffage all wrapped in a soaring epic soundscape.

Opening track ‘Tormented’ gives you a sense of the unfolding musical drama that the band have to offer; a massive riff backed by pummelling drums lead the listener into a swirling maelstrom of agonised vocals. It is a dramatic and effective statement of intent. ‘Nightfall’ has a lovely, almost gossamer light melody and refrain. ‘Ocean’s Apart’ is a stand-out track: on first listen, it does little more than tick all the right boxes that you want from a doom metal track; on repeated listening, its power and, I’m sure they wont thank me for this, genuine charm shines through.

‘The Answer’, a track that begins initially reflective and solemnly soon opens to become a mini- epic all of its own and will doubtless become a fan favourite once added to their live setlist. It’s probably the best exposition of the bands talents and, for me, the stand-out track on a solid record that, whilst not setting new paradigms, certainly ploughs a solid field." [Mat Davies]

To Cast a Shadow have some clear heritage and influence. There’s a little bit of My Dying Bride here, a portion of Paradise Lost there and even some Tool seeping through the band’s musicality. The second album-in this instance, one that their label Kolony Records have clearly invested in- is often a tricky one. It’s a cliché of the music business that artists, desperate to expand their musical horizons after making a splash with their debut efforts often find themselves getting stuck in the quagmire of over complicating their oeuvre and leaving a fan base often bewildered and bemused.

Fans of To Cast a Shadow need have no fears with the latest offering from the Norwegian outfit: it does exactly what you expect. “In Memory Of” has that dynamic miserabilism with a soupçon of overblown drama and deep, dark romantic songs that hit the right side of melodrama without falling into the soup of parody and ridicule.There’s a proper sense of ambition on this record; an open and dynamic production, an excellent and evocative artwork capture a band who have found their feet well. I’m not a goth metal addict but, if you are, you’re going to lap this up with a vengeance.

Link:
http://www.thisisnotascene.com/2011/to-cast-a-shadow-in-memory-of/

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

Another really cool review for TCAS! this time 'In Memory Of' scored 9/10 on Hungarian Webzine KronosMortus.hu!

"BRIEF SUM: A gorgeous melancholic dream. A new life has risen from the roots of gothic-doom metal. The road to twilight opened by the bass guitar is paved with splashing guitar-streams, and the immersive female vocals almost float us through the casual hymns.

Megkapó borítóval jelentette meg második lemezét a norvég To Cast A Shadow. A festményt vizsgálgatva egyértelmű, hogy a skandinávok vérét átitatja az ottani légkör, hiszen míg az alapkompozíció inkább délebbre repítene, mindez a hátérrel és a kreált régies hatással együtt már igazi borongós, borzongató légkört mutat. Van benne kicsi utópisztikusság, el lehet merengeni szimbólumrendszerén.

A történet szálai 1990-ig nyúlnak vissza, mikor is három hamari jó barát hangszert ragadott, és a My Dying Bride, Type O Negative, Anathema és a Paradise Lost (Draconian Times) nyomdokain elkezdték megalkotni saját zenei világukat. A változást az hozta, mikor Camilla Granlien, aki többnyire folk csapatokban énekelt, csatlakozott hozzájuk. A most megjelenő második lemezen, azonban már nem ő, hanem Gunnhild Huser rezegteti hangszálait.

Zenéjük alapvetően a csilingelő szépséges női vokálra épül, de sokszor belép mellé egy mélyről jövő, néha extrém, férfiének. A hangszeres kíséret egy doomban gyökerező metal zene. Ha nagyon akarjuk, rányomhatjuk a gótikus jelzőt, de ez félrevezető lehet, mert nem sok közük van a mostanában futó gót csapatokhoz.
A kezdő hangok után az első verzéből hatalmas erő árad, teljesen szétzúzza a hallgatót. Sajnos ez nem tartható tovább, és nem is próbálkoznak vele, megnyugszik a zene a belépő női énekkel. A vége felé még villantanak egyet ebből az energiából, de igazából a lemez végéig marad a tempós nyugodtság.
Nincs gyenge pont a nóták között, nincs töltelékszám, magával ragadnak és átölelnek ezek a csodálatos költemények. Mégsem mondható, hogy egybefolynának a dalok, mindnek megvan a maga karaktere.
A Nightfall a lassú, egyszerűségében gyönyörű refrénjével a Nighttime Bird-ös The Gatheringet juttatja eszembe. A dal is letisztult, szellős, melankolikus lebegés az alkonyatban, felfedve annak titkait. Az Oceans Apart kezdő szólója nagyon Set-Off-os, ha még emlékszik valaki a Paradise Lost vonalon elindult magyar csapatra.

A Betula című dalban Nell Sigland, a Theatre of Tragedy énekesnője hallható, ha rövid időre is. Mert ez csak felvezetője a My Misery című hatalmas nótának. Számomra a lemez csúcsa! Könnyed skandináv szólóval kezdődik, majd a kórus alatti basszusgitár döngölés magával ragad, az utána belépő két énekhang már csak hab a tortán. Végig ott vonul a dal alatt a röfögő basszus, hátán cipelve a szinte ünnepélyes, szomorú dalt.
Ez az a pont, ahol teljesen megnyílik a lemez, be lehet lépni ebbe a világba. Jó barát, a basszus kísérjen utadon! Ezen hangszer felszínre bukkanása a dalokban az album sajátossága. Rengeteg helyen hagyják érvényesülni hangját, egyszerű, de erőteljes témái bólogatásra késztetik az embert. Szinte bármelyik tételt felhozhatnám példaként, de talán még a When You Leave the Room-ban dominál a legfülbemászóbban.
Hatásaikat nem tagadhatják le, de annyi forrásból merítkeznek, és ezekbe úgy ágyazzák saját elképzeléseiket, hogy az általuk létrehozott világ rendelkezik egyéniséggel és teljességgel magával ragadó.

Szerencsére a megközelítés végig metal marad, így azoknak is okoz kellemes dalokat a lemez, akik amúgy idegenkednek ettől a műfajtól."

Link:
http://kronosmortus.hu/node/27101

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

New live report from Heavymetal.no webzine!

"På Kråga Pub hadde et bra knippe fjærkre flakset innom for å varme seg med litt gotisk metal. To Cast A Shadow gjestet byens ferske utested, og et fullt lokale fikk servert et knippe varierte låter.

Jeg skal medgi at jeg kjente minimalt av de frammøtte, noe som betyr at Kråga kanskje har opparbeidet seg et eget klientell? Metalfolk var det lite av, men de som fylte lokalene lagde godt med liv, og gjennom konserten må bandet si seg veldig fornøyd med feedbacken de fikk.

To Cast A Shadow spikret en over snittet bra konsert, men etter å ha smakt på Pretty Dark og When You Leave the Room, vil jeg påstå at bandet tjener grasalt godt på å inkorporere flere uptempo-partier og litt mer kraftig kost. Det er gotisk, tungt og trist, alt pakket i en tung atmosfære. Enkelte ganger flettet jeg sammen referanser som Gathering og Third And The Mortal, og spesielt sistnevnte, som er favoritten min i denne sjangeren, vil jeg påstå er et kompliment de bør ta til seg. Da snakker vi om eraen Tears Laid In Earth.

Siden jeg ikke har hørt sisteskiva og er litt usikker på om jeg har kjennskap til debuten (07) (som vår tidligere anmelder Roy ikke var helt fornøyd med), ønsker jeg ikke å gå i detalj på låter, men jeg kan si såpass at jeg bet meg fast i både tre og fire sanger. Det i seg selv er ganske frekt, for vanligvis er det, når man opplever et band på denne måten, vanskelig å huske og feste for mye på minnet. De to jeg allerede har nevnt samt Tormented, alle fra den kommende skiva, gjorde susen. When You Leave The Room var kongen, ops, dronningen i kveld, den gleder jeg meg til å høre i studioversjon.

Verdt å nevne er lyden, som var forbløffende bra! På en så liten plass/scene er det i seg selv overraskende å kjøre såpass grei lydproduksjon ut i lokalet. Trommene var mikket opp, ellers tror jeg Gunnhild gikk via sanganlegget og gitar/bass ut av sine respektive forsterkere. Som en god øving altså. Det var altså lite å utsette på audiobiten, men selvfølgelig hadde det vært tøft å opplevd bandet på en større scene med PA etc, men dog, jeg likte det jeg hørte. Når vi er inne på vokalinne; Gunnhild var en bra frontfigur, som på tross av litt skeive toner i Set Afire, har en veldig bra stemme. Hun er trygg på scenen og har et utstråling som vil hjelpe bandet framover.

Man takker Calle@Kråga for to kopper bra kaffe, beklager at bildene av gitarist Marcus ble diffuse og ikke kunne brukes, og lar bandet vite at passer det neste gang, stiller jeg da også. Og på veien ut møtte jeg en gammel kompis, Pål, som fyrte av en firer på terningen for jobben. Og han er ganske treffsikker med den." [Yngve M. Jacobsen]

Link:
http://www.heavymetal.no/show.article.asp?menuid=14&artid=12903#

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

'In Memory Of' just reviewed by Lordsofmetal.nl - rating 80/100! :hotjump:

"The fairy tale of The Nordic To Cast A Shadow starts in 2007 with their debut record ‘All Alone’. Right from the start the music finds values and inspiration in the fullest tradition and the full admiration of old English doom metal like Anathema and My Dying Bride.
Four years later we get ‘In Memory Of’, again a record that shows where they get their inspiration and influences from. The original twist to the music must be found in the angelic voice of Gunnhild, which is the main voice besides the male grunting and growling. Gunnhild does not have the most remarkable voice of female metal singers, but she simply is the best addition to these tunes of doom and melancholy, and she does so with power and crystal clear cleanliness. Take in account a top notch production by Kristian Sigland (The Crest, Theatre Of Tragedy) and the mastering of Rikard Lofgren, and you get a quality album production wise, music wise and lyrically wise. Greatest of the great songs are ‘Morose’ and the twin solo song ‘Oceans Apart’, which even features a total Candlemass riff rip off, but who cares or even notices. The short song ‘Betula’ even features the vocal works of Theatre Of Tragedy singer Nell Sigland. This should have been a longer song in my opinion. All CD’s are packed in a luxury digi pack and feature artwork by Darkwave Artwork. In short, a great journey through the English countryside of doom metal…" [Erik]

Link:
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=18235&lang=en

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

North America's webzine InvisibleleOranges.com comments on TO CAST A SHADOW upcoming album: "Should Rule Hard! To Cast a Shadow are the first goth metal band to excite me in years."

Link:
http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2011/02/upcoming-metal-releases-february-2011/

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

New review of 'In Memory Of' available on Greek webzine Rock Overdose!

"Ενα σχετικα νεο σχημα του melodic doom-gothic,οι TO CAST A SHADOW,παρουσιαζουν τη δευτερη δισκογραφικη τους δουλεια.

Το "In Memory Of",ερχεται να διαδεχθει το ‘All Alone’ του 2007.

Οι επιρροες του group ειναι εμφανεστατες.Απο MY DYING BRIDE, TYPE O NEGATIVE, SATYRICON, ANATHEMA,μεχρι BLACK SABBATH αλλα και THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL.

Ολες οι συνθεσεις του δισκου κινουνται απο slow μεχρι mid tempo.Χαμηλες ταχυτητες,doom αισθημα,μελωδικοτητα αλλα και ογκος χαρακτηριζει τα τραγουδια.Μια γλυκια μελαγχολια σκεπαζει τα παντα,δοσμενη μεσα απο ομορφες μουσικες γραμμες,αλλα και πολλες φορες ενα ξεσπασμα ερχεται να δυναμωσει την ενταση και τον ρυθμο,με τις κιθαρες να αγριευουν και τα ανδρικα brutal φωνητικα να παιρνουν τη σκυταλη απο τα αιθερια γυναικεια.

Η μεταβαση και η αλλαγη υφους γινεται πολυ επιδεξια,τοσο μουσικα οσο και φωνητικα,και το group καταφερνει να εκφρασει τις ιδεες του και τα συναισθηματα του με τον ιδανικοτερο τροπο."

Ο δισκος αποτελει ενα πολυ καλο ακουσμα,ειδικα για προχωρημενες νυχτερινες ωρες.Μπορει να σας οδηγησει σε μια ωραια μουσικη περιπλανηση και να σας παρασυρει στο δικο του κοσμο. [Πανος Warlord Μπουγαλης]

Link:
http://www.rockoverdose.gr/news_details.php?id=1676

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

And another cool one, this time 'In Memory Of' is reviewed by Italy's Dagheisha.com!

"Sono passati quasi quattro anni dall'esordio discografico e il gruppo norvegese non sembra nemmeno lo stesso. Accompagnato dall'idea grafica di Matthew Vickerstaff (My Dying Bride, Cradle Of Filth), 'In Memory Of' svela miglioramenti cospicui sia a livello di songwriting che di suoni e produzione. L'album è stato registrato presso Hamar Recordings da Kristian Sigland (The Crest, Theatre Of Tragedy) e masterizzato da Rikard Lofgren. Una scelta di qualità che premia gli sforzi del quartetto impegnato a mantenere alto il fascino del gothic metal nello scenario europeo. Paradise Lost e Anathema rimangono riferimenti evidenti ma la personalità del cantato di Gunnhild Huser è indubbia e canzoni come 'Nightfall', 'Oceans Apart' e 'My Misery' risultano di spessore assoluto. Eccellente la collaborazione con Hans Kristian Nørgaard in 'Tormented' mentre appare più forzata la parentesi acustica di 'Betula' con Neil Sigland." [divine]

Link:
http://www.dagheisha.com/music_section/cd.asp?idus=5334

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

Score is 8/10 on Norwegian webzine Silentsavagery.com!

"To Cast a Shadow startet allerede opp på 1990-tallet, men har ikke bøttet ut skiver, slik andre band i samme sjanger hadde en tendens til å gjøre i den perioden. Sjangeren vi snakker om er goth metal med iblandet doom. Bandet ga ut sitt debutalbum, "All Alone" i 2007 og fikk masse god respons den gang. Mange har ventet på et neste album og nå er det endelig her - "In Memory Of".

Goth metal band har hatt en tendens til å blande inn mange andre musikalske elementer i sin musikk, som f.eks. elektronika, beats etc. Dette har heldigvis To Cast a Shadow holdt seg unna og leverer goth metal slik den bør være. Det vil si, albumet er ikke 100% på alle områder, men det er heller ikke langt i fra. En av de merkbare forandringene på denne utgivelsen i forhold til "All Alone", vil være utbytte av vokalist. Gunnhild Huser har tatt over rollen som Camilla Granlien tidligere hadde. Gunnhild gjør en bra jobb bak mikrofonen og i forhold til majoriteten av band av samme gate, benytter To Cast a Shadow seg for det meste av ren vokal og sper heller på med growling. Når det gjelder growlebiten, så var det noe undertegnede savnet en del på første utgivelsen fra bandet. De har også med seg gjestevokalist Nell Sigland fra Theatre of Tragedy på låta "Betula".

"In Memory Of" er et mid-tempo album, krydret med heavy riff som skaper en behagelig atmosfære sammen med gode melodilinjer. Man hører helt klart hvilke band To Cast A Shadow medlemmene henter inspirasjon fra. My Dying Bride, The 3rd and The Mortal, Paradise Lost bl.a. Instrumentalt kan det til tider høres ut som det forsøkes å nå høydepunkter de ikke helt når frem til. Man sitter igjen med et lite savn av det ultimate høydepunktet i noen av låtene. Når det er sagt, finnes det godsaker på albumet som er en musikklytters gave for ørene. "Morose" og "My Misery" er blitt gjengangere i min spilleliste.

Selv om det ikke blir full score, så er "In Memory Of" definitivt et album som kan anbefales. Fortsetter To Cast a Shadow denne utviklingen, ser jeg ikke bort i fra at de kan bli veldig store i sin sjanger." [Christer Ø. Pedersen]

Link:
http://www.silentsavagery.com/metal/219

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

English webzine Cackblabbath too reserved 'In Memory Of' a great review !

"In Memory Of is the Norwegian band’s second album and from the moment you see Matthew Vickerstaff’s cover art (he’s worked with My Dying Bride and Cradle Of Filth in the past) and peruse the tracklisting you know pretty much exactly what you are going to get and (if you like that sort of thing) know it’s going to be good.

You just don’t know how good.

To Cast A Shadow are described as “British old-style doom metal” but they’re not, well not entirely. There are clearly Sabbath-ey doom touches here and there but when I first listened to this album the category that sprang to mind was Goth. Proper, old fashioned Goth Metal as pioneered by the likes of Paradise Lost. It’s dark and brooding in places and it has that quintessential Goth sound with wailing guitars, brooding emotion and to top it all off an impressive vocal performance from Gunnhild Huser. Now female fronted Scandinavian rock bands can be a bit hit and miss, there’s only so much operatic warbling you can take but here the vocals are powerful and distinctive while managing to avoid most of the predictable cliches.

The album opens with the cheerily entitled Tormented which gives an excellent taster for what is to come. It starts with a heavy, pounding riff and the first voice you hear is Marcus Granlien’s growl before Gunnhild takes over and carries the song along beautifully. This is one of the more ‘metal’ songs on In Memory Of but there is someting of a change of feel for the second track Morose which has a more, well, morose vibe.

Nightfall and Oceans Apart keep things moving along nicely before Nell Siglund from Theater of Tragedy lends her substantial vocal talents for Betula, which sees the band come over all haunting and acoustic.

My favourite track on the album is My Misery, where for most of the song Gunnhild’s lead vocal is overlaid with Marcus Granlien’s deep, anguished backing. They both sing the same words, but with a very different feel. This is an effect that can be overused but here it works as well as anywhere I have ever heard it.

And that’s perhaps the most striking thing about this release, the quality of the voices and the balance between the two vocal styles. Maybe it’s because neither are too extreme that they combine perfectly.

Add this to the fact that the songs are beautifully written in that finest depressing Goth tradition and it all combines to make this a very special release. If you are a fan of dark, gothic metal from the likes of My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost then To Cast A Shadow are a band that it is definitely worth checking out."

Link:
http://www.cackblabbath.co.uk/2011/02/03/to-cast-a-shadow-in-memory-of/

 

[lorenzo_kolony]

Another very good review of 'In Memory Of', this time on UK's UberRock webzine!

"Will you please welcome:- To Cast A Shadow; I am informed in the press release that I am going to be treated to a gothic/doom metal experience with the promise of new ethereal female vocals and a sound based firmly and influenced by Anathema, My Dying Bride, Type O Negative and Paradise Lost amongst others.

So do they live up to some pretty classy influences? I have to say above and beyond in my book. From the opener, 'Tormented', the sound, intensity and crystal clear production hits you - hats off to both the producer and the mixer Kristian Sigland and Rikard Lofgren(in my mind too often can a really good intense doom metal album be spoiled by a particularly muddy sound). In vocalist Gunnhild Huser they have a real frontwoman with presence and, with the ease the vocals sit in the mix, genuine talent.

In listening to the album you can hear influences much further back; there's more than a hint of Ozzy-era Sabbath, a touch of Metallica, 'Master Of Puppets' era and, in mellower moments, a definite Evanescence feel, but this isn't a mess of influences, this is a band that have pulled it all together and come out with something new.

Stand out tracks for me are the opener 'Tormented' (really sets the scene) followed by 'My Misery', 'When You Leave The Room', 'Set A Fire' and just check out the vocal line on 'Betula' - outstanding.

To sum up, Evanescence with balls set to a more intense gothic sound, everyone with an interest in this particular genre will lap this up, but honestly everyone shouldn't be afraid to check them out." [Nev Brooks]

Link:
http://www.uberrock.co.uk/cd-review...ast-a-shadow-in-memory-of-kolony-records.html