I would say it is not that uncommon to have a Death Metal album commence with a speech. Moreover, if this speech is about a serial killer things get a litle more serious about the personality of the band, I mean, about the themes the band approaches. “Tales of Tragedy” welcomes the fan with the aforementioned intro “Devil In The Darkness” that preceeds “We Are One (An Ode To Murder),” which is based on the doings of Israel Keyes a sadistic serial killer from the US who attempted suicide after his imprisonment 2012. After his death a handwritten manifest, was found in his jail cell. The FBI described it as “An Ode to Murder.” Keyes was addicted to murder and his writings didn’t gave clues to his victims but made clear what a sick and twisted individual he was. As dark as only Metal can be.
By that, I guess it is useless to say Call of Charon are a band that delves deep into the mind of murderers and all kind of sickos. As dark as only Metal can be. So, “Tales of Tragedy” got its name not by chance. The album is all about tragedies or the band’s members or other peoples’ tragedies. Lirically, the album deals also with all sorts of bad stuff as death, paranoia, insomnia, zombie hordes and relentless pain. “Ocean Grave,” for instance, tells the tragic story of the NV Northern Belle accident. In 2010 the fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska. Captain Robert Royer returned to the bridge to send a distress call, believed to have saved the other crew members. Sadly he wasn’t able to safe his own life. Pretty hard stuff, isn’t it?
Musicwise, the band adds some electronic effects here and there in order to reinforce the sick and twisted mood of the music. By doing so that takes the band to an Industrial Metal intent without loosing the Death Metal feeling that characterizes Call of Charon. Odds are that “Tales of Tragedy,” to some extent, goes easily from top to bottom. I mean, it is an album that the fan will listen without any bumps or the difficulties that would be expected from the lyrical contents. Call of Charon‘s music is not hard to swallow, if you know what I mean. On the contrary, it is pleasant enough.
A fun fact about “Tales of Tragedy” is that the first time I heard it, a strange feeling took me. It was a creepy feeling that I only understood when I read the press release about the songs. I always trust my guts when it comes to feelings about albums. Music has this power of passing such feelings, and Metal music even more. That is why, in my opinion, “Tales of Tragedy” is such a down to earth album. Call of Charon perform an organic and natural Death Metal, as long as this is possible. Instrumentals, for what’s worth, follow an organic and natural path that does not strange the fan even though with the Industrial Metal hints. This is undoubtedly a pro from where I am standing.
Call of Charon “Tales of Tragedy” was released on August 01st via Massacre Records.
Track Listing:
- Devil In The Darkness
- We Are One (An Ode To Murder)
- Ocean Grave
- Suffer In Silence
- The Demon King
- Already Dead
- Insomnia / Paranoia
- Words Of Separation
- They Come At Night
- One More Day
Watch “Ocean Grave” official music video here.
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!