인플레임즈와 마찬가지로 스웨덴 멜데쓰 양대산맥으로
굳건히 자리를 지키고 있는 다크 트랜퀼리티의 1995년
이 앨범을 소개해보고자한다.
이 밴드는 재밌는것이 인플과 보컬을 서로 맞바꿨지만
결론적으로 둘다 모두 멜데쓰에선 보석같은 존재들이다.
물론 초창기 멜데쓰라고한다면 이들은 빙산에 일격에 불과할지 모른다. 더유명한 초창기 멜데쓰 밴드들은 많고,
멜데쓰라하면 초창기 멜데쓰가 더 리듬도 좋고, 보컬의
절규미가 참으로 좋은게 많다.
그럼에도 불구하고 이들을 칭송하는 이유는 단지 멜데쓰를 세상사람들에게 많이 전파했다고나할까.
하여간 인플과 닭탱 이 두밴드의 영향력은 무럭무럭 자라나는 파릇파릇한 신생밴드들에게 영향을 많이 줬다고해도 과언이 아니다.
필자는 서태지씨랑 문희준군의 음악도 별로 즐겨듣진 않는다.
그런데도 그 가수들을 좋아하는 이유는 단지 이와같은 이유가 아닐까한다.
대중들에게 메탈이라는걸 전파해준다는 역할만 보더라도 메탈팬으로선 그냥 기쁠 뿐이다.
아마 닭탱중에서도 여러명반이 있겠지만, 그중에서도 필자가 닭탱팬이 되버리게끔 만든 명반이 바로 이 앨범이다.
이 앨범은 뭐랄까..절규미의 극치를 보여준다고나할까.
이탈리아밴드인 dark lunacy의 보컬인 마이크루나씨를 요샌 최고의 보컬로 치지만, 멜데쓰만 놓고본다면 닭탱의 미카엘도 절대 뒤지진 않는다.
1번곡은 쉴새없이 강력한 기타리프로 나가다가, 2분30초부터 나오는 비장미넘치는 기타리듬과 미카엘의 절규미섞인 명보컬땜시 잠시 눈물이 글썽거리고 목매이게 만드는 노래이다. 예전 이들을 즐겨들었을 당시 이부분만 따로 편집해서 mp3에 계속넣어서 들었었던 기억이 난다.ㅠ
그리고 쭉 듣다가 낮은 베이스톤으로 조용하지만 뭔가 가슴속에서 뭉클뭉클 피어나게 만들게끔 해주는 음악이 바로 이 8번곡이다.
약간 조금 노래가 짧다는게 흠이지만 미카엘의 울음섞인 보컬을 들을수가 있다.
그뒤로 바로 이어지는 9번곡은 내가 이 앨범에서 최고로 좋아라하는 곡이다. 절규미와 리듬이 모두 조화를 이룬다고나 할까..
11번곡은 중반부에 여성보컬이 한을 토해내고 난후 역시
비장미라인으로 계속 이어나가는 멋진 음악이다.
물론 5번곡도 여성보컬과 멋지게 어우러지는데 다 소개는 못하니
이정도에서 마친다..
아마 이 앨범은 닭탱 팬이신분들은 조금 실망한 앨범이기도 할것이다. 물론 메탈팬인 나부터도 객관적으로 생각해봐도 닭탱의 명반들은 다른앨범들이 리듬감도 좋고 훨씬 좋긴하다. 하지만 이 앨범을 포기못하는건 지금 소개하는 이러한 몇곡들이 절규미가 물씬 풍기기땜시 단지 좋아할 뿐이다.
We are the outstretched fingers
That seize and hold the wind...
The strangeness of awakening
In an oh so silent world
Breathlessly waiting
For the first proud beams of light
As the hours grow longer
And the shadows never fall
My sky has forsaken me
My desperation grows
Bring me the light
In the darkness that never ends
The dawn will never come
Punish my heaven
We have arrived
At the outermost crossroads
The charge of cosmos
At our atmospheric skies
Will cause our fall
If I had wings, would I be forgiving?
If I had horns
Would there be flames to shy my smile?
Hymns of loss are heard
From the masses in the streets
Praising the last of days
I punish
Bring me the night
In the fires that never end
The dawn will never come
Punish my heaven
The charge of cosmos
Charging at us from unearthly distance
I challenge the universe
It's the choice between heaven and hell ~~
oh?`~
My soul bears all the weight of mountains
As mankind weaves its silent end
Can there be no forgiveness?
I curse the heaven above me
As the light sinks through
My outstretched fingers
Fading in my open arms
Make each tear in my bare hands
A lifetime in hell
On this last day of light
When our autumn leaves fell
And as heaven itself commands me
Out of its lair
My face lined with darkness I'll go!
8. Lethe
give me to drink of the fluid
that disintegrates
and lend me the sweet balm and blessing
of forgetfulness, empty and strong
lethe
oh, lethe
hold me near, unravel the stars
as i speed through the heavens
i speed through the night
for you are my blade and my rope
you are my
you are my lethe
you are my own
in currents of cobalt you storm through my heart
to severe, to puncture the memories that burn
let sweep through the arteries in sharp stabs of pain
your talonlike fingers to kill me again
-in currents of cobalt you storm through my heart
(to severe, to puncture)- to severe, to puncture
-(the memories that burn)- the memories that burn
-let sweep through the arteries in sharp stabs of pain-
-(your talonlike fingers)- your talonlike fingers
-(to kill me again)- to kill me again
and again, and again and again
steal me, invade me, and charge me again
and again, and again and again
for i burn and i shudder
burn with each movement of...
so, cleansed through a floodlight
i appear, renewed and reforged
caressed by the sweet balm and blessing
of forgetfulness, empty and strong
lethe
hold me near, my one friend and guide
as i drown through your fingers
drown through your love
for you are the life that i hate
you are my
you are my
drag me down, in passionate sighs
with the ocean above me
and flames in my eyes
and grant me a life i can live
take me away...
take me away...
...from the life that i hate
9. The Emptiness From Which I Fed
Silence in shivering solitude
Obligations pressure for all to bear
All the pitiful answers, the innocent lies
Can mere words fill
The emptiness from which I fed?
Be gone, oh yielding evidence of greed
Safe now in the other shore
Behind: The emptiness from which I fled
Can silence be shared?
If so, can the perception of silence
Fit into the frame which is represent
The unity for which we stand?
The confines representing a timeless sacrifice
No eye can of silence tell lie
Silence, yet the absence of sound
Does not feed me
The essence of beauty alone
Fall silent to lingering charm
Brought forth be the sun
Shed light on the emptiness
What can be extracted from nothing
What can be found within the emptiness
Be gone, oh yielding evidence of greed
Safe now on the other shore
Behind: The emptiness from which I fed
Brought forth be the errors of our ways
As is denial so is contempt
Introspective to all but one
Tear apart the flames
No eye can of silence tell lie
How can I even begin
The battle where no one wins
From answers I now flee
Screaming out too no avail
Have I become what for so long I've dread
The missing pieces
Must now be replaced
What eyesight fails to grasp
Is the emptiness from which I fled
11. ...of Melancholy Burning
Jackal, aches for pain beyond me
Bestiality beckons - The anger set free
For there is no pain greater than thine
For there is no gain but the fury inside
Desolated since derived
Torn screaming from the gaping wound
Always be cherished
The grandeur of melancholy
Outward reprisal
Swear by your throne
Fallen words shall grieve thee
The grandeur of melancholy
Frailty, thy name is weakness
Vengeance, thy name is pain
Storm through the still glowing night
Ember eyes beyond reason shall see
Flee from the safety of the sheltering sky
See all but logic, so vengeance shall be
The grandeur of melancholy burning... oh burning woo~oh~~!!
Charge into uncertainty's promised land
Always and never
Your are the nail
Cursed, cursed
Oh essence of the night guide me
Cursed, cursed
Oh sweet revenge heal me
Frailty, thy name is weakness
Vengeance, thy name is pain
The nail
Jackal, aches for pain beyond me
The storm that now grabs me
Is the storm of my soul
For there is no pain greater than mine
For there is no gain but the fury inside
Once so bereaved
And ever so suppressed
Charge and split up the anger
Wake up the jackal
Let out his wrath
Always and never
He spoke of his pain
Always and never
You are the nail
Always be cherished
The grandeur of melancholy
Always and never
You are the nail
1. Punish My Heaven 04:47
2. Silence, and the Firmament Withdrew 02:36
3. Edenspring 04:31
4. The Dividing Line 05:01
5. The Gallery 04:09
6. The One Brooding Warning 04:15
7. Midway Through Infinity 03:30
8. Lethe 04:43
9. The Emptiness From Which I Fed 05:44
10. Mine Is the Grandeur... 02:27
11. ...of Melancholy Burning 06:17
[Current Line Up]
Mikael Stanne - Vocals (Rhythm Guitar 1991-1994) (1991-) (In Flames, Hammerfall)
Niklas Sundin - Guitar (1991-) (Laethora, Hammerfall)
Martin Henriksson - Guitar (Bass 1991-1998) (1991-)
Daniel Antonsson - Bass (2008-) (Dimension Zero, Soilwork, Pathos (Swe))
Martin Brändström - Keyboards & Electronics (1998-)
Anders Jivarp - Drums (1991-)
[Former Member]
Vocals:
Anders Fridén (1991-1993) (In Flames, Passenger, Ceremonial Oath)
Guitar:
Fredrik Johansson (1993-1998)
Bass:
Michael Nicklasson (1998-2008) (Reborn (Swe), Luciferion, Sarcazm)
