Some time last year I searched the internet for female-fronted metal bands. The results included Nightwish, Dark Sarah, Arch Enemy and Cellar Darling. From those, Cellar Darling had me the most curious. I read that they had incorporated such curiosities as the hurdy-gurdy in their songs, and because I have a taste for lute and other baroque instruments I took a listen. I should have persisted longer, allowing the whole of “This Is The Sound” to make an impression on me. Unfortunately, “Avalanche” is all I remember now. I cannot say why, but One More Time’s song, “Highland” came to mind at the time. Despite what you might think, this is a good thing. It seemed to me that Cellar Darling were bringing something other than operatic vocals to melodic metal. I still have this impression, listening to “The Spell”.
Prepare yourself to listen intently to this album. A girl enters a stark, unforgiving world. She encounters Death, and falls in love. She weaves a spell to bind him to herself, and follows him into the underworld. I was not prepared for this story, and still I remain conflicted. Both Anna’s voice and the band’s music serve the story, and I am filled with a deep sorrow when I listen to a song like “Hang”. “Burn” is another favourite, and I agree that Cellar Darling have a progressive sound – one that is not necessarily driven by intricate guitar passages or changes in time signatures that are impossible to repeat. There is enough grit to satisfy the metalhead, but “The Spell” is so much more. I appreciate the peaks and troughs where, after you experience the dread of entering a netherworld with the character you are given reprieve by floating in the embrace of a halcyon sea. These impressions will stay with me for a long time. Continue reading »
Sirenia (NO) is the headliner of the 12th edition of the Brainstorm Festival that takes place on Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th of November 2019 in Gigant at Apeldoorn. Next to this Norwegian gothic-metal band we are announcing Cellar Darling (CH) and War Of Ages (USA). More bands will be the will be announced in the near future.
On March 22nd, Switzerland’s Cellar Darling will release their new concept album The Spell, which tells the story of a girl who falls in love with death, and of course, the Swiss high flyers are more than ready for an extensive new touring cycle.
After surprising their fans with “Insomnia”, the proggy and mad first single from their upcoming album, Swiss progressive folk rockers Cellar Darling — who feature in their ranks former Eluveitie members Anna Murphy (vocals, hurdy-gurdy), Merlin Sutter (drums) and Ivo Henzi (guitars, bass) — have dropped a brand new song and have finally announced long-awaited details about their new release. Their second studio album will be a concept album titled “The Spell” and it will arrive on March 22 via Nuclear Blast.