Limbonic Art – Phantasmagoria

Releasedate: 19-07-2010; Label: Candlelight Records
By: Lara Cappelli

Limbonic Art are a Norwegian Black Metal band formed is 1993. “Phantasmagoria” is their fifth studio album.

Limbonic Art carries a lot of spooky kind of tension with their music, caused by the combination of Black Metal and classical atmospheres. Although the band was initially a duo project, it recently got reduced to a one man project that sees Daemon as the only composer and player of the band. Generally speaking, the absence of a band behind Daemon doesn’t get too noticed. The only flaw on it is the lack of a real drummer that makes the use of a drum machine fundamental. The result of it is the constant confused sound perceptible in the background which most of the times sounds offish and cold. This feeling leaves quite disappointed especially when heard in the first song “Phantasmagoria” that, giving the name to the whole album, is supposed to best synthesize what the album is all about. Moreover, the classical element which makes this band particular is barely hearable in that one. Fortunately, from the second half of “Crypt of Bereavement” something happens; the song slacks and fades in a slow melody that still doesn’t drop the Black Metal characteristics. From there on, the album gets to convince more: the classical atmospheres come forward and shape every song. It might be hard to swallow the initial chaotic impact the album has, but after a while “Phantasmagoria” turns to a steady and variegated one that Black Metal fans might easily enjoy.

Links:
Limbonic Art MySpace