Sophisticated, intricate, intense… if you have the patience.
The follow up to 2003’s ‘Like A Moth Before A Flame’, ‘Mander Salis’ begins in grand style. ‘An Honest Misappropriation of Funds’ is a sophisticated, multi-layered track, where vocals, keys, guitar and percussion build to create a highly developed and intricate sound.
The three that follow are without a doubt the standout tracks on this album and the closest the band ever gets to really coming alive. ‘Empires’, ‘Gates of Dis’ and ‘A Gathering of Shades’ are much more accessible and easier to connect with than many of the other songs with melodies that are instantly more memorable, beautifully melancholic harmonies and a much more energetic sound.
‘On The Threshold of Eternity’ and ‘The Laughing Man’ are perhaps the best example of why The Snake The Cross The Crown are such an interesting band that describe themselves as ‘constantly evolving’. These more acoustic songs have an almost folk element and provide a welcome break from the intensity of some of the other tracks
And talking of intense, ‘Echolalia’ is the album’s epic track. The first two minutes of this are made up entirely of synthesizers and gentle percussion that builds atmospherically until the guitars and vocals finally cut in with more layered melody. However, after a promising start, ‘Echolalia’ just doesn’t quite manage to hold your attention for the full nine minutes and it’s easy to find yourself switching off.
And this is where the album should have ended, as the final track, ‘The Fields of Ius’ is so drawn out its almost painful. I like a good dirge to wail along to as much as the next person, but as beautiful as this track might be, it’s just too much.
Overall, this is a record that takes some listening before you can really begin to appreciate its majesty. Unless you are prepared to sit down and listen intently to the complicated intensity of ‘Mander Salis’ it is very easy to simply allow it to wash over you and although ‘Empires’ and ‘The Sun Tells the Moon’ are promising, the band never seem to achieve the climax they are building up to. However, this is an intricate, and emotional album and if you can devote the time to it, well worth a listen.