Carach Angren – Franckensteina Strataemontanus – Album Review

Behold the horizon for here come Dutch trio Carach Angren, stomping into view, brandishing their pitch-forks and ready to unleash their latest collection of grotesque stories set to gaudy, exaggerated and preposterously addictive symphonic black metal!

Malformed moments of history collide with Mary Shelley’s ominous creation as Carach Angren go about assembling their contorted monster. Theatrical in the purest sense, you could easily envisage Carach Angran regaling their tales to the same audiences who lapped up the delights of the grand guignol over a century ago, such is the sheer verbosity and exhibitionism of this expansive release.

With the industrialised groove of “Monster” binding the maddened ramblings of a serial killer to the kind of goth-inflected, groove perfected by Rammstein and “Der Vampir von Nürnberg” taking its expressive, orchestral flights of fancy to new and grim heights, Carach Angren are clearly revelling in their role as sadistic storytellers of remarkable showmanship.

Like a carnival freak show promising heady sights to derange and disturb the ill-prepared mind, Frankensteina Strataemontanus provides enough chills and cheesy thrills to sate the appetite of the most depraved debauchee.  7/10