VINEGAR HILL „Ghost Flowers”

Art Gates Records, 2017

Music: Melodic Death Metal

Website: www.facebook.com/VinegarHillMusic/

Duration: 51:44 minutes (10 tracks)

Country: Austria

The VINEGAR HILL team was founded in 2007, in the town of Loeben in southern Austria, close to the border with Slovenia. They already have considerable achievements, previously they released one demo, one EP and three full-lenght albums.

They play Metal, in places sharp, but their music contains liveliness and light, although the lyrics do not necessarily bring an optimistic message. In their music there is not frowsty darkness, like in black-metal or rot that presented in gore death-metal. The songs are cleverly composed and varied. Aggressive motives intertwine with calmer pieces.

Two male vocals were used, harsh and clean, separatelly singing in refrains, and sometimes together. The refrains are full of drama. There are also monologs and declamations in a clear voice, of a boy and a girl, and even a female vocalist and child’s speech. The music is built by guitars playing. The guitarists play more or less aggressively, but melodically. Their ways of using the possibilities of instruments attract attention, they create artistic value. There are many changes of pace and rhythms, interpositions and interesting licks. Sometimes the dynamics and the way of pulling the strings are taken from heavy-metal. The solos are short and simple, only in the track “Epiphany” it happened more extensive. But the music of the Austrians is not based on Satriani’s style, only on dynamics, constant variability, motoriness and creating different moods (aggression, some calmness and also dramatic) and also on ingenuity. The drummer is good, although he is not outstanding, but he does not lower the level of the album. He showed the most in the song “Here with You”. The keyboards also was used in the compositions, which from time to time makes itself known, playing attractive melodies. Several songs have interesting keyboard and electronic introductions and endings.

Listening to this CD you can not get bored, although it is quite long. All various elements create a coherent and valuable musical theme. For me, this music is unexpectedly great, because usually I prefer other, darker varieties of metallic noise.

Tracklist:

1.The Fortress Above the Sun

2.Last Piece of Me

3.Sinner to Be Saint

4.Ghost Flowers

5.Void

6.Here with You

7.Epiphany

8.The Shift of Reasons

9.The Pale Conjurer

10.In Carving Memory