Full Moon Productions, 2004
Genre: Black Metal
1. 1
2. P.S. Nautical
3. Avalon Polo
4. Laudanum
5. Fauna & Flora
6. Genevieve
7. Bete Noir
Velvet Cacoon has actually had a pretty long history, in a
sense; this is the latest album in an already lengthy discography (which wound
up also being a lie). Since they have
hit the “big time” by releasing an album on Full Moon Productions, rumors have
started surfacing all over the place about the band from people who want to
learn more about who they are. For one
thing one of their claims to fame in order to get that “cacoon” sound in their
music they use some sort of device of their own construction that involves a
fish tank. To be honest I don’t believe
this for one second, why would someone go through all that trouble when they
can get the same sound out of their guitar just by using a conventional effects
processor. I think it’s just a lot of
talk to create intrigue and mystery in the band rather than a legitimate method
for recording. Since they try to pass it
off as some special method to get a sound no one else can ever reproduce with
their own guitar, so they try to come off as some incredibly creative and
innovative band. While this is a good
album, it’s not revolutionary in its approach for guitar tone in the least bit.
Another growing interest for this band is an organization
they belong to. Apparently the faces of
the band members can never be seen because they belong to an organization
called “E.L.F. (Earth Liberation Front)” which looks like some extreme version
of Green Peace. That’s right people,
these guys are nature freaks. Judging by
some of the other pictures I’ve seen of this group they are probably dendripheliacs
too, but that is just my personal perception.
I also seriously question their wisdom on some levels because they
cannot even spell cocoon properly in their own band name they have it as
“cacoon.” Despite what I say about these
nature nuts they did pull a lot of good things together, regardless of the fact
I find their interest in Earth a bit loony.
Then again, since they’re lying about their guitar tone… they’re
probably lying about all this too.
Now that I have dispensed with all of that I shall get on
with talking about the music. Velvet
Cacoon managed to put something into their music that I have felt lacking for a
long time now for this country, essence and passion. Aside from the fact that I think their
concepts are silly; they are definitely believers in it because it really shows
through in their music. Just feel the
passion throughout the song “Avalon Polo” when you listen to it. The guitar work is simply mesmerizing and so
beautiful at times. The vocal approach
is a bit unconventional because it has mostly a whispering type of feel to
it. Basically none of it is really Black
Metal vocally, but the essence is so dark that I would label this somewhere in
that genre. Despite the fact that
whispering does not sound very appealing as a vocal approach, Velvet Cacoon has
made it work within their music perfectly and a conventional approach vocally
might actually diminish some of the feel to the music. It blends together so nicely on their
conceptual basis that it just works.
If you are looking for fast raging music you are not going
to get it with this release at all. This
is a slow and methodical approach, but the music is so passionate that you
can’t help but be caught up in its feeling.
I would say that anyone that is a fan of the approach Blut Aus Nord took
on “The Work Which Transforms God” only in essence will enjoy this, but Blut
Aus Nord musically was so much more impressive, to be honest. Regardless I would highly recommend this one
to any Black Metal fan that likes a truly dark essence, for there are few bands
that can really achieve this sort of feeling.
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