lukretion
The Sins of Thy Beloved are among the early movers in the “beauty and the beast” gothic metal scene, kick-started by Theatre of Tragedy with their eponymous debut album in 1995. Based in the Stavanger area like many similar bands around the time (Theatre of Tragedy, but also Tristania and Dismal Euphony), the Norwegian ensemble released their debut album Lake of Sorrow in 1998 on Napalm Records, a label that in the second half of the 1990s specialized in this type of sound. Although The Sins of Thy Beloved and Tristania shared quite a few things in those early years of their existence, including record label, recording studios, producer (Terje Refsnes) and even a band member (violinist Pete Johansen), the band’s sound actually owes a larger debt to genre-forerunners Theatre of Tragedy than Tristania. In fact, I like to think of this amazing album as the deranged little brother of Theatre of Tragedy’s early records. But this should not be taken to mean that The Sins of Thy Beloved are simply a copycat of their more famous contemporaries: there’s plenty of original angles on Lake of Sorrow, which is partly what makes it such an iconic and acclaimed release.
The band’s sound draws on a combination of doom and death metal, with long-form compositions (between 6 and 9 minutes) that progress at a snail's pace amidst distorted power chords, cavernous growls, and crushingly slow tempos. As typical of the “beauty and the beast” aesthetics, the songs are based on the contrast between delicate and rough, acoustic and distorted, masculine and feminine. There are copious amounts of piano motifs and orchestral arrangements, reflecting the band’s unusual line-up, with two full-time keyboard players (Anders Thue and Ingfrid Stensland). This is counterbalanced by the heavily distorted sound of guitarists Glenn Nordbø and Arild Christensen, who, although they do not engage in a lot of riffing or soloing, build an effective wall of noise that envelops every song like a thick cloud of darkness. The band also employ both male and female vocalists. Anita Auglend provides operatic vocals that are feeble and whispery, as dictated by the genre’s conventions (think of a slightly weaker version of Theatre of Tragedy’s Liv Kristin). On nearly all songs her ethereal vocals are contrasted with brutal and toneless male growls. One distinctive aspect of The Sins of Thy Beloved is that they actually employ not one, but two male growlers (guitarists Glenn Nordbø and Arild Christensen). There is not a massive difference in their growl styles, but when they both growl simultaneously they produce a droning, guttural groan that is quite impressive and effective (see the first few minutes of opener “My Love”).
But the aspect of The Sins of Thy Beloved’s sound that is perhaps most distinctive is the prominent use of Pete Johansen’s violin. String instruments (cellos, violins) can often be found in other “beauty and the beast” albums (including Theatre of Tragedy’s debut), but rarely are they used so centrally in the music. On this album, often the violin takes on the role of the guitar, providing melodies, riffs and frequent solos which are absolutely mesmerizing to listen to. Johansen’s playing is so emotional and soulful that is hard not to be moved by it. There is also a lot of variation in the way he plays the instrument, going from freeform improv to more structured compositional form (for instance, on the title-track “Lake of Sorrow”). It’s an all-rounded performance that significantly elevates the album to a whole new level.
The violin also contributes to creating the special atmosphere that characterises the album. Lake of Sorrow may not be as lush and captivating as Theatre of Tragedy’s Velvet Darkness They Fear, or as catchy as Tristania’s Beyond The Veil, but it possesses a mystique and an underground allure that instantly captures the listener’s imagination. The “beauty and the beast” genre is riddled with albums that suffer from mannerism: everything is polished and sounds as it should, but there is a lack of visceral excitement and genuineness in the music that ultimately compromises the listening experience. Lake of Sorrow sits at the polar opposite: it’s rough, unpolished, badly produced, and it lacks that sort of commercial appeal that Tristania’s albums for example have. But it feels genuine, spontaneous and adventurous, as the band invite the listener to follow them into this rabbit hole of darkness and sluggish despair. It is very much like a car crash that is hard to look away from: ugly but fascinating.
There isn’t a bad song on this album, although there are several tracks that stand out as absolutely magnificent. Opener “My Love” is one of those. The guttural opening growls set immediately the mood, dark and cavernous. But the listener is instantly shocked as crazy violin flourishes steal the scene triggering a cacophony of sounds that almost reminds me of the iconic “21st Century Schizoid Man” by King Crimson. The track loses a bit of steam in its second half, but it nevertheless makes for a powerful beginning of the album. The following song “The Kiss” is made from a similar mold and features again fabulous violin interjections as well as a cool coda with double-bass drumming, keyboards and violin. The violin takes a slightly less prominent role in the second half of the album. “Lake of Sorrow” is a more restrained and polished composition that oscillates between 3/4 and 4/4 and ends in emphatic fashion. “Until the Dark” is perhaps the best song of the album. It is an emotional piece that only features Anita Auglend’s vocals in what is probably her best performance with the band. “All Alone” is another great song. Taken from the band’s EP of the previous year, it is an interesting piece that is driven by the piano and Anita’s voice (including a short recitation), before exploding in a powerful duet between growls and female vocals in the coda.
Some listeners may find that the poor sound quality of the album detracts somewhat from the overall listening experience. Although I am not overly disturbed (and to some extent I feel the lo-fi production contributes to the overall atmosphere), it is undeniable that the album’s production value is not great. There are passages in the songs where only the drums are clearly audible, while the keyboards and guitars from a sort of shapeless background drone. Anita’s voice also struggles to emerge from the mix occasionally. To the producer’s credit, this might have been a headache of an album to record, with two guitars, two keyboards, three singers and a violin. Yet, objectively the end result isn’t great.
Another aspect of the album some listeners may find bothersome are the lyrics. They are written in English, but clearly whoever wrote them was not very proficient with the language, so there are several glaring mistakes. The lyrics are also quite naïve and simplistic and one or two passages do make me cringe (like the line “If love is for real we might relive. All alone is not for real. Why don't you take me for real?” on the title-track). Again, I am not excessively bothered, but some readers might be.
Despite these small grievances, Lake of Sorrow is an excellent album and a great example of the “beauty and the beast” aesthetics that developed in the second half of the 1990s. The Sins of Thy Beloved may not have the polish or even the technical abilities of some of their competitors (Theatre of Tragedy, Tristania), but this albums stands out as something unique and exceptional. It has tons of atmosphere and possesses a spontaneity that is simply contagious. And then there’s Pete Johansen’s violin: if you think you know how to use violins in a metal production, put on this album and think again. Highly recommended!