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Band
Elvenking
Title
Two Tragedy Poets…
Type
LP/EP
Company
AFM
YOR
2009
Style
Hard Rock
6/16/2009 - Review by: Raising Iron

Elvenking
Two Tragedy Poets...and a Caravan of Weird Figures

Company: AFM Records
Release: 2009
Genre: Hard Rock, Folk
Reviewer: Raising Iron

  • Another road of musical divergence



  • Italy's Elvenking continue to invest in their now extremely multifarious and divergent catalog with their latest disc called Two Tragedy Poets...and a Caravan of Weird Figures. Seriously, can anyone predict what this band is going to unfurl next? Fortunately for the alienated fan base - along with other casual followers - as a result of 2007's The Scythe, the bards this time turn in an exceptional revelry of upbeat, lighthearted, and all around fun, folk rock royalty.

    Two Tragedy Poets is essentially a stripped down version of the styles found on their debut, Heathenreel, or the later, The Winter Wake. In fact, you get acoustic versions of two songs from The Winter Wake; "The Wanderer", and the title track (and I daresay they're even better than the originals!). The rest of the album is comprised of newly written originals, save for the completely unnecessary and insipid drivel of a cover song called "Heaven Is A Place On Earth"; yes, you guessed it, the Belinda Carlisle popster from the eighties. Even though it's rendered completely in folky traditions, it's kept close to the original and hence too sugary sweet to be included here. It's also necessary to mention the track "Not My Final Song", which finds itself caped in a wonderfully upbeat and driving melody, but suffers from inane lyrical content. One other thing worth mentioning is the uncanny similarity between Damnagoras' vocals and Martin Steene (Iron Fire, Force of Evil). Really, there are moments where you'd swear Martin was brought in to sing certain songs; and I say this not to impugn Damnagoras (nor Martin), but merely as an observation worth noting.

    Anyway, Elvenking have always had at their core folk-driven compositions, but here the distorted guitars are all but gone, with lots of acoustics, keys, whistles, violins, and other instruments taking to the fore. Think Blackmore's Night at their most rocking of moments and you're almost there. The band scores an extra half a point for turning the caravan a sharp 90 degrees in direction after the atrocious The Scythe, and continue down yet another road of musical divergence. Who knows which way the band will go next, but for now, it's great to be able to enjoy the pomp and circumstance that Two Tragedy Poets affords.


    • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
      4 :AVE RATING

    ALL REVIEWS FOR: ELVENKING
    TITLE
    DOR
    COMPANY
    REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
    Red Silent Tides
    2010
    AFM
    Ravana4/1/2011
    4
    The Scythe
    2007
    AFM
    Vinaya Saksena3/6/2009
    2
    The Winter Wake
    2006
    Candlelight
    Veritas7/3/2006
    -
    Two Tragedy Poets…
    2009
    AFM
    Raising Iron6/16/2009
    4

    ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: ELVENKING
    INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE
    AydanRavana4/29/2011


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