Album Review: The Black Capes – Lullabies for the Dead (darkTunes Records)

It was way back in the first half of 2017 that we first came across The Black Capes. Self described as gothic gloomsters, their debut album ‘All These Monsters‘ dripped atmosphere. An album all about delivering a spooky & unsettling hard-rock sound but wrapped up in rhythmic beats & hooks. This is the successor to the likes of Type O Negative & Sisters of Mercy.

Now, on April 10th 2020 they return with ‘Lullabies for the Dead’. Their brand new album produced, mixed and mastered by Peter Rutcho (Parkway Drive-IRE, Falling in Reverse, Deez Nuts etc.) with cover art by Angry Blue (Iggy Pop, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Foo fighters, Lil Wayne etc.).

Lullabies for the Dead is out worldwide on April 10th via German label darkTunes Records.

Evolving while staying true to their gothic rock roots, The Black Capes bring catchy gloominess from the start of Lullabies for the Dead. And I Wait having plenty of pomp and plenty of sleazy groove while staying focused on what is important to The Black Capes…hard rocking rhythm.

Really upping the misery with Sprinkle Your Sand, Morpheus and the sexiness with Rain, this is The Black Capes at their best. Both tracks steeped in gothic glory while being expansive enough to make you reflect on what was heard.

That’s the evolution of The Black Capes and between the eerie mutters and bombastic punches of The Blood is the Life and the rocking riffs of From Beyond the Grave you know you have to be on board this train.

Whereas with the debut, comparisons to the likes of Type O Negative & Sisters of Mercy felt important as a way of establishing The Black Capes sound, here it’s far more important to stress that what The Black Capes sound like is The Black Capes.

As the album grows, A Dream of the Tower showing off some nice melody and deep guitar thrums, it is much less of a goth tribute to legends and more the next stage in that sound.

A stage that The Black Capes are strutting towards with gloomy intent. The Gun of Love’s downbeat funeral march, Welcome to the Necroclub’s foot-tapping dance floor banger, Gotham’s short but proper punchy groove (with a wicked guitar solo to boot) and War is Where You Make It’s darkened sky of a finish.

They’ve come a long way since the debut but more importantly, they’ve become their own highly impressive thing.

The Black Capes – Lullabies for the Dead Full Track Listing:

1. And I Wait
2. Sprinkle Your Sand, Morpheus
3. Rain
4. The Blood is the Life
5. From Beyond the Grave
6. A Dream of the Tower
7. The Gun of Love
8. Welcome to the Necroclub
9. Gotham
10. War is Where You Make It

Links

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