:: Tristania - Illumination

Tristania

Within the gothic metal realm, Norwegian act Tristania has always been held in high esteem for taking a different approach to some other acts with operatic female lead vocalists. Although their first three albums all earned critical acclaim, it was with 2005’s ‘Ashes’ that the band started to step away from their tried and true formula and started experimenting more, and although accepted favourably by most, it did have some people questioning Tristania’s future direction. Adding to fans concerned was the departure of aggressive vocalist Kjetil Ingebrethsen in April 2006, which meant that Tristania was now left with only Vibeke Stene (who only recently announced her own departure from the band) and Østen Bergøy to front the band on the vocal department. It’s been a long two-year wait, but finally Tristania is ready to unveil the next developmental stage of its evolution, and it’s sure to upset some in the same way it did with ‘Ashes’, and not just because there’s only two vocalists either. ‘Mercyside’ is a powerful returning statement, and a song that easily stands out as the heaviest on ‘Illumination’. The contrast between the heavier passages and the quieter moments are nicely linked together, much in the same way that Stene’s operatic vocals and Bergøy’s lower end/lightened death growls work well pitted against each other, and it ties in nicely with what most would expect from a band of Tristania’s calibre. The mid-paced single ‘Sanguine Sky’ is quite an accessible number that has Vibeke dominating the lead role, with support coming from the use of strings and Bergøy’s dual vocal presence, while the pair’s duet on the acoustic/metallic ‘Open Ground’ is done to perfection. ‘The Ravens’ further exploits the talents of the dual vocalists at their best within a decidedly doom-like atmosphere, while the heavier rock sounding ‘Down’ and ‘Lotus’ allow the pair to show off the extremities of their skills on opposite ends of the spectrum. Surprisingly enough, both vocalists are allowed to show off their talents in solo form, with Vibeke in amazing form on the beautiful ‘Destination Departure’ and ‘Deadlands’, and Bergøy on the sparse and rhythmic ‘Fate’, but it isn’t long before the pair team up again for the heavy/choir enhanced ‘Sacrilege’. ‘Illumination’ might not be as over the top and bombastic as their former releases, but it’s certainly a mature sounding album, and it’s a sound that definitely sits well with Tristania’s unique brand of gothic rock/metal.