Marchenbilder came to be in 2009 when James Slainmann (Composition,Orchestration,Guitars and Keyboard) and mezzo-soprano Julie Belanger Roy (Vocals,Violin,Viola,Recorder and Lyrics) started this group. The third member of Marchenbilder is drummer Yanic Bercier who provides a powerful and nimble performance on their release Flickering Truth, the fluid style required for such songs ensures that his limbs are kept very busy.
Marchenbilder's style is described as "a Symphonic Metal ensemble, a modern blend between heavy metal and orchestral music inspired by the German composers of the 19th century and their great creations". Besides that influence from the likes of Wagner, Beethoven etc. others inspiration comes from movie soundtrack composers including Hans Zimmerand and John Williams, then there are the metal acts with Dimmu Borgir and Nightwish amongst others.
There is more to Flickering Truth than your usual symphonic metal album, as this group have taken symphonic metal with female operatic vocals and merged a sizable serving of intricate musicianship adeptly performed by these talented musicians. There are times when the music of Marchenbilder made me think of the excellent neo-classical/progressive group Winds. Marchenbilder's music has a power sound as they integrate metal with orchestration and Julie's persuasive vocals and the way they duplicate each others performance helps to make songs like "Marchenbilder" so engaging. Julie's vocal variation works a treat on "Tel'aran'rhiod" and suits this song so well.
Marchenbilder is German for Images of Fairy Tales and the lyrics for this album were influenced by the fairy tales of old the kind that don't have a happy ending.
Some symphonic metal fans may find Flickering Truth a challenging album to latch onto, particularly if they favor a more straightforward approach than this complex fusion that Marchenbilder present us with on Flickering Truth. But if you are up for it then Flickering Truth offers an opportunity to experience an intriguing debut release, one by a band that have taken that strong classical influence and created a clever contemporary classically inspired metal album of their own.
Track listing
1. Prelude
2. Marchenbilder
3. Tel'aran'rhiod
4. Awaken
5. Two Paths
6. Contemplation
7. All Roses Shall Fade
8. Premonition
9. Follow The Trail Of Fear
10. Elegy
11. A Step Back In Time
12. Two Paths (Orchestral Version)
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