They are Germany's most successful gothic metal band by far. For quite some time now Crematory has produced a hybrid brand of gothic metal that shocks me as not having made these guys a household name. Who else does this brand of growling with such a dramatic flair and sense of melody? There is no one that I can think of. Sure some come close but for my money Crematory is at the top of the heap. With the album Pray they have even taken it a bit further and have come up with a combination that is a dynamic tour de force! Hypnotic growling vocals by Felix Stass are offset by the soaring clean vocals of Matthias Hechler. This combination is enough to give you Goosebumps but it is not the only thing that sets this disc apart.
Musically this is one of the lushest and most atmospheric pieces you'll ever come across. Rich orchestration and eerie keyboards encircle the blazing guitar work throughout. This is one of the most enthralling works of its kind. With such a great piece of work it is hard to pick out real favorites but I love the bewitching "Left The Ground" and the title song "Pray". The first may very well be the best song that they have ever done while the title track is one that grabs you hard and doesn't let go either. But that is how I feel today. Tomorrow it might be the churning guitars and eerie keyboards of the mesmerizing "Sleeping Solution" or the bombastic energy of "Burning Bridges" that does the trick. Then there is the melodic quality of the closer "Say Goodbye" This is quickly becoming a much harder choice to make! Why not just save yourself the trouble and own them all!
I became enamored with this group late in their career. The following that they have in the States is nothing compared to Europe. I think that might change with this release. It has all that one would want. There are even some crossover possibilities such as the song "Left The Ground" which has one terrific chorus that you will be growling along with!!
If for no reason other than curiosity, check out this band. Give them a fair chance. I'd bet you'll come away wondering why you didn't have their entire works in your collection already. If you do own them, then let me just say that the album Pray is by far, their best work yet!
Track listing:
1. When Darkness Falls
2. Left The Ground
3. Alone
4. Pray
5. Sleeping Solution
6. Just Words
7. Burning Bridges
8. Have You Ever
9. Remember
10. Say Goodbye
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