Mystic Circle: Drachenblut

Drachenblut, the second opus offering from the German harbingers of darkness, Mystic Circle, unleashed upon the world in the year of our dark lord 1998.

I find myself torn between the shadows of appreciation and the pit of disdain. Like a vampiric entity caught between the realms of life and death, I struggle to discern whether this album is a masterpiece of malevolence or merely a hollow echo in the caverns of black metal.

The crux of the matter, dear reader, lies in Mystic Circle’s propensity to shift their musical direction with the changing winds of fashion. From their earliest singles and demos to their debut album, and now to this latest offering, one can trace their gradual metamorphosis from death metal to… well, something altogether different. While one might applaud their ceaseless evolution, it seems they’ve yet to discover their true voice in this cacophonous realm.

Not so long ago, in the annals of black metal history, Mystic Circle appeared poised to challenge the supremacy of Cradle of Filth. Alas, they now find themselves adrift in the vast sea of mediocrity. Drachenblut – ‘Dragon Blood’ in the Queen’s English – hails from an era when they boasted five members, rather than the paltry three of today. ‘Twas this very album that first brought them notoriety.

The year 1998 saw the rise of symphonic black metal, with Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir reigning supreme over their devoted disciples. Mystic Circle, it seems, chose to follow in their wake like a flock of ravens trailing a funeral procession.

But I ask you, dear reader, does this work truly capture the essence of gothic grandeur? Is it a symphony of darkness or merely a discordant howl in the night? The melodies, grandiose as they may be, cloak themselves in the guise of melodic black metal, with keyboards rising above the other instruments like spectres from a fog-shrouded graveyard.

Drachenblut

The guitar riffs, though fierce as rabid wolves, find themselves overshadowed by the dominance of the ivories. Vocals rasp and growl like tortured souls in the depths of Hades. The production, dramatic as it is, emphasises an atmosphere of darkness and dread rather than brutal savagery. Yet, this very choice may disappoint those black metal purists who thirst for speed and raw, unadulterated aggression.

“Shadows Over Worms” offers glimpses of brilliance, like moonlight piercing through a clouded sky, but other tracks fade into the background like forgotten tombstones in an overgrown cemetery.

Their attempts to blend with the Scandinavian black metal scene, despite their Teutonic origins, feel like a masquerade ball where everyone dons the same mask. The narrative, though clear in its intent, treads the well-worn path of conquering knights in an age of sorcery – a tale as old as the crumbling stones of medieval castles.

As the final notes fade into the eternal night, I’m left with the sense that Mystic Circle has veered towards the commercial, crafting a melodic black metal that echoes many renowned bands without truly claiming its own identity. It’s not an abomination, but neither is it a revelation.

[Addendum from the depths of time, 2nd September 2005]

One must ponder: does this band rely too heavily on the siren call of keyboards? While I don’t believe metal should be shackled solely to the guitar, Mystic Circle’s emphasis on keyboards borders on obsession, transforming them into more of a keyboard ensemble than a metal band. Their devotion to symphonic black metal is understandable, yet it leaves other instruments languishing in mediocrity, with drum patterns as repetitive as a death knell. This imbalance drags the album down like a corpse weighted with stones, diminishing what could have been a thing of dark beauty.

Mystic Circle Website: https://mysticcircle-official.com

Mystic Circle: Drachenblut