Gothminister- Empire of Dark Salvation

Think of Type O Negative on industrial strength steroids if you want to get a good mental picture of what Gothminister sounds like. All the elements are there – the grandiose church organs, medieval choral music, horror film samples, and that guttural vampire baritone – but instead of plodding along in campy atmospherics, this album hammers at you with the speed and precision of a pneumatic drill. From the spooky choirs of “The Calling” to the all-out assault of “Forgotten,” this is a fine collection of gothic metal anthems. While occasionally the lyrics go from dark to over-the-top and hokey, especially on the titular track “Dark Salvation,” this Norwegian act generally keeps things just under control enough to be heavy and ominous without ranging into the Satanic silliness of so many black metal bands. Besides, with tracks as catchy as “Monsters,” it doesn’t matter what the lyrics are saying anyway; you’ll sing along the chorus and raise your hand in the sign of the beast whether you want to or not! Although the vocal processing on “We Die In Dreams” hints at electronic and industrial influences, you won’t find any clinical EBM coldness here. This is an album for rocking out. Fans of Rammstein or even Laibach’s theatrical metal period will especially enjoy this one, and as a bonus, the new American release of this album on Dancing Ferret includes some live video footage from the Mera Luna festival.

Put on your corpse-paint and visit www.gothminister.com