Customer Reviews

Spell (Dig)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The last album by this San Diego band saw them taking a few detours from their trademark velvet-tapestried funereal march. The aptly titled Amor Del Tropico toyed with cocktail 'n' bossanova themes to good effect, but on The Spell they've found their way back into the shadowy folds. And I welcome them back with open arms 'cause while I certainly enjoyed Amor, it's been far too long without a full dose of the somber beauty that Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel do best. Once you've been bitten by that intoxicating old BHP (if you haven't already!) you'll know what I mean. Their bleakly despairing yet utterly beautiful second album, released in 1999 and simply titled 2, still succeeds in captivating virtually everyone within earshot. From the opening track "The Spell" offers a more straightforward rock feel with more prominent muscular electric guitars and hence a bit more momentum, but still maintains their trademark sense of utter desolation. Thumbs up on this downer!

The Black Heart Procession have done it again with their fifth full length album release. This album is much like Amore Del Tropico in sound and style but seems to have a slightly slower pace to it. It is hard for me to say which i prefere of these two albums for they are quite different. I would probably say that The Spell is a more mature release and that it has a much larger variety of song types. I also prefere "The Waiter #5" from The Spell to "The Waiter #4" on Amore Del Tropico. All in all i believe that they kept their new style fairly to the "T" so if you liked Amore Del Tropico then you will have no problem getting into this one. I do enjoy these last two albums, but i must say that i prefere their old minimal sound. I do think they have matured as a band, and that their lyrics continue to mature as well. So if you like the band, then you probably dont need me to tell you to pick this up, because you probably already know what to expect from this great band.

"The Spell (#5)" comes pretty close to "#2" CD, which I think is their best CD. As the title this CD puts you under a "Spell" as the haunting sounds of instruments and vocals do not out do the other. As they continue w/ The Waiter series this one is "The Waiter #5" brings their Edgar Allan Poe lyrics "...you won't be coming back and this is my home. This is my grave"