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  • Tartaros - The Grand Psychotic Castle

    Tartaros - The Grand Psychotic Castle
    1996 Necropolis Records

    review

Tartaros - The Grand Psychotic Castle

1996 Necropolis Records :: Reviewed by rofreason on 2005-09-04

Psychotic is certainly right, this album being the sounds from your worst nightmares (or Tim Burton's daydreams). Now famous for his ivory work with a touring Emperor, Charmand Grimloch released this platter a couple of years ago, and the folks at Necropolis are kind enough to have re-released it as a teaser for the pianist's next opus. Based mainly on keyboard work (of course!), TGPC also has some standard black metal guitar and vocals, made interesting by the swirling soundscapes present. The album is a tough listen, but totally cool, really giving one the feeling of being let in on something truly secretive, and fairly evil. I mean, the closing track reminds me of something akin to Clive Barker. Try this as an anaology: most black metal is to Tartaros as Stephen King is to Clive Barker. Stephen King writes some good, creepy stuff, but you know in the end that it's fiction. Barker, on the other hand, writes excellent, creepy stuff, but sometimes I wonder if he knows something we don't... Lovecraft was like that as well. I know I'm off the subject a bit, but this disc is just really eerie, I guess. this means that it may not spin as much as others, but I'm still really impressed with it. Better than average production courtesy of Greighallen adds that special flavor, culimanating in a superior prelude to the next Tartaros release.