I noticed that a lot of new Metal bands pop up these years, and quite a few of them originate from a small country in Western Europe, the Netherlands. Black metal isn’t exactly what people see as a musically interesting style or something to listen to for pure entertainment. Then, I discovered Carach Angren’s Lammendam.

Yeah, baby. A hint of pride shines through when I speak of Carach Angren, because they hail from the region where I live. About right next door, so to speak. Nonetheless, I have no ties whatsoever with this band, so fear not for a prejudiced review. But seeing my choice of words, you might be able to guess what’s to come.

The lyrics are all about myths and legends, something of which there is no lack in the south of the Netherlands. The music starts with an eerie intro that definitely puts you in the mood for a horror story and it’s definitely no cheesy stuff what these guys are playing. I’m talking first-class quality here, but even still their melodies are realistic and believable without going bombastic. The keyboards play a major role in Carach Angren’s music, something that is hard to avoid when screaming about myths and legends that were used to scare children with in the old days. The guitars have a well-polished sound and the riffs aren’t as simple as you’d expect; there’s lots of diversity available on this album, not to mention some really impressive musicianship.

I could name Dimmu Borgir as an influence to their music, but the last thing I want people to think is that they are a clone, which is not at all the case. Even though they share the symphonic sound, they have developed an own style with maybe not as much catchy melodies, but they're not afraid to experiment with orchestra and guitars in ways we don’t hear too often in the middle of a song. Contrary to Dimmu, there are no clean vocals featured on Lammendam. Which is a good thing, because in my experience, these don’t always come off well when performed live.

I was downright impressed when I heard the final riff of the record fade away. It’s not something totally new, but it’s good enough to make it stand out from other bands in the same genre. Then again, one could argue that it all sounds a bit too clean and polished, which might take the grimness away. However, if you don’t care about that and you just want to hear some quality symphonic black metal, this is the album for you. I heartily recommend it.