Having heard about this strange band without ever listening a full release yet, this was my first opportunity to see for myself what those guys were all about. Being signed to Code666, I could expect something out of the ordinary, and yes they are. Formed in 2005 in London (England), the inspiration from their history and bands like Cradle of Filth is quite obvious. They have the darkened / rainy vibe of their home town and the theatrical side of the latter, minus their over-polished production or the screechy Mr. Filth behind the mic, thankfully. On the other hand, The Blood of the Realm was given a low-fi production which reduces the pleasure such a musical style can generate, alas. Not only is the volume quite low, but the sound also gets muddy sometimes. The best moments are those instrumentals where plenty of keyboards, sound effects and percussions are involved, such as in the opening title track and the three part "A Shadow Over London". The guitar work is way too shy for a metal album and some of its harmonies are just lost in the mix. Nonetheless, this release remains melodious, adventurous and intriguing for a listener with an open mind and an increased volume. Many vocal styles are making for a theatrical album. Those include: narrative, whispers, rasps, operatic, male and female choirs and so on. To back this Victorian style, you'll hear some good orchestral keyboard arrangements.
I could only have wished for a better sound production that would have more fairly helped the creative work of those Brits.
Track listing:
1- The Blood of the Realm (intro)
2- The Devil is an Englishman
3- Tears of Angels & Dreams of Demons
4- Horse of the Invisible
5- Winter Kings, Wicker Men & Her Infernal Majesty Brigantia
6- Domination of Will
7- A Shadow Over London Pt 1
8- Yours truly, From Hell
9- …And BY The Moonlight
10- A Shadow Over London Pt2
11- I Am Whitechapel
12- A Shadow Over London Pt3
13- …Of Golden Dawns
14- Dark Designs
15- Infinite Man (outro)
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