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VOICES OF DESTINY
Crisis Cult

Massacre (2014)
Rating: 7/10

Crisis Cult is the third album by a band that can best be described as Southern German epic Goth metal.

Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not a big fan of a lot of contemporary metal – especially the sort that exudes so much modern melody to the point of a clinical coldness – and there are times within this experience that I’m left clutching my ears in pain as the whole fire and ice avalanche becomes too much to take.

Even so, I’m always willing to stay with records and try to fathom if they can win me over. First and foremost Voices Of Destiny is a female-fronted band, Ada Flechtner (ex-Coronatus) having joined the combo in 2013. Her tones put one at ease and seem to contradict the sounds which rage behind her because although this quintet is very much of modern design, it also offers up a degree of heaviness too; Klaus Ackermann (drums), and more so Chris Gutjahr (guitar) and Jens Hartwig (bass) can be held responsible for this weight.

The metallic nature of the band means that Voices Of Destiny combines a clanking, mystical power metal with high doses of progressive metal which for the most part are graced by the almost pop-edged melodies of Flechtner, meaning that the likes of ‘The Easy Prey’ become more than just direct slabs of grinding metal. Whether this is a good thing though, I’ve still yet to decide.

Although completely different by design, I recently heard a fabulous opus (Shallow Grave) by an Australian band named Temtris who, although more straightforward in their metal approach, offered by a dual vocal attack which worked – clean vocals battling it out with gruffer sneers – and that’s the aim of Voices Of Destiny. But do you know what? I much prefer these guys as a more forceful, aggressive combo and so each time Flechtner comes wafting on the snowy breeze I’m left gagging for the guttural growls of Lukas Palme, who incidentally is also responsible for the impressive atmospheric keys. That’s not to say that I don’t like Flechtner as a frontwoman; she’s clearly the smooth to add to the rough giving this mighty opus a subtle touch to weave between the jagged edges and snow-capped climes.

Flechtner replaces Maike Holzmann, who bestowed a more haunting, operatic magic upon the sound. In a sense, Flechtner lacks the ability to sprinkle her stardust over the symphonic, driving groove; instead, it’s more a case of Flechtner adding a stability and a consistency with her flatter tones. Where she does succeed as a greater force is on the chugging drive of ‘To The Slaughter’ and ballad ‘At The Edge’. Nevertheless, there’s still that lack of tenacity within the pipes, but that doesn’t mean that Crisis Cult fails. In fact, after several listens I can appreciate this composition as a well thought out chunk of Gothic rock that offers enough weight throughout and also flashes of dramatic speed. To get my point across though, check out ‘Stormcrow’; good for the most part, it nonetheless lacks the overall bite needed to take it to the next level. That’s something which may hinder Voices Of Destiny, and prevent them from becoming a tour de force within the metal realm.

Neil Arnold

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