In Ruin - Hope And Pain скачать видео бесплатно

Artist: In Ruin

Title: A Ghost to be Forgotten

Label: Heidenvolk

Genre: Neo-folk

01 Frustration

02 Let Us Kiss And Part

03 Always Faithful

04 Fragmented Hearts

05 Cold Comfort

06 I Still Wonder

07 Hope And Pain

08 Refuge Of Lies

09 Untitled

10 A Ghost To Be Forgotten

11 Followe Thy Faire Sunne Unhappy Shaddowe

In Ruin is one of those names you hear bandied about in neo-folk circles, but until this new album landed in my in-tray, the only thing I'd heard from them was 'Refuge Of Lies', their contribution to the download compilation Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense produced by Italian webzine www.neo-folk.it. Their only previous release was 2004's Seeds Of The Past, a 160-copy limited edition CD-R on the Polish label Bunkier Productions. Fans of In Ruin have had to wait four years for this follow-up, but they'll find that it has been worth the wait, and this album should win them many new admirers too.

The band is no longer the solo project of singer, guitarist and keyboard player Terry Collia -- he's been joined by Alex Hathaway, who plays guitar, bass, flute and piano, and also does programming. And for A Ghost To Be Forgotten, the duo have assembled a formidable array of guest musicians, most notably Kim Larsen (Of the Wand And The Moon) and Henryk Vogel from the German neo-folk outfit Darkwood. Henryk Vogel also operates the Heidenvolk label on which A Ghost To Be Forgotten has been released, and this is in fact the first release on Heidenvolk which is not related to Darkwood. Other guest musicians include Isaac Aubrey of The Arid Sea, JRole & NNY of Spanish band Catonium, percussionist Timothy Bunch and a string section consisting of Nadja on cello and Valentin on violin.

As will be evident from this list, A Ghost To Be Forgotten has a much richer and more varied sound than In Ruin's debut. Songs like 'Let Us Kiss And Part' and 'Always Faithful' are orthodox neo-folk, very much following the pattern established by classic Death In June, right down to the silvery cascades of bar chimes, and also sounding reminiscent of early Ostara or Of the Wand And The Moon. The final track on the album, indeed, is a cover version of Of the Wand And The Moon's song 'Followe Thy Faire Sunne Unhappy Shaddowe', from the album Lucifer, recorded with the collaboration of Kim Larsen. There's also a hidden track, which is an alternative version of 'Let Us Kiss And Part'.

All these tracks are very pleasant, especially the swooningly romantic 'Let Us Kiss And Part', without being especially innovative. However, elsewhere on the album, In Ruin show a greater willingness to stray from the path. 'Hope And Pain' features a plangent yet redemptive Hammond organ sound, 'Fragmented Hearts' combines spoken vocals from Henryk Vogel with spectral ambient atmospherics and thick, flanged guitar, while 'Cold Comfort' combines a distinctly funky, Red Hot Chili Peppers-like beat with soaring, psychedelic tremolo guitar leads. Neo-funk? It's the next big thing, I'm telling ya! The title track has thick layers of flanged guitar like 'Fragmented Hearts' with woozy vocals buried deep in the mix, while the untitled track which precedes it is largely drone-based ambient. 'Refuge OF Lies' is also included here, and it has a busy, poppy snare-drum beat and tremolo guitar like 'Ciold Comfort'. With A Ghost To Be Forgotten, In Ruin stake a convincing claim to be numbered among the leading rank of American neo-folk bands, alongside the likes of Harvest Rain and As All Die, and I can see this album going down well in Germany too, especially with fans of Seelenthron, or Eis & Licht bands like Lux Interna or Leger Des Heils.