Once upon the time ... four years ago AETERNITAS released their debut album Requiem and it seemed the band has called it quits afterwards. At that time I was really taken in that record since it ties independent and brutal metal with classic elements. Furthermore this band seemed to be quite down-to-earth.
Now AETERNITAS is back and many things must have changed within the camp, because you cannot detect any parallels between the new album La Danse Macabre and the old one. It already starts with the band pictures which remind me displeasingly on “bands” like Umbra Et Imago and Atrocity, where mediocre (or worse) work is clad in expensive attire. But well, what counts in the end is the music …
In this respect much has changed as well: former Death Metal elements got thrown overboard as well as most of Latin singing, while they now avail themselves of German language. The keyboard parts got boosted and the songwriting was rearranged. Instead of opulent overflowing Gothic/Metal compositions AETERNITAS try to convince with songs designed for mass compatibility, now and then with introductory opera-like arrangements. What is striking are the very simplistic guitars on one hand, and the complex singing with many choirs and picturesquely adorned piano and keyboard melodies on the other hand. The singing itself is mostly clear and deep (male singing) and diva-like in an aria style (female singing), but very often sounds unbelievably contrived, especially the male singing.
Well, that might be, of course, due to the entire concept of La Danse Macabre, which deals with the danse macabre in the Middle Age, at least lyrically. Music wise I cannot find any equivalence. Tracks like Jurist (Lawyer), Krüppel (Cripple) and König (King) already appear kind of Pop-like. But there are also very well done and diversified songs such as Pabst (Pope), Der zweite Prediger (The Second Preacher) and Mutter & Kind (Mother & Child).
Personally I feel kind of strained when listening to La Danse Macabre for long, which is mainly due to the singing and partly to the candy sweet keyboards as well. Without any doubt it is an ambitious work, but somehow it fails to get me hooked. According to the info sheet AETERNITAS is planning to use theatrical means for the visual realisation live on stage. That again could be quite interesting. Anyway, for the acoustic impression I give only 6,5 points.