Thorns of the Carrion - The Scarlet Tapestry (1997)

   Thorns of the Carrion debuted as a rough death/doom band, but from their second album they covered themselves into the fog of lovesickness and melancholic melodies.
   The change into this gothic influenced style was like to slip into the more popular alternative of death/doom, that took  the main role in the European metal scene already. And slipping out from the borders of the strictly beauty-less previous style the same time. The basics of "The Gardens of Dead Winter" were kept, but by the new features they sounded like a different band. Strong atmosphere creates the gloomy mist that softens the heavy, noisy death/doom features at one hand, but they opening new depths for melancholy the same time. Keyboards and occasionally short flute themes assisting to complete the circle of aesthetic suffering. On the side of the ordinary deep growling, clear singing and fading whisperings taking their parts too in convince the listener to find a suitable dark corner to live for self-tormenting ambitions. The combination of this singing style and the musical backbround reminds to old Cathedral. "The Scarlet Tapestry" includes very effective and catchy songs that are same motivating for self-pity and to drop tears silently in the chosen dark corner, like the biggest gothic doom bands of the late '90s.