Liste der Bands Atmospheric Black Shambless Menra Eneidalen

The music scene of the last few decades got thoroughly enriched. Many barriers fell and new horizons were discovered, but with this we witnessed the sad retirement of bands which created art in the full meaning of the word; bands that enjoyed the risks of their profession and yet served as a reminder that music is not just a daily entertainment. There is, however, a living proof of the latter in the face of Shambless, even for a country with an inexperienced newly-born scene as the Bulgarian one. After 10 years, Pavel Rekarski’s workaholic persistence got rewarded: “Menra Eneidalen” (“Beauty and tenderness”) finally got released and with it a whole new universe of divine beauty saw the light of day. The kind of beauty that has to be felt with passion.

Stilistically, the album is not so different from the past two releases but this is not a problem as the style of Shambless is rather unique and diverse. The charismatic feeling from the album’s cover can also be felt in the music and the lyrics are written in an ancient and sacred Elvish language which makes them quite hard to get into. But the key-element that makes “Menra Eneidalen” unique is the impact it has on the listener: one can easily sit and enjoy as many picturesque stories take shape and come to live. The album is recorded in studio “Come to Sin” and the production is fairly good for Bulgarian standards.

The opener “Ishin Esha Is Ruptar” dazzles the senses with epic choirs that get quickly submitted to Arvel’s typical extreme vocal style, telling stories of long-forgotten times and Elvish wars. Both keyboards and riffs merge in unison of beautiful, opiate melodies while the experimental and guitar-free“Elfin Rumes” paints majestic pictures of a mountain crossing. Then entire composition is full of hypnotic sounds, flutes, chants and multi-layered instrumental diversity. There’s even an interesting interpretation of a national Bulgarian song on “Ara” which got an entirely new sound through Arvel’s artistic prism but still preserved its original lyrics and folklore spirit. “Erfe Nelekshi” is a return to the direction given by the first song on the album - the extreme vocals, the extensive structure and the epic guitar-keyboard duets are back and even the elves themselves would be proud of such a a reflection of their purity and beauty... “Eora” is an instrumental track with an atmospheric approach that describes the eternal winter slumber of the Elvish lands. Yet it is a short calm break before the storm that bursts out under the sound of “Unno Goarin Faratoss” where somber melodies alternate with evil black metal moments filled with blast-beats and grim vocals. The final curtain call is “Comendalia Inebardes Terbavemora”, the perfect closing chapter of this epic story. With duration of over 17 minutes it is also the longest Shambless song to date. Emotions, mood and seasons change in the final theme so even the total guitar lack is tolerable, something that’s not so conventional or typical of such a long track.

All in all, “Menra Eneidalen” is an album that has to be heard carefully and felt with the heart. One thing is for certain - neither the elves nor the magic in the listeners’ hearts will die until Arvel stops to work his magic.