Departure Chandelier
Satan Soldier of Fortune
Occult Antiquities / Nuclear War Now! Productions
Released: 1/12/24
–
1 – Intro (Napoleonic Battlefield Cleanup)
2 – By Way of Torchlight from Parliament to Catacombs
3 – Hard as a Coffin Nail
4 – Accipitridae
5 – Interlude (Graverobbers Profit Off the Fallen of Both Sides)
6 – Hail Dark Forces
7 – Satan Soldier of Fortune
8 – Outro (Dragged Via Musket Straps and Set Upon Bivouac Fires)
–
Departure Chandelier have been active since 2011, having released two demos, one split, and now two full-lengths since their inception. The line-up has stably consisted of the trio of Fanalis, Crucifixus, and Vinculum throughout all their releases, which each member playing in multiple other bands and projects. Fanalis is the mastermind behind Prurient and plays in Ash Pool and Roman Cross, as well as runs Hospital Productions. Crucifixus plays in Akitsa and is also the owner of Tour de Garde. Vinculum plays in Ash Pool and is associated with numerous ambient, noise, and electronic projects. So, it’s a full line-up of well-experienced musicians who come from pronounced backgrounds.
Taking the perceived fixation on political figures such as Vlad III, or NSBM’s fixation on one particular Austrian painter, there have been many political figures that have themed albums or entire bands. Departure Chandelier have themed Napoleon across a great deal of their works, making an interesting listen on the sheer uniqueness of the figure’s presentation.
Departure Chandelier play a style of black metal that is ancient sounding, not quite ‘raw’ in production, but also not overly produced. There are keyboards present but, outside of the instrumental tracks, their presence is evenly tempered and never anything but complimentary. The guitars and drums are both fairly neutral in the mix, with a flat thudding bass drum and a rather quiet snare, and a simple natural sounding guitar tone riding over top of them.
Opening with ‘Intro (Napoleonic Battlefield Cleanup,’ which is a rather minimalistic motif of synth and choir swells, feels rather like stepping back in time to where battlefield misery was a much more stark thing, such as the Napoleonic Wars where participating nations saw casualties into the hundreds of thousands, easily. Bodies piled atop bodies, while the dead are pilfered in silence by battlefield scavengers.
‘By Way of Torchlight from Parliament to Catacombs’ is the first proper track of Satan Soldier of Fortune, opening with a droning atonal riff and complimentary keyboards consisting of a basic choir swells. The drums quicken in rhythm and the vocals enter, some of the riffs transition into simple two-chord progressions to drive the narrative. The vocals are a more animalistic grunt as opposed to atonal shrieking, being a more mid-range delivery, nothing guttural, but positively neutral in temperament.
The next track, ‘Hard as a Coffin Nail,’ opens on a mid-tempo riff comprised of a basic sequence of fifth chords. The vocals enter over top a marching rhythm, the song enters a quickened almost punk-like pace during the chorus. Reverting back to the stomping mid-tempo riff during the verses, the song exercises a rather typical structuring.
‘Accipitridae’ is a sweeping piece reminiscent of the early 1990’s, replete with epic synth work. More combinations of fifth chords for riff construction, this song sees a faster tempo and pace overall throughout the entirety of the track, with blast beats and fast double-bass segments. A song that genuinely sums up the Departure Chandelier sound.
‘Interlude (Graverobbers Profit Off the Fallen of Both Sides),’ is a very brief synth motif about a minute long that feeds into ‘Hail Dark Forces’ to begin the second half of Satan Soldier of Fortune. Beginning on a slower pace, utilizing another basic riff structure of simple two and three fifth chords progressions, wailing synth and low tom downbeats manifest a menacing atmosphere alongside the desperate crooning vocals. About two thirds of the way through, the song quickens in pace briefly before an arpeggio sequence takes over and slows things down again.
The title track is the final proper song of the album. Out of the eight tracks on Satan Soldier of Fortune, only five of them are proper tracks, the other three consisting of basic synth intro, interlude, and outro. ‘Satan Soldier of Fortune,’ begins on a stomping rhythm, a slower introductory segment before entering a single-note melodic phrase. This single-note melody takes over as the central driver of the track as the vocals enter. Down-picked fifth chords brace the bridges between verses.
‘Outro (Dragged Via Musket Straps and Set Upon Bivouac Fires’ is the final synth motif and the closing of Satan Soldier of Fortune.
Departure Chandelier remain true to their sound on their second proper full-length. With the trio producing another worthy slab of synth-laden black metal, their myriad of experiences come together and influences shine through on Satan Soldier of Fortune.
Label: Occult Antiquities
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions
Band: Departure Chandelier
AJK
apanthropy 
Leave a comment