Description
One rarely comes across such fine, genuine gems of musical brilliance and overall quality that leaves one completely speechless. Charon is one such diamond among the virtual swamp of mediocre song writing and the calculated nature of many bands we see today. Their sound is born of pure emotion, the heartfelt sincerity evident in each and every word and note. This is exactly the fact that sees Charon rising above their contenders. The Gothic metal melancholia displayed on “”Downhearted”” is the kind that does not fall into it’s own trap (over-the-top drama or just being plain sappy) like many others but fittingly displays the band’s abilities as songwriters as well as performers. Charon also knows their way around the heavier regions of metal. Make no mistake, you’re not dealing with another poppy “”metal”” band here! Fronted by the charismatic J-P Leppluoto, Charon has a stage presence many bands could only dream of. The band is definitely one of the leading live-acts in Finland. Brightest hope of the melodic heavy metal scene. And we’re talking global here. It’s irritating when some albums have 3-5 good songs while the rest of them sound more like “”fillers”” instead of proper ones. Charon are none of the like, they have managed to make great tracks worth all your money. It’s difficult to compare them to anyone, their pace and magnificent compositions are just beyond compare
1. Bitter Joy 03:53
2. At the End of Our Day 03:19
3. Craving 04:27
4. Little Angel 03:32
Charon – Little Angel official video clip:
5. Fall 03:44
6. Erase Me 03:30
7. Desire You 03:22
8. Come Tonight 03:10
9. All I Care is Dying 04:36
10. Sister Misery 03:43
11. Sorrowsong 05:10
Total playing time 42:26
Charon
When Charon was founded in 1992 as a death metal band, who would have predicted that they would become famous for songs like “Little Angel”? Charon was another group whose style morphed into vaguely gothic metal/rock. After Charon completed two demos and two promos, singer Juha-Pekka “JP” Leppäluoto took over on vocals from bassist Teemu Hautamäki. JP Leppäluoto remained present from Charon‘s unusual debut album, Sorrowburn (1998), until the very end. This “Northern King” may just be Finland’s greatest voice. Of course, Finland has many incredible singers, but JP‘s low and beautiful vocals are simply eargasmic. Charon‘s work feels like an “endless parade of lust.” There’s a great retro factor to this band. People have likened Charon to HIM. Although this comparison is not really valid, it is a shame that Charon never really tapped the international market like their Valo-fronted comrades.
Teemu Hautamäki | Bass |
Antti Karihtala | Drums, Percussion, Songwriting (track 2) |
J-P Leppäluoto | Vocals, Guitars (acoustic) (track 11), Songwriting (track 11), Lyrics |
Jasse von Hast | Guitars, Ebow (tracks 2, 7), Songwriting (tracks 3-7) |
Pasi Sipilä | Guitars, Keyboards, Loops, Programming, Songwriting (tracks 1, 2, 7-10) |
Guests:
Mikko Karmila | Keyboards (additional) |
Jenny Heinonen | Vocals (female) |
Jari Sipilä | Double bass (tracks 1, 5, 11) |
Sari Silvola | Piano (tracks 1, 5, 11) |
Juha Matinheikki | Tambourine (track 10) |
Mika Pohjola | Keyboards, Loops, Programming |
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