Vic Records
2008
1. Carnage Carnival
2. The Bitter End
3. Nameless
4. The Beast Within
5. Beggars Anthem
6. A Dark Embrace
7. Dominion
8. Endless Fear
9. Another Night
10. The Downfall
It's been a long 8 years since the last release from Memory Garden and the band had almost slipped from memory. Pretty long break for a band who only had 2 albums to their name in the first place. I did like those two albums though and they are among my personal collection.
Carnage Carnival picks the band back up on a high note from track one as the catchyness of the title track is undeniable and it strikes a perfect balance between gloom and upbeat heaviness. The whole carnival/circus thing has been done and done to death, but that doesn't stop this song from being dark and heavy awesomeness. In general I just really like this band's approach to doom as it never gets plodding to the point of boredom, which is sometimes a problem for me with doom. This however has more of a traditional approach while painting the atmosphere of gloom and has a sort of over the top dramatic feel that recalls Candlemass. At times there is a slightly samey song approach that keeps this album from going to that next level and none of the songs quite match the opener, but none the less this a pretty enjoyable experience.
This may not be quite the blow you out of the water experience a fan demands after an 8 year absence, but it is the band doing what they do well. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a little power and traditional injected into their doom as with Candlemass and crossover bands like Morgana Lefay.
Highlights: Carnage Carnival, The Downfall, Nameless
Rating - 3.5/5
2. The Bitter End
3. Nameless
4. The Beast Within
5. Beggars Anthem
6. A Dark Embrace
7. Dominion
8. Endless Fear
9. Another Night
10. The Downfall
It's been a long 8 years since the last release from Memory Garden and the band had almost slipped from memory. Pretty long break for a band who only had 2 albums to their name in the first place. I did like those two albums though and they are among my personal collection.
Carnage Carnival picks the band back up on a high note from track one as the catchyness of the title track is undeniable and it strikes a perfect balance between gloom and upbeat heaviness. The whole carnival/circus thing has been done and done to death, but that doesn't stop this song from being dark and heavy awesomeness. In general I just really like this band's approach to doom as it never gets plodding to the point of boredom, which is sometimes a problem for me with doom. This however has more of a traditional approach while painting the atmosphere of gloom and has a sort of over the top dramatic feel that recalls Candlemass. At times there is a slightly samey song approach that keeps this album from going to that next level and none of the songs quite match the opener, but none the less this a pretty enjoyable experience.
This may not be quite the blow you out of the water experience a fan demands after an 8 year absence, but it is the band doing what they do well. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes a little power and traditional injected into their doom as with Candlemass and crossover bands like Morgana Lefay.
Highlights: Carnage Carnival, The Downfall, Nameless
Rating - 3.5/5
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