Over the past several years, the Doom/Death Metal scene is somewhat put into ice. Of course there are some remarkable releases that tell us different, but still, tons of waste are out there. Her Enchantment are definitely one of the prosperous bands and worth mentioning.
Dutch band Her Enchantment was formed in 1994 by Elwin Molenaar and Richard Hurkens together with John Durant and Nick Pel. They recorded their first Demo, Reflections From The Otherside, under the name Crucified Corpse. Back then, their sound was influenced by Cannibal Corpse and My Dying Bride. In 1998 Crucified Corpse got signed by Dutch label Polar Bear Productions, but since then several changes took place in their lineup leading their sound slightly to a more melodic direction and altering their name to Her Enchantment. Under this new name the album Sagas was recorded, which was well received by the Dutch and Belgian Press.
After establishing their name in the Metal scene through a lot of international shows, they recorded a three-track single, Lacrimae Mundi. This three-track single led them to the greatest achievement in their career so far. Her Enchantment signed a worldwide record deal with the Greek Burning Star Records. In 2004 the scheme took concrete shape with Lucy Straates, a female singer with no previous band experience but with a lot of potential. Now, Darkest is out on the streets; a fine work of mature Doom/Death Metal sounds.
Darkest conjures a mixture of classic Heavy Metal riffs through a more gloomy and Death-like manner. That concludes in great musical themes that easily swirl in one's mind. Her Enchantment's music combines quick rhythms, heavy guitars and segments of epic tunes and beautiful melodies. Lucy's vocals are plain and earthly, not tedious, and clarify the lyric's content. Richard on the other hand is one of the best brutal vocalists I've heard in the past year. Playing with his voice and altering it seems so easy to him. The production took place at the infamous Sierra Studios in Athens, Greece, and came out really good and solid.
Of course there's always room for improvement, I hope to hear from them soon with another release and through even more ambitious actions. Until then, songs like Darkest, Clock Of Despair and Castle Of Indolence will keep me company.