Review by Jack on July 1, 2003.

Straight off, I would like to mention that I wasn’t a huge fan of “Sombre Romantic.” it was a good album in many respects but I thought it was a too theatrical at the best of times, suffocating the music’s ability to breathe and open up. While some people dug the combination of slow orchestra and shambling avant-garde material with the whole goth thing happening, I found that Virgin Black tried to float into uncharted waters with only a dingy to battle the seven seas.

For those of you familiar with “Sombre Romantic,” “Elegant…and Dying” is more a continuation of ‘Walk without Limbs’ in terms of its intensity and metal-ness. It is still full of the theatrics and symphonic elements that made “Sombre Romantic” what it is, but they aren’t anywhere near as boisterous, proving more of a second fiddle to the metal this time around, rather than vice-versa.

Rowan London has really let loose on “Elegant…and Dying” improving his vocals from “Sombre Romantic” ten fold and providing each track with far more substance and variety. He does it all: haunting and fragile whispers, dark crooning from the shadows, energetic rasps and the trademark Gregorian choirs.

One of the most significant improvements I have cited with “Elegant…and Dying” is the apparent simplicity of each song and its ability to stir up torrid amounts of emotion and atmosphere. Be it from the sprawling grandiose piece in ‘The Everlasting’ (aptly titled, as it runs around at 20 minutes) or the heartfelt and solemn closer ‘Our Wings are Burning.’

Overall, “Elegant…and Dying” is a far more successful venture into the world of depression and angst, which should appeal to a bigger audience due to its sparse, vivid landscapes and captivating sentiments.

Bottom Line: Mark “Elegant…and Dying” down for one of the most moving and heartfelt pieces of art this year. Virgin Black has delivered a sterling follow up to “Sombre Romantic.”

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 8
Originality: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Carl on September 28, 2023.

A bit of an iconic one, this here. It was the first appearance on vinyl for Uncanny, and that cover design for the Ancient Rites side would grace shirts and patches for years to come here in Belgium and beyond. Feeling nostalgic yet? Good! Let's start this trip to the early 90's, I say.

Uncanny opens proceedings on the A side with a brutal dose of death metal goodness. Combining the sound of Carnage, Dismember, Merciless, and the early works of Grave and Unleashed with primordial grindcore elements in the style of Repulsion and Carcass, they make their intentions clear right from the start. A gruff growl is accompanied by a low rumbling guitar sound, while the battering percussion chases both to the end of the energetic tracks. The songs vary fast velocity with pounding slower parts, oozing with malevolence and aggression, with some subtle touches of haunting keyboards added here and there. Everything is steeped in a somewhat murky atmosphere because of the underground soundmix, but that is only a plus in the hands of Uncanny, who manage to combine aggression with grit and a stab of atmosphere. Awesome stuff!

On the flipside we encounter Ancient Rites. They offer up a concoction of older than old school black metal (with traces of Venom, Bathory and Hellhammer), and elements of primitive death/thrash metal (the first albums by Agressor (FRA) and Merciless (SWE) have crossed my mind here and there) and ye olde heavy metal added. They never sounded particularly Scandinavian, predating that scene by a few years, and had a pretty original take on the genre. Weaving together fast paced sections with slower, moodier parts and bits of twisted melody and distorted vocals, the band brews a cocktail of aggression and atmosphere that lends them a face of their own, for sure. The unpolished sound suits proceedings like a glove, radiating obscure vibes all over, it's just a tad of a shame that the drums sound somewhat dry. Other than this, awesome stuff as well!

This is a honking dose of early 90's underground delight, a snapshot from a time when extreme metal wasn't as defined by boundries as it is today. It oozes both aggression and atmosphere, and the authentic performance by both acts make this one more than worth the time invested. To all you old school underground metal terrorists out there, this one comes highly recommended!!!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10